Abortions increase following school holidays

Abortion clinics are anticipating an increase in the demand for abortions amongst teenage girls after the school holidays.

Spokesperson for Marie Stopes Clinics, Jock Strachan says there is a new trend that shows a definite link between unwanted teenage pregnancies and increased leisure time.

He says based on last year's statistics - that show spikes in the demand for abortions after both the July and December holidays - they are again expecting an influx of teenagers at their clinics.

Strachan says the January and August figures are approximately 45% to 50% above the normal average number of abortions that they do and had given 18-year-olds and less. "So the actual increase in abortions from our clinic point of view has gone up by approximately 13.6% but it's the youngsters that we were especially worried about."