Health service accused of pushing for abortion
-5/6/03
The health service has been accused of putting pressure on young girls to have abortions to help the G
Health service accused of pushing for abortion
-5/6/03
The health service has been accused of putting pressure on young girls to have abortions to help the Government to meet its target to reduce teenage pregnancies reports the Independent.
MPs and pro life campaigners fear health advisers have been steering teenagers to terminate their pregnancies to help to reduce the number of teenage mothers.
Abortion rates among under-18s have risen steeply since 1998, when the Government introduced a target to cut teenage pregnancies.
Ann Widdecombe, a well known catholic and former Tory minister, said: “There is no doubt a school of thought that the answer to pregnancy is abortion and therefore the pressure on teenagers is immense because most are not ready for motherhood” reports the newspaper.
Between 1998 and 2001 pregnancies among under-18s in England dropped by 6.5 per cent from 41,089 to 38,439 a year. At the same time, the number of abortions increased from 17,300 to 17,700, or from 42 per cent to 46 per cent.
In under-16s, the number of pregnancies fell from 7,885 to 7,396 between 1998 and 2001 while the proportion having abortions rose from 53 per cent to 56 per cent.
The Department of Health said its target was to halve the under-18 conception rate by 2010 and the increasing percentage of abortions would not affect the target.
“The increase in the percentage of conceptions ending in abortion is likely to reflect the increasing provision of well- publicised, accessible contraceptive and advice services for young people,” a spokesman said.
“These services provide unbiased information and counselling so that pregnant teenagers can make the right choice for their personal circumstances. The decision whether or not to have an abortion is between the young woman and the doctor.”
Health service accused of pushing for abortion
-5/6/03
The health service has been accused of putting pressure on young girls to have abortions to help the Government to meet its target to reduce teenage pregnancies reports the Independent.
MPs and pro life campaigners fear health advisers have been steering teenagers to terminate their pregnancies to help to reduce the number of teenage mothers.
Abortion rates among under-18s have risen steeply since 1998, when the Government introduced a target to cut teenage pregnancies.
Ann Widdecombe, a well known catholic and former Tory minister, said: “There is no doubt a school of thought that the answer to pregnancy is abortion and therefore the pressure on teenagers is immense because most are not ready for motherhood” reports the newspaper.
Between 1998 and 2001 pregnancies among under-18s in England dropped by 6.5 per cent from 41,089 to 38,439 a year. At the same time, the number of abortions increased from 17,300 to 17,700, or from 42 per cent to 46 per cent.
In under-16s, the number of pregnancies fell from 7,885 to 7,396 between 1998 and 2001 while the proportion having abortions rose from 53 per cent to 56 per cent.
The Department of Health said its target was to halve the under-18 conception rate by 2010 and the increasing percentage of abortions would not affect the target.
“The increase in the percentage of conceptions ending in abortion is likely to reflect the increasing provision of well- publicised, accessible contraceptive and advice services for young people,” a spokesman said.
“These services provide unbiased information and counselling so that pregnant teenagers can make the right choice for their personal circumstances. The decision whether or not to have an abortion is between the young woman and the doctor.”