Campaigner in Italy seeks global moratorium on abortion (10 April 2008)
Giuliano Ferrara, 56, a communist activist turned socialist turned conservative, who is an atheist … is proposing a global moratorium on abortion. He says he is appealing for more resources to help women have children. "Thirty to 40 per cent of women who have abortions do so because it's difficult to raise children in this society," he says.

The Independant - www.independent.co.uk

Abortion at industrial level says MP (27 March 2008)
Abortions in England and Wales have reached 'industrial levels', according to a Conservative MP who obtained figures on multiple terminations. The statistics, for 2006, showed nearly 15,000 women were having their third or more abortion, while 54 of those had terminated eight or more pregnancies. "Urgent action was needed to reduce the figures", Mr Pritchard said.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Royal college warns abortions can lead to mental illness (16 March 2008)
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says women should not be allowed to have an abortion until they are counselled on the possible risk to their mental health. This overturns the consensus that has stood for decades that the risk to mental health of continuing with an unwanted pregnancy outweighs the risks of living with the possible regrets of having an abortion.

The Sunday Times - www.timesonline.co.uk

My baby, right or wrong (10 March 2008)
Rebecca Atkinson has not had her unborn baby tested for Down's syndrome. She knows some people will say that was irresponsible. But how, as a disabled person herself, could she let her child's physical condition decide whether or not it was born? ....94% of women who receive a pre-natal diagnosis of Down's syndrome terminate their pregnancies.

The Guardian - lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk

India announces girl child award (05 March 2008)
The Indian government has announced it will pay poor families nearly $3000 to bring up their girl children. The scheme is hoped to discourage the widespread practice of aborting female foetuses, which has led to a gender imbalance in parts of the country. India outlawed gender selection and selective abortion in 1994, but the practice still continues.

BBC online - news.bbc.co.uk

Pregnancy rate among women over 40 reaches record high (29 February 2008)
After doubling in 15 years, figures rose 6.4% in 2006. London was the pregnancy hotspot for the over-40s. Conceptions among women aged between 35 and 39 also increased sharply.... fall in the number of older pregnant women opting for an abortion. In 1991 more than 40% chose to terminate their pregnancy, but over the past three years this has fallen below a third.

The Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk

Teach sex in context, Government told (26 February 2008)
Advocacy groups welcomed the government's review of sex education in schools, but warned that putting sex into the context of relationships was paramount in cutting the UK's soaring rates of teenage pregnancy... The group will also consider how schools can use outside professionals to add to SRE lessons...

The Guardian - education.guardian.co.uk

Government to review sex education classes (25 February 2008)
Review of sex and relationship education, which is seen as crucial in reducing teenage pregnancies, has been set out by the Government.... It said many young people feel they are not receiving sex and relationship education which arms them with what they need to make safe and well-informed choices and delay sex until they are ready.

The Press Association - ukpress.google.com

Young artist hanged herself after grief of aborting her twins (22 February 2008)
A talented artist hanged herself because she was overcome with grief after aborting her twins, an inquest heard. Emma Beck, 30, left note saying: "Living is hell for me. I should never have had an abortion. I see now I would have been a good mum. I told everyone I didn't want to do it, even at the hospital. I was frightened, now it is too late. I died when my babies died."

London Evening Standard - www.thisislondon.co.uk

The battle to stop teens becoming pregnant (20 February 2008)
Worcestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership is using a DVD in its battle to cut the rate of under 18 conceptions by half by 2010... The DVD series is designed to encourage youngsters to relate to the characters and see the impact decisions can have on their lives in the hope they will delay having sex.

Worcester News - www.worcesternews.co.uk

Teenage mums say hit film Juno is just a joke (18 February 2008)
Box-office smash Juno is an award-winning comedy about a schoolgirl who has a baby but can teenage pregnancy really be a laughing matter? Despite bagging a Bafta and four Oscar nominations, Juno has been slammed for putting a rosy gloss on a serious issue. Teenage pregnancy is a growing problem in UK, with nearly 40,000 girls under 18 expecting every year.

The Mirror - www.mirror.co.uk

Greens back abortion law shake-up (15 February 2008)
The Green Party has voted in favour of easing restrictions in the 40-year-old abortion law in England and Wales. The party's spring conference in Reading backed removing the rule that two doctors need to give approval. It also supported nurses and midwives carrying out abortions at up to three months, and axing restrictions on where abortions can be conducted.

BBC online - news.bbc.co.uk

Survival rate soars for babies born early (02 February 2008)
Survival rates for the most premature babies have soared at one leading hospital, reigniting the debate over lowering the abortion time limit. Research has found the number of successful births between 22 and 25 weeks has more than doubled. Research, by neo-natal consultant Professor John Wyatt, looked at births at University College Hospital in London between 1981 and 2000.

London Evening Standard - www.thisislondon.co.uk

Give young free condoms, says MP (28 January 2008)
Free condoms should be given to young people as part of campaign to cut teenage pregnancies, says Labour MP. Chris Bryant wants them made available first150 areas of UK with highest levels of teen pregnancy. He also wants booklets sent to all parents on their children's 11th birthday to help them talk about sex. UK is second only to US in rates of teenage pregnancy.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortions in USA down 25% from peak (17 January 2008)
Comprehensive study of abortion in America underscores a striking change in the landscape, with ever-fewer pregnant women choosing abortion.. down 25% since peaking in 1990. Some say the rapid growth of crisis pregnancy centres has helped cut the number of abortions.. and laws mandating counselling before an abortion.

Los Angeles Times - www.latimes.com

Teenage girls to get Pill over the counter (13 December 2007)
The contraceptive Pill will be available from chemists without a prescription next year in an attempt to tackle Britain’s persistent problem of teenage pregnancy. Under the pilot scheme, women will be able to have a private consultation with a pharmacist, where any health risks will be assessed, before obtaining the Pill free.

The Times - www.timesonline.co.uk

'Born Survivors' show mum at 14 (11 December 2007)
BBC3 documentary ‘Born Survivors’ about Kizzy who had sex for the first time at the age of 13 and gave birth nine months later. In September, Kizzy went back to school. Kizzy's not the only young mum in her area. Torbay has one of the highest rates of pregnancy in Britain and it is rising. BBC gave links to CAREconfidential and to Choices Cornwall.

BBC Online - www.bbc.co.uk

Trials to consider abortions at GP surgeries (05 December 2007)
Trials have been launched to see whether abortions can be carried out safely at GP surgeries in England, the Department of Health said on Wednesday. Pilot schemes have begun at two unnamed hospitals to test whether early terminations, using so-called abortion pills can be carried out in ... a community medical setting such as a doctor's surgery.

Reuters - uk.reuters.com

Sex education and teen pregnancy (04 December 2007)
Half the young people in the UK today have not been taught about teenage pregnancy and wouldn’t know where to find their local sexual health clinic. These figures from a UK Youth Parliament survey of over 20,000 young people may go some way to explaining disproportionately high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

The Times online - www.timesonline.co.uk

Morning-after pill at 12 (03 December 2007)
Girls as young as 12 are being given the controversial morning-after pill without their parents’ knowledge. Figures show that 84 per cent of NHS primary care trusts (PCT) authorise secretly prescribing Levonelle to under-16s. And 70 per cent admit they are prepared to force chemists to prescribe the drug by withholding pharmacy licences if they refuse.

Daily Express - www.express.co.uk

British Asians aborting unwanted girls (03 December 2007)
Cultural pressure to give birth to sons is causing some pregnant Indian-born women living in Britain to return to India to abort their unwanted daughters, an investigation has found. It reveals how “selective sex abortion”, a practice outlawed in India in the 1980s, is still widespread and being used by some women living in England and Wales.

The Times - www.timesonline.co.uk

Texts that help reduce teenage pregnancy (29 November 2007)
Twelve months ago, Lincolnshire County Council spent £12,000 setting up an initiative which allowed youngsters to send text messages asking for advice. A year on, more than 1,000 teenagers have used the service, requesting help. While some have dubbed the service "sex text for teens" those behind the scheme say it has contributed to the 31 per cent drop in teenage pregnancy rates between 1998 and 2005.

Yorkshire Post - www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

Illegal abortions still blight UK (23 November 2007)
Illegal abortions are still taking place in the UK, a BBC undercover investigation has discovered. Abortion has been legal in Britain for 40 years - under certain conditions a woman can terminate a pregnancy up to 24 weeks. But the BBC has discovered pills for getting rid of unwanted pregnancies are readily available on the black market.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

GP in ethical rules storm over abortion (11 November 2007)
GP is facing an inquiry by the GMC after allegations that she breached ethical guidelines by trying to dissuade patients from having a termination. The inquiry has arisen after the GMC received a complaint, believed to be from a practising doctor involved in the pro-choice movement, about an interview with Downes in the Daily Mail. In it she described how she talked to the women who come to her to discuss having an abortion about having the baby instead.

The Observer - observer.guardian.co.uk

DVD offers abortion support (07 November 2007)
A pregnancy advice service in Norwich has made a DVD offering help and support to women coping with the emotional aftermath of an abortion. See a clip via the new BBC service which reviews the video. Or contact CAREconfidential helpline 0800 028 2228 for more details.

BBC Online - search.bbc.co.uk

MPs back lower time limit for abortions (30 October 2007)
Out of more than 100 MPs who responded, two thirds of them said they were ready to vote to cut the 24-week limit. The results indicate that legislation to be introduced in next week's Queen's Speech could be used as a vehicle for the first major change in the law for 17 years.

The Telegraph - www.telegraph.co.uk

MPs call for clarity on grounds for abortion (30 October 2007)
Guidance on what constitutes "serious handicap" as grounds for aborting a baby must be clearer, according to members of an influential commons committee. MPs on the cross-party science and technology committee want a more explicit legal definition of the term, amid concern at the number of foetuses aborted for minor, treatable defects such as club foot.

DailyTelegraph - www.telegraph.co.uk

Abortion law anniversary marked (27 October 2007)
Religious and anti-abortion groups are due to stage events marking 40 years since abortion was legalised. They will walk to Westminster Cathedral for a service commemorating 6.7m abortions performed since 1967. Campaigners against abortion began their protest on Friday night when they projected the number of abortions on to the riverside face of the Houses of Parliament.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Plans to relax law on early abortion (26 October 2007)
The most extensive liberalisation of abortion laws for 40 years is being planned by MPs, The Times has learnt. MPs will propose that women be allowed to seek an abortion on the basis of informed consent – dropping the requirement for two doctors’ signatures – and perform the second stage of a medical termination at home rather than at a hospital or clinic. They also want nurses rather than doctors to be allowed to carry out abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy, up to 12 weeks. Anti-abortion MPs say privately that they may not have the numbers to oppose the moves. MPs will have a free vote on the changes, probably early next year.

The Times online - business.timesonline.co.uk

Minister defends abortion limit (25 October 2007)
Health Minister Dawn Primarolo says the government does not believe there is sufficient scientific evidence to lower the legal abortion limit of 24 weeks. She said nothing had persuaded the Department of Health that survival rates had improved for extremely premature babies born before that time.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion stories: Relief and regret (24 October 2007)
As the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act in the UK approaches, two women speak to the BBC News website about their experiences of having abortions.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Too many abortions: Lord Steel (24 October 2007)
Lord Steel, architect of the 1967 Abortion Act, says today that abortion is being used as a form of contraception in Britain and admits he never anticipated "anything like" the current number of terminations when leading the campaign for reform. The Liberal Democrat peer, whose bill legalising abortion in certain circumstances marks its 40th anniversary on Saturday, says an "irresponsible" mood has emerged in which women feel they can turn to abortion "if things go wrong".

The Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk

Babies aborted for minor disabilities (23 October 2007)
More than 50 babies with club feet were aborted in just one area of England in a three-year period, according to new statistics. Thirty-seven babies with cleft lips or palates and 26 with extra or webbed fingers or toes were also aborted. The data have raised concerns about abortions being carried out for minor disabilities that could be cured by surgery. Abortions are allowed up to birth in Britain in cases of serious handicap. The Commons science and technology committee is carrying out an inquiry into whether the law should be made more specific. Some parents, doctors and campaign groups are worried by what they see as a tendency to stretch the definition of serious handicap.

The Sunday Times - www.timesonline.co.uk

Abortion debate reignited (12 October 2007)
The government's Human Tissues and Embryos Bill has put the issue of abortion in the public spotlight. Link to BBC video that reviews the debate and possible outcomes.

BBC Online - search.bbc.co.uk

Members lobbied on Northern Ireland abortion move (26 September 2007)
An anti-abortion group has called on assembly members to back a motion opposing terminations. They want the assembly to oppose draft guidelines on the termination of pregnancy, calling them "flawed". The Department of Health issued the guidelines after a legal case by the Family Planning Association. Precious Life said the guidelines will change how the law on abortion is interpreted and legalise abortion in Northern Ireland "through the back door". It calls on the health minister to abandon any attempt to make abortion more widely available in Northern Ireland.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Salmond seeks abortion law review for Scotland (23 September 2007)
First Minister Alex Salmond has backed the setting up of an independent commission to examine abortion laws. He personally supports a reduction in the time limit for terminations from 24 to 20 weeks. The commission could look at whether the reserved issue of abortion should be devolved to Scotland.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Stolen children in China (23 September 2007)
In China, 190 children are snatched every day - more than twice the number taken in England and Wales in a year. The Chinese government does not acknowledge the extent of the problem, or the cause. The Single Child Policy has made it essential to have a son, leading to the abortion of more than 40 million girls and setting the price on a boy's head at more than six months' wages

The Observer - observer.guardian.co.uk

China warned on gender imbalance (24 August 2007)
The gender imbalance in China has reached alarming levels far exceeding UN recommendations, says China's Family Planning Association (CFPA). There were 163.5 boys for every 100 girls aged up to four in the eastern city of Lianyungang, it said. Abortions of female foetuses were the main cause of the imbalance, CFPA said. The State Population and Family Planning Commission warned that gender imbalances could lead to social instability.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Bishop leaves Amnesty over stance on 'abortion violence' (21 August 2007)
A senior Roman Catholic bishop has resigned from Amnesty International in a row over the human rights group’s new policy on abortion. The Right Rev Michael Evans, the Bishop of East Anglia, stood down after 31 years in protest at support for abortion facilities in developing countries. Bishop Evans said that Catholics would find it difficult to support a human rights group that advocated violence against unborn children.

The Times online - www.timesonline.co.uk

Amnesty ends abortion neutrality (18 August 2007)
Amnesty International has confirmed its controversial decision to back abortion in some circumstances, replacing its previous policy of neutrality. The human rights group will campaign for woman to have access to abortion in cases including rape and incest. Christian organisations, including the Roman Catholic Church, have threatened to withdraw support from the group.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Doctors call for abortion reform (27 June 2007)
The British Medical Association conference is to consider a call for quicker and easier access to abortion. One proposal at the Torquay conference is a call to scrap the need for two doctors to allow an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. Doctors will also consider proposals for non-approved premises, such as GP practices, to carry out abortions.. the government said there are no plans to change the law.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion numbers increase again (20 June 2007)
The number of abortions carried out in England and Wales rose by 3.9% to 193,700 in 2006. There was also a rise in the under-16 abortion rate and among under-18s. Abortion has been increasing since it was legalised 40 years ago - there were 22,000 legal terminations in 1968. The Royal College of Obstetricians said the rise was "disappointing" and showed a failure to deal with the problem of unplanned pregnancies.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion remains an emotive issue (19 June 2007)
Abortion has been steadily increasing almost from the moment it was legalised 40 years ago - one of many reasons why it still stirs up controversy..... Anne Atkins, a Christian commentator, argues growing knowledge has, if anything, led to a more ambivalent attitude. "Young people are much more aware of what abortion is and how traumatic and how drastic it is. That is not to say they won't take that option."

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Teenage abortions hit all-time high (19 June 2007)
More teenagers are having abortions than ever before, fuelling a significant rise in the number of terminations in England and Wales. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the figures pointed to "a failure to address the problem of unplanned pregnancy, particularly in teenagers and young women .... this now represents a major public health issue, and a failure of preventative medicine," it said, and it called for a "rethink" in the way sex and relationship education is provided.

Daily Telegraph - telegraph.co.uk

CAREconfidential is honoured at BT Awards (11 June 2007)
A major award has been scooped by CAREconfidential's ground-breaking website, for setting the pace in the whole area of 'multi-channel' helpline services. CAREconfidential was honoured (Highly Commended) in the BT & Telephone Helplines Association Awards for imaginative use of web-based services - and in particular for its 'pioneering online advisor service'.

Article from Care today Newsletter Summer 2007 - www.careconfidential.com

Increase in abortions in Scotland (29 May 2007)
Number of abortions carried out in Scotland is continuing to rise, according to official figures. All-time high of 13,081 pregnancies were terminated in 2006, compared with 12,603 the previous year. Scottish government committed to improving Scotland's sexual health and reducing number of unintended pregnancies through Respect and Responsibility… and has provided more than £600k over next two years for programme for secondary teachers providing sex education

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion: It's time we started to say no (22 April 2007)
Dr Adrian Marks, GP, describes his experience of abortion. “The first abortion I saw is carved into my memory”. He asks “Perhaps we should not ask why we hesitate but why we do them at all?”.

Daily Express - express.co.uk

One in 30 aborted foetuses lives (20 April 2007)
One in 30 foetuses aborted for medical reasons is born alive, a 10-year study at 20 UK hospitals has found. Most of these babies with disabilities were born between 20 and 24 weeks of pregnancy and all lived for no more than a few hours.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Late abortions reasons revealed (19 April 2007)
Many women who have late abortions had not realised they were pregnant, a study has found. Southampton and Kent University researchers say women need more information so that they realise they are pregnant much earlier. This study found women had not realised they were pregnant for two main reasons. Just under 40% because they had irregular periods and another 31% had been using contraception, and so had not thought they could be pregnant.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

US top court backs abortion ban (18 April 2007)
The US' top court has upheld a ban on the controversial late-term partial birth abortion procedure. The Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. Abortion opponents condemn the operation, in which the foetus is partially removed alive from the woman's uterus and then aborted.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortions 'crisis' threatens NHS (16 April 2007)
An increasing number of doctors are refusing to carry out abortions, leading to a crisis in NHS services, experts have warned. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there has been a big rise in the number of doctors who are "conscientious objectors".

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Immigrant pregnancies stretch NHS (26 March 2007)
The BBC has been told the influx of eastern Europeans to the UK has led to a massive rise in pregnancies and abortion requests in some areas. Health professionals warn that some antenatal services are stretched to breaking point.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Academic backs teen abortion law (15 March 2007)
Nottingham academic says legislation requiring parents to be notified over abortions for the under 16s could see a drop in teenage pregnancy. MPs rejected a bid to force doctors offering abortion or contraception advice to under-16s to inform the child's parents on Wednesday. Professor David Paton said studies in the United States demonstrated a new law could cut teenage pregnancies. He said research had revealed that STDs amongst teenagers also fell.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion: Do parents have a right to know? (14 March 2007)
Parents have a right to know if their children are given an abortion or contraception, MPs will demand today. And a proposed parental involvement law could cut under-age pregnancies and terminations. Britain has the highest number of sexually active under-15s in western Europe, and experts say involving parents in their children’s sexual education and well-being will reduce this statistic. Similar legislation in the United States has had a significant impact on juvenile sexual behaviour.

Daily Express - express.co.uk

Rise in abortions after Christmas (08 February 2007)
Heavy Christmas drinking and partying, leading to unprotected sex, could be to blame for a record number of abortions last month, says a UK charity. A total of 5,992 abortions were carried out at Marie Stopes International's nine UK clinics in January - a rise of 13% on the 5,304 in January 2005. This is more in a month than at any time in the charity's 32-year history.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Doubts voiced over emergency pill (15 September 2006)
Making emergency contraception more available has failed to reduce abortion rates, a family planning expert says. Edinburgh-based Anna Glasier said abortion rates were rising despite the morning-after pill having been available from chemists for five years. She said research had shown that women did not always use the contraception at the right moments because they were unaware they had put themselves at risk and as a result it had no impact on pregnancy or abortion rates. In 1984, 11 women per 1,000 aged 15 to 44 had abortions, compared with 17.8 in 2004.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Third 'have sex below legal age' (14 August 2006)
Nearly a third of 16 to 24-year-olds lost their virginity below the age of consent, a survey has suggested. The BBC Radio 1 poll also suggested 43% of young people had had at least five sexual partners with one in five having more than 10. Over half - 57% - claimed to have had a one-night stand and many of the youngsters said they did not always use condoms with new partners. Many showed a lack of awareness about contraception failure, with 43% not knowing it was possible to get pregnant if a condom is not used correctly and 35% unaware that the contraceptive pill can also fail.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Teenagers 'using condoms wrongly' (09 August 2006)
Some teenagers are failing to use condoms properly, risking unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, a snapshot study suggests. Southampton University researchers surveyed just under 1,400 teenagers aged 16 to 18 across England. Around half had had sex. Of the 373 who had used a condom on the most recent occasion, 6% had put one on too late and 6% had removed one too early. Researchers also asked just over 100 teenagers to keep a diary of their sexual activity for six months .... of the 714 diary entries given to the researchers, a condom was not used during sex on 322 occasions.

BBC - news.bbc.co.uk

Babies put teenage mothers back on course (27 June 2006)
Having a child can motivate girls to return to education. But they must be allowed to study when they're ready. Getting pregnant at 15 isn't generally regarded as a smart career move. But with experts saying motivation levels can soar once the baby is born, maybe society should think again. Letting women choose how they want to be mothers while supporting their educational ambitions when they're ready to start again is the only way to optimise their chances of success.

The Guardian - education.guardian.co.uk

Calls for Government rethink of teen pregnancy plan (21 June 2006)
The minister for social exclusion has suggested the Government will need to reconsider its approach to cutting teenage pregnancy if it is to meet its targets. Hilary Armstrong, the Cabinet Office minister for social exclusion, said: "It is a common misconception that teenage pregnancy rates haven't fallen. But they are still far too high, and higher than they are in other European countries. We have to find a more effective way of doing this work. And we have to work with the third sector to make sure we deal with this effectively."

Young People Now Magazine - www.ypnmagazine.com

Plaudits for teenage pregnancy consultancy (09 June 2006)
The Leeds Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Partnership was given top marks for its work which included helping young parents stay in education. Kiera Swift, teenage pregnancy coordinator for Leeds, said: "We are delighted at the outcome of the report and are proud of the work that has been achieved across the city to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate". Work carried out by Barnados and the Young Fathers work of Education Leeds was also praised.

Leeds Evening Post - leedstoday.net

Home abortions hit record high (30 May 2006)
A record 10,000 women had an abortion at home last year, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service has said. It said nearly one-third of the 32,000 terminations it provided in the first nine weeks of pregnancy had been medical - involving abortion drugs. The BPAS described the trend as a success for sexual health, but campaign groups have been critical. Reproductive Ethics (CORE) accused the BPAS of deeply insensitive self-promotion of abortions. A £1m government investment into selected NHS primary care trusts had enabled them to improve early access to abortions, making BPAS the biggest provider of EMA in Europe.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Parents offered a termination at 35 weeks (25 May 2006)
After a complicated pregnancy, during which the doctors had found that Mrs Green was carrying excess amniotic fluid, the couple had agreed that their baby could be tested for genetic conditions. "We were both in total shock, but this was considerably worsened when he said, 'You can have a termination.' I was 35 weeks' pregnant at this stage. My baby was fully formed and his name was decided. I was appalled. He urged us to think about the termination and think about how having a baby with 'mental retardation' would affect our lives. He listed only the potential negatives about Down's syndrome, without giving us any information to read for a more balanced view. Mrs Green decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and, two weeks later, gave birth to Harrison who is now two years. He is, according to his mother, a "happy and healthy" child.

The Telegraph - telegraph.co.uk

Boy charged over child pregnancy (13 May 2006)
A 15-year-old boy is being prosecuted in connection with the case of a girl who fell pregnant at the age of 11. The girl from West Lothian - who would become one of the UK's youngest mothers - told a newspaper that she was looking forward to having her child. The teenage boy is due to appear in court in July charged with rape because of the age of the girl, who is now 12. The case has prompted calls for a better teenage sexual health strategy in Scotland. Her 34-year-old mother said: "I'm not ashamed of my daughter, I'm proud of her for keeping her baby."

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Mother sues for birth of 'aborted' twin (21 March 2006)
A woman sued a hospital for £250,000 yesterday because four years ago she gave birth to a healthy baby despite having an abortion when she became pregnant with twins. Stacy Dow, 21, of Perth, launched her claim against Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust for "the financial burden" of raising her daughter, Jayde, whom she had when she was 16. The hospital is contesting the case at Perth Sheriff Court, arguing that Miss Dow was given no guarantees that the termination would succeed.

Telegraph online - www.telegraph.co.uk

US state outlaws abortion (08 March 2006)
The US state of South Dakota has signed into law a near-total ban on abortion in a move the governor called a 'direct frontal assault' on the supreme court decision 33 years ago to legalise it South Dakota's governor, Mike Rounds, yesterday signed a bill that will make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure is necessary to save the woman's life. The legislation would make no exception for instances of rape or incest, though victims in such cases could get emergency contraception.

Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk

Abortion clinics banned from hotline (03 March 2006)
In Australia, counsellors with links to abortion clinics will be barred from claiming a new taxpayer-funded subsidy to counsel pregnant women about their options. And religious groups that refuse to refer women to an abortion doctor would not qualify for the commercial tender to run a new national pregnancy counselling hotline. A week after federal cabinet signed off on the $51 million counselling plan designed to cut the number of abortions, Prime Minister John Howard said the boost to services was in response to public concern about the abortion rate.

The Fairfax, Australia - www.theage.com.au

£150m plan fails to cut teenage pregnancies (28 February 2006)
£150 million campaign to reduce pregnancies among young girls has been an embarrassing failure, figures showed yesterday, with ministers under pressure to close the discredited Teenage Pregnancy Unit. Official statistics show a rising number of girls under 14 becoming pregnant and experts said the Government missed its target of cutting the under-18 pregnancies.
David Paton said: "The taxpayers' money spent by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit seems to have had no impact. The Government should look closely at the unit's future".

Telegraph - www.telegraph.co.uk

Abortion clinics encourage women to abort (19 February 2006)
Australian Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott is attempting to take millions of dollars off counselling services he believes encourage women to abort. He has put a plan to Cabinet that aims to bypass all counselling services to women provided by abortion clinics. The plan, worth more than $50 million, would see the Federal Government directly funding church-affiliated groups provide alternate counselling. He believes counselling offered by abortion clinics is fundamentally predisposed towards going ahead with termination but counselling should be at arms length.

Australia, Sun Herald - www.heraldsun.news.com.au

Hewitt against abortion changes (29 January 2006)
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has said she is not in favour of introducing tougher UK abortion laws. She said she was against reducing the 24-week limit, but wanted to try to cut the number of late terminations. She said the important thing was to make sure that a woman who requested an abortion in a very late stage of pregnancy "gets very good counselling and advice before she makes that decision. We really want to keep reducing the number of late abortions". Her comments came after a survey in the Observer suggested that almost half of the women surveyed wanted the legal time limit for an abortion cut from 24 weeks.

BBC Online - news.bbc.co.uk

Mother loses abortion right-to-know battle (24 January 2006)
A mother of two teenage daughters spoke of her disappointment yesterday after losing a landmark legal battle for a parents right to know if girls under 16 are being advised on obtaining an abortion. A High Court judge ruled that parental rig