Call for alternatives after UK abortion rise
Women are undergoing abortion procedures more frequently in England and Wales
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Tuesday, 19, Jun 2007 02:28
The number of women in England and Wales having abortions has risen by 3.9 per cent within 12 months, government statistics have revealed.
According to the Department of Health, 193,700 expectant women underwent abortion procedures in 2006.
That represents an increase of more than 6,000 from 2005, when 186,400 abortions were carried out.
Much of the increase has been put down to more teenagers having abortions, with both the under-16 and under-18 abortion rates increasing from 12 months earlier.
Commenting on the increase, the Family Planning Association (FPA) said it came as no surprise "given that contraceptive services are in crisis and at their lowest point for many years".
Chief executive Anne Weyman called on the amount of investment in contraception services to be increased to help reverse the trend for abortions.
"Women get blamed for irresponsible behaviour - when the real cause is primary care trusts neglecting their duty to provide comprehensive contraceptive services," she said.
"The solution is simple - invest in contraception. This dire situation will continue to get worse unless primary care trusts and the Department of Health take urgent action to prioritise contraception and provide services fit for their purpose."
Similar sentiments were put forward by the charity Life, which urged the government to change current abortion laws when it brings forward the new human tissues and embryos bill this autumn.
"This [bill] represents the best chance for a genuine and comprehensive parliamentary debate on the topic of abortion in almost 20 years," Life spokeswoman Michaela Aston said.
She added: "We know from experience and from the findings of public opinion surveys that in many cases women do not want abortions, but feel that they have no other choice."
"There is a real need for constructive solutions to crisis pregnancy, solutions that try to tackle the issues that make their pregnancy problematic, whether they are to do with housing, financial worries or lack of family support."
Health minister Caroline Flint said the government had already invested £8 million to help women have early access to abortion services and welcomed the fact that 89 per cent of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation.
But she accepted that the NHS "needs to work harder to reduce the demand for abortions by improving access to contraception".