Gallery Carre
Abortion ‘right to know’ rejected (BBC)
Mar 14th, 2025 by Jessica Gold Haralson
A bid to force doctors offering abortion or contraception advice to under-16s to inform the child’s parents has been rejected by MPs.
Tory MP Angela Watkinson argued that current sex education encouraged girls to have sex before they were ready.
But MPs voted by 159 to 87 to retain the current guidelines guaranteeing confidential advice to under-16s.
For the Lib Dems, Dr Evan Harris argued that child protection and patient confidence had to be retained.
About 4,000 under-16s a year have abortions in England and Wales.
‘Shamefully high’
Mrs Watkinson said current policy was not working as the rate of abortions, pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease among young teenagers was “shamefully high”.
Presenting her Contraception and Abortion (Parental Information) Bill to the Commons on Wednesday, she said the “plethora of information” on contraception gave encouragement and false assurances to young girls.
“All the indications are that many children are becoming sexually active well before they are either emotionally or physically mature,” she said.
She said the free provision of the morning after pill had not reduced teenage pregnancies, of which there were 7,464 in 2005 - some mothers as young as 13.
“It’s time to try a different approach.”
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