A startling revelation shows that more than 100 teenage girls a month in Britain have an abortion for a second time. Not only this, some girls are on their way to terminate their third pregnancy before they reach the age of 18.

Figuratively:

1. 2005, more than 1000 girls under the age of 18 had a second abortion while 90 were on their third where as among the over 30s, 482 women had their fifth abortion
2. among 18 to 24 year old girls in England and Wales, more than 16,000 had a second abortion while 3,060 were on their third
3. according to last year’s estimate, under the age of 30, some 20 women underwent eight or more abortions
4. 14 women had had their sixth abortion before the age of 25, and that at least one was under 18

Present state of affairs:

The authorities are looking forward to halve teen pregnancies by 2010 but critics are of the view that rates are not slowing satisfactorily to overcome the problem.

Simon Blake, the chief executive of the charity Brook, which offers free sex advice to the young, asserted that

‘the small number of young women who need to have two or three abortions before they reach the age of 18 have clearly been failed by our education and health systems.’

Michaela Aston, a counselor and representative for the anti-abortion charity Life, said that it is

‘a failure of the sex education strategy that has been forced on girls of this age for more than 10 years.’

How to curb this menace:

Government family planning clinics and pharmacist are always ready to dish out pills and condoms. I think the problem could be restricted by curtailing the benefits given to teens and this also includes ‘an autonomous or free house’.

The sex education in schools must also focus on mutual respect and the importance of a stable relationship. And it must also talk about the lasting damage that can be done both physically, emotionally and spiritually to someone who indulges in casual and promiscuous sex.

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