More than one in five pregnancies in Britain ends in abortion…says the Office for National Statistics.
Its report said 36 per cent of all pregnancies in women under 20 were terminated, a figure that has continued to rise despite the widespread availability of contraception and the “morning after” pill.
Among women of all ages, 23 per cent of pregnancies were terminated in 2000.
The report suggested that many women wanted to delay their families until they were married or financially secure.
But often the delay was detrimental and – despite the huge rise in the number of multiple births over the past 10 years as a result of fertility treatment – the birth rate is at an all-time low.
Patrick Cusworth, a research spokesman at Life, Britain’s largest anti-abortion charity, said: “The abortion statistic is devastating.
“It’s tragically ironic that while 600 babies a day are aborted, only 300 a year are placed for adoption despite growing requests from would-be parents who cannot have children naturally.
“There is no question that we now have abortion on demand in this country. The law supposedly places certain obligations on the part of doctors [to sanction them], but there is very little debate with regard to the fact that many of these requirements [for abortion to take place] have just become boxes that need to be ticked.
“We have dealt with thousands of women who have regretted their decision to have an abortion.”
Tony Kerridge, of Marie Stopes International UK, a pro-choice family planning agency, said: “I don’t think there is any real evidence that women are using abortion as a method of contraception.
“Some women come to our centres who have had repeat terminations but we always discuss contraception with them. The vast majority of pregnancies are the result of unprompted and unplanned sex acts, maybe where contraception was not available.”
He refuted suggestions that the abortion law needed to be tightened. “The legal requirement is that you need to seek the permission of two doctors. We think it is patronising and paternalistic to expect women to justify their decision. Individuals should be allowed to make choices about their health.”
A spokesman for the FPA, formerly the Family Planning Association, said: “Half of all pregnancies in Britain are unplanned and we would like to see a reduction in that and more information and advice on contraception available.
“Abortion is an essential part of fertility control.”