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London,
27th August 2004
(LifeSiteNews.com) - Statistics revealed today by British government
sources show that abortion reached a record level in England and Wales in
2003, rising 3.2% since 2002 to reach the all-time high of 17.5 abortions
per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44.
The abortion count reached 181,600
during 2003 in England and Wales - not counting the many abortions caused
by the morning-after pill. Though the highest abortion rate is in the age
bracket of 20-24 years old, there was a large number of teenage abortions:
a total of 37,043 among girls of 15 to 19 higher than the 36,018
recorded for the 25 to 29 age bracket.
The British government is
disappointed. Its Sexual Health and HIV strategy, as well as the Teenage
Pregnancy Strategy, designed to reduce unplanned pregnancies, are
apparently backfiring.
A Department of Health statement shrugged
off the disappointing results, laying the full blame on contraceptives:
"no contraception method is 100% effective and there will always be women
seeking an abortion as they are legally entitled to do." Earlier this
month, the British government announced guidelines which allow girls under
16 to have abortions without parental consent or
notification.
Commenting on the government's dubious stance, Paul
Tully, general secretary of the Society for the Protection of Unborn
Children, said: "The government's strategy on abortion among teenagers is
proving to be a disaster for young people and for the babies who are
aborted. Promoting morning-after pills also encourages risky sexual
behaviour and appears to be fuelling the explosion in sexually transmitted
infections among young people." |
