Fury As Morning After Pill is Given Out to Schoolgirls
TRENDY sexual health programmes that hand out free morning-after pills to girls without parental consent were yesterday blamed for a surge in teen abortions.
Figures earlier this week showed that record numbers teenagers in Scotland are having abortions.
More than one a day were carried out on under-16s last year. But the number of terminations has soared since the introduction radical schemes aimed at wiping out the problem in the worst affected areas.
The latest figures are a damning indictment of the sexual health policies of the last Labour-led Scottish Executive and sparked criticism of health chiefs for sexualising children.
Critics say the ready availability the morning-after pill handed out free to schoolgirls in High Street chemists and other liberal sexual health reforms have increased promiscuity among teenagers.
Despite repeated warnings that the policies have backfired by driving up the number of teenage pregnancies and abortions, health chiefs are determined to continue with them, claiming they will work the long term.
Disturbingly, the new SNP administration has said it stands the previous Executives flawed sexual health strategy, despite mounting evidence of its failure.
Latest NHS figures show 359 Edinburgh teenagers underwent abortions last year a rise of 5 per cent on the previous year and the highest level on record.
The Lothians have been a testing ground for radical sexual health policies, including the Pounds 5million Healthy Respect scheme launched six years ago, which saw schools hand out condoms and pupils sent to clinics for the morning-after pill.
In March 2005, then Health Minister Andy Kerr announced an extra Pounds 1.9million to extend the project.
Last December, it was criticised for giving advice to children on good sex over the festive season.
In Fife, the number of abortions among under-20s has risen from 230 to 268 between 2005 and 2006, according to the Executive.
Chemists there have been giving emergency contraception free to under 16s since 2001.
Earlier this week, it emerged there were 3,446 terminations in Scotland among under-20s last year, up 4 per cent on the previous year and the highest since abortion was legalised 40 years ago.
In 1968, there were only 226 abortions north of the Border in the under-20 age group meaning the number has soared by more than 15 times.
The level of abortions among under 16s reached 362 in 2006 an average of one a day up from 341 the year before and 309 in 2004.
Cardinal Keith OBrien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, will launch a strongly worded attack today on the 1967 Abortion Act, branding it a pack of lies.
The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) in Scotland said the new figures suggest the real social problems that lead women to choose abortion are not being addressed.
But Dr Anna Glasier, lead clinician with NHS Lothian, said she expected abortion figures to drop in the long term.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison confirmed she was in favour of the previous Labour-led Executives sexual health strategy.
It sets out guidelines that all schools must follow to provide pupils with equitable information about sexual health services and how to access them.
Miss Robison said: The Scottish government is committed to improving sexual health and reducing the number of unintended pregnancies through Respect and Responsibility, the national sexual health strategy.
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