Abortion rate hits record high, figures show
The percentage was 29.7% - up from 26.5% a year earlier and 20.8% in 2012, according to the Office For National Statistics (ONS).
The figure has generally been increasing for all age groups since 2015, the ONS added.
Lengthy waiting times for some forms of contraception and financial struggles could explain the rise, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said.
The figures were described as "heartbreaking" by the Christian Action Research And Education charity, which added that it was "especially painful" if poverty was a driving factor.
There were 247,703 conceptions leading to a legal abortion in 2022, a 13.1% rise on the 218,923 recorded in 2021, ONS data showed.
Figures published last year by the government showed the number of abortions in 2022 for women in England and Wales was at a record 251,377.
The ONS said its data was based on the estimated date of conception, while government figures are based on the date of the abortion, leading to a difference in the overall numbers.
Girls aged under 16 remained the age group with the highest percentage of conceptions leading to abortion, at 61%.
Women aged between 30 and 34 had the lowest percentage of conceptions leading to abortion in 2022, at around a fifth, or 20.5%.
The age group with the highest number of conceptions was women in their early 30s, at 249,991.
Women aged over 40 had a conception rate of 17.2 per 1,000 women in 2022, slightly below the record high of 17.3 per 1,000 women in 2021, the ONS said.
Katherine O'Brien, from BPAS, said emergency contraception "remains an underutilised resource".
"The government has committed to improving access via pharmacies, but we need to see this medication reclassified so that it can be sold in a wider range of outlets, including supermarkets, so that women can access it as swiftly as possible when needed," she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Budget UK supermarket recalls popular chicken product over dangerous health risk as shoppers warned ‘do NOT eat'
A MAJOR supermarket has urgently recalled a product over a possible health risk. Customers have been warned not to eat the popular item as it could be lethal. Lidl has pulled out Tempura 4 Chicken Steaks off the shelves as it has undeclared allergens. The item contains milk but does not emphasise it in bold in the ingredients list. It poses a dangerous health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk. Customers should look out for boxes with best before dates of 11/12/2026, 16/12/2026, 22/12/2026, 30/12/2026. The Food Standards Agency issued a warning to shoppers today saying "do not eat it." A point-of-sale notice has also been issued to customers explaining why the product is being recalled and instructing them what to do if they have bought it. Shoppers are advised to return the product to the point of sale where they will receive a full refund with or without a receipt. It comes just days after the viral Dubai-style chocolate bar was recalled for having an undeclared ingredient. Shops selling the product were warned to immediately stop sales and undertake product withdrawals. The internet sensation contained peanuts which was not declared on the packaging. Thousands of contaminated tablets are urgently recalled in UK as Brits fall ill with 'antibiotic resistant Salmonella' It posed a health risk to anyone with a peanut allergy or peanut intolerance. Businesses had been supplied the chocolate by a company called Black Sea Trading Ltd, who had "so far been uncontactable." Shoppers were urged not to buy the product and not to eat the chocolate if they had already bought it. Anyone who had purchased the chocolate was encouraged to dispose of it at home. The Food Standards Agency encouraged customers to contact their local Trading Standards and report where they had purchased the chocolate. Your product recall rights Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know. Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer's website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
The everyday hairstyle making Brits go bald & the easy trick to solve it, according to a hairdresser
A HAIR expert has revealed that brushing wet hair may cause more permanent damage to hair follicles than many people realise - and can lead to you going bald. Dr Roshan Vara, from Treatment Rooms London, said this common post-shower habit weakens hair structure at a molecular level, potentially leading to increased breakage and thinning over time. 3 They shared: "Wet hair has a lot of physical differences to hair when it's dry and that can affect its ability to handle stress from brushing. 'Water affects the hair shaft, and as a result, it experiences stretches in the cuticle because of swelling and that leads to breakage due to the strain.' Hair researchers have found that wet hair can stretch more than dry hair before breaking, but this apparent elasticity is misleading. Dr Roshan explained: "Wet hair causes stretching which damages the protein structure, leading to weaker hair over time.' So how do you combat this? SAFE SOLUTION Wide-tooth combs should be used instead of brushes, for wet hair, according to the hair transplant expert. Dr Roshan continued: "If you haven't brushed your hair before you wet it, don't use a standard brush, use a wide-tooth comb and start from the ends and work your way up. 'Never start brushing from the roots when hair is wet - you must avoid doing this to prevent damage.' According to Dr Roshan, styling techniques that combine wetness and heat exacerbate the damage. They added: "Using a hairdryer on soaking wet hair is particularly damaging, even if many may do that without even thinking. My hair's so thin you can see my scalp but miracle £8 buy fixes it in seconds 'The speed of which water is removed from the hair shaft can cause essentially a rupturing effect which pushes out the cuticle and leads to hair falling out as it isn't as strong as it needs to be." The protection of the hair cuticle continues its decline as a result of aggressive brushing on wet hair. Fine hair and chemically treated hair – whether coloured, permed or relaxed – are especially susceptible to wet brushing damage because their protein structure is already altered. TINA Farey, Editorial director at Rush Hair, shares her advice… HOW TO RESTORE DAMAGED HAIR Whilst you can't fully reserve the effects of damaged hair, you can stop the problem from growing. Depending on the condition of your hair, I'd recommend getting a trim every six to eight weeks - this will prevent any split ends from travelling further up the hair shaft, which weakens the hair's overall structure and leads to more breakage. Even just an inch of the ends will completely transform the appearance of your hair – trust me. When it comes to products to help restore damaged hair, Goldwell's Rich Repair Treatment Mask is a firm favourite – strengthening damaged locks to be healthy and shiny once again. HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGE My number one tip is to always use a heat protectant – even if you're only blow-drying your hair. Consistent heat styling without one will leave your hair open to heat damage. I'd also recommend refraining from over-washing your hair as this can strip the hair of its natural oils – nobody wants a dry and irritated scalp! And finally, swap your sleek, slick back for a hair down day! They may be in fashion at the moment, but over time all that tension on your strands from being pulled will wreak havoc on your hair follicles – this could lead to thinning and bald spots in areas where the hair is constantly pulled.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a 29-year-old who spends £600 a month (including £375 on gym memberships) to look this ripped
As a 29-year-old woman, you'd think my biggest outgoings would be clothes, nights out, beauty treatments and my Octopus Energy bill. But those cost a snip compared to the £375.97 I spend on gym memberships each month. I don't get blow-dries or Botox (yet) and I rarely go clubbing. I'm more concerned about looking ripped while maintaining a healthy mind space, and I'm willing to spend a hefty chunk of my salary each year to get it.
