• There were 189,931 abortions performed for women resident in England and Wales in 2011
  • This was a 0.2% rise on 2010 and 7.7% rise on 2001
  • 36% of women undergoing abortions had one or more previous abortions - a rise of 31% since 2001

By Daily Mail Reporter

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The sharp increase in the number of women over 30 who are having abortions is due in part to the recent financial crisis, experts have claimed.

Terminations carried out by women between 30 and 34 increased by 10 per cent between 2009 and 2011, according to Department of Health figures.

Increased financial pressure, more widely available IVF treatment allowing women to have children later, and career ambitions are all said to have contributed to the rise, according to experts.

Pregnancy scare: The number of abortions in England and Wales has risen for the second year running, according to the Department Of Health

Pregnancy scare: The number of abortions in England and Wales has risen for the second year running, according to the Department Of Health

Experts said one reason was many 30-something women believe they could delay motherhood by using IVF in their 40s.

Only last month it emerged that women in their early 40s could be given fertility treatment for free on the NHS despite success rates at this age being low.

Tracey McNeil, UK director of Marie Stopes, the sexual health charity, told the Sunday Times: 'There is good evidence that, in a recession, women delay marriage and taking out mortgages into their late 20s.

'That in turn delays them having families until their early or mid-thirties.

'If they have an unplanned pregnancy at a certain stage in their career, or have just embarked on a mortgage and can't afford maternity leave, they may consider termination.'

Josephine Quintavalle, of pressure group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: ‘At some stage these women are going to decide they really want children and then by that stage it may be too late.

'Meeting women's needs': Ann Furedi said that there was no 'right' number of abortions

'Meeting women's needs': Ann Furedi said that there was no 'right' number of abortions

‘It just seems to be abortion on demand. It’s like a form of contraception.

‘Without making judgement, you would think that by this age women should know better. It may be that because IVF is available they can always delay having a baby.’ Last year there were 29,579 abortions carried out on women aged 30 to 34 compared with 27,978 in 2010 – a rise of 1,601.

In contrast, the number of those aged between 25 and 29 rose by under 4 per cent, from 40,800 in 2010 to 42,321 last year.

For all age groups, 189,931 terminations were carried out in 2011 – an increase of 0.2 per cent in a year.

Around 36 per cent  were carried out on women who had had an  abortion. Only last week it emerged that some teenagers have already had eight abortions, fuelling  concerns many think of it as a form  of contraception.

Figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act showed that 5,300 girls last year had a ‘repeat’ abortion. Ann Furedi, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: ‘Abortion is a service that a third of women will need in the course of their reproductive lifetimes so they can plan the timing and size of their families, and play a role in society.

By age: The percentage of women who had one of more abortions in England and Wales in 2011

By age: The percentage of women who had one of more abortions in England and Wales in 2011

‘There is no “right” number of abortions above and beyond ensuring that every woman who needs to end an unwanted pregnancy can do so.’

Julie Bentley, of the Family Planning Association, said: ‘The number of abortions hasn’t changed significantly in the past few years and this is to be welcomed.

‘However, we do know cracks are beginning to appear in contraception services. If we are going to bring down abortion numbers, this needs to change. Contraception is an essential not a luxury.’

Public health minister Anne Milton said: ‘Having an abortion can be traumatic and stressful and should never be seen as a form of contraception.’

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists vice president David Richmond, said: ‘We need to continue to reduce the need for abortion in  the first place particularly for  repeat abortions.’