THE number of abortions carried out in Scotland hit record levels last year – despite a fall in other parts of the UK, figures showed yesterday.
In 2008 there were 13,817 abortions in Scotland – up slightly from 13,738 the previous year and fewer than 12,000 in 2002.
Public health minister Shona Robison called the figures "disappointing" amid ongoing efforts to increase awareness of sexual
health issues.
Leader of the Scottish Catholic Church Cardinal Keith O'Brien described the figures as "inhuman and degrading".
Last week, figures in England and Wales showed a 1.6 per cent drop in abortions last year to 195,296, compared with 198,499 the year before.
The last time the number of abortions in Scotland fell was 2002, and the figure has been rising ever since to the current record level.
Almost 3,500 teenagers had abortions last year, including 343 under-16s – down from 375 the previous year.
There were 3,133 abortions in women aged 16 to 19, down from 3,183, and 4,278 in the 20-24 group, up from 4,125 the previous year.
While those aged between 16 and 24 accounted for the majority of abortions – with a rate of around 25 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 – there were also rises in older age groups.
Abortions among over-40s increased from 448 to 462 last year, while the 30-34 age group also saw a small increase from 1,646 to 1,653.
The rate of abortions in the most deprived areas – 18.1 per 1,000 – was double the 9 per 1,000 in the most affluent.
And almost 30 per cent of abortions – 3,770 – were carried out on women who had gone through at least one previous termination.
Overall, the Scottish abortion rate in 2008 was 13.1 for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, ranging from a high of 15.7 in Tayside to 5.7 in the Islands.
Ms Robison said: "It is disappointing that there has been a rise in the number of abortions carried out in Scotland.
"Education has a key role to play, which is why we are working with parents, schools and NHS Health Scotland to provide additional support and information around relationships and sexual health."
Cardinal O'Brien said: "The statistics confirm the abject failure of the so-called 'sexual health strategy'. They represent a human rights violation, in our midst, on a massive scale."
Natika Halil, director of information services at the Family Planning Association, said: "Improving the accessibility of contraceptive services throughout Scotland will do much to lower rates of abortion.
"These statistics show that there are particular groups and areas where much more work needs to be done to improve people's sexual health."
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said: "Any new campaign about safe sex must focus on deprived areas and younger girls, but it also needs to teach women that abortion should not be seen as a contraceptive."
The full article contains 510 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
