Rapid increase in numbers of abortions for Australian teenagers

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times

Rapid increase in numbers of abortions for Australian teenagers*

By Fiona Hudson

Herald Sun

November 21, 2009 12:01am

Abortion

The majority of abortions were performed on women in their 20s, but
there were more teens than ever / File

* Increase in teens seeking abortions
* Clinics concerned at lack of education
* Expecting a rush following "Schoolies"
* Poll: Brits reveal sexual ignorance

MORE than 3350 young women had abortions in Victoria last year - at the
alarming rate of nine each day.

The shocking number of unwanted pregnancies included 209 abortions
performed on girls under 16, several without their parents' knowledge.

At least two 12-year-olds had terminations, the Herald Sun reports.

The number of young teens seeking abortions has left staff at some
clinics deeply concerned.

Some blame poor sex education at schools and anticipate a rush of
"schoolies" seeking advice about unplanned pregnancies in coming months.

Croydon Day Surgery's Carol Richards said the biggest increase was among
those aged 14.

"(They) are experimenting with sex and copying what they see on
television," she said.


"Most of them have only had sex two or three times. They don't
understand what can happen."

Health Department figures seen by the Herald Sun reveal more than 3350
females aged 20 or under sought terminations last year.

The increase in the number of under-age girls ending pregnancies came
despite a drop in the total number of terminations last year.

State Government data shows 16,084 Victorian women had terminations in
2008-09 - a 12 per cent dip since 2005-06.

The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, are the first
compiled since abortion was controversially decriminalised in Victoria
last October.

They indicate the law changes have not prompted a flood in the total
number of terminations, or the number of controversial late-term
abortions, as some opponents had predicted.

Ms Richards, nursing director at one of the state's busiest private
abortion clinics, said many young women lacked skills to help them
negotiate with partners and were frequently forced or persuaded to have
sex against their will.

"I repeatedly say, 'Did you agree to this?' and they say, 'Well ... yes.
I didn't really want to, but I didn't know how to say no'.

"When it comes to sex education ... we're not delivering the right
information in the right way."

A survey recently revealed a third of high school students have had
unwanted sex.

Private clinic Marie Stopes International expects to see many
"schoolies" about unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

National clinical director Jill Michelson urged parents to talk to their
children about sexual decision-making, emotional aspects of sex and
dealing with non-consensual sex.

"Our research shows that, of teens who are sexually active, a third had
their first experience at age 14 years or younger - yet almost one in 10
say they have not been taught sex ed at school," she said.

Staff at several other private clinics agreed ad-hoc sex education
programs and frequent teen sex scenes depicted on TV shows such as Home
and Away were contributing to a rising number of early teens falling
pregnant.

Because the Health Department does not routinely collate abortion
statistics, it is difficult to make exact comparisons with previous years.

The figures obtained by the Herald Sun show almost half the women who
had abortions in Victoria last year were in their 20s and about 90 per
cent opted to end the pregnancy before 13 weeks.