More than 20,000 women having two or more abortions by age 25

London: More than 20,000 women a year are having two or more abortions by the age of 25. A third of all terminations are carried out on patients who have had at least one already.

Last year 189,574 abortions were carried out in England and Wales, 8 per cent more than in 2000, according to Department of Health figures. Well over a third — 70,466 — were for women under the age of 25, of which 22,468 were ‘repeats'. Eighty-five women who had an abortion last year had already terminated seven pregnancies.

The figures show that despite government campaigns to reduce unwanted conceptions the numbers are still rising. There is some evidence however that the number of teenage abortions is starting to fall, down from 17,916 in 2009 to 16,460 last year.

Increasing investment

Campaigners warn the statistics paint a "sad picture" of a society where abortions are the norm.

A spokesman for the Prolife Alliance said: "Whatever is being done in the United Kingdom in the way of sexual health education, at whatever age, it is clearly not impacting significantly on unplanned pregnancies. Any abortion at whatever stage in pregnancy and for whatever reason represents the ending of the life of a developing pre-born child." The number of terminations had been falling steadily since 2006 — until a rise of a fraction of a per cent last year. The figures show that increasing numbers of women are having abortions early in their pregnancy. Last year 76 per cent took place at under 10 weeks' gestation, compared with 74 per cent in 2009.

"Numbers have remained stable despite increasing investment in, and promotion of, longer-term methods of contraception. This shows how difficult it is for women to prevent unwanted pregnancies," Ann Furedi, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the country's largest abortion provider, said.

"Abortion is not a problem in itself. For many women, abortion is a back-up to their contraception. It is a rational and ethical solution to the problem of a pregnancy that they cannot continue with."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We welcome the continued fall in teenage pregnancies. Abortions... should never be seen as a form of contraception. Women and men need to make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and think about contraception before having sex."