More than half of teenage pregnancies in Wales end in abortion, prompting a call for a change of Government policy on terminations.
Almost 60 per cent of pregnant Welsh girls under the age of 16 have an abortion, according to news website Wales Online.
Just under half of pregnant under-18s also had a termination.
Pressure
Pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said it was concerned the figures reflect the “pressures that young mothers face”.
SPUC’s General Secretary Paul Tully commented: “The latest quarterly abortion figures for Wales show the highest ever proportion of babies conceived to women and girls under 18 have died by abortion.
“We urgently need a change of policy on the part of the government and the medical profession to support all expectant mothers and their babies – abortion kills babies and hurts women”, he said.
Mr Tully also said: “Our experience suggests that many women undergo abortions reluctantly, and many deeply regret the loss of their baby – though not all can express their sorrow.”
Decision
The figures come before the Welsh Assembly publishes its Sexual Health and Wellbeing Action Plan.
In response to the figures the Welsh Assembly said: “An abortion is an extremely difficult decision for women, whatever their age.
“It is the role of the Assembly Government and the NHS in Wales to ensure appropriate access to help, information and support to women considering this option and safe care and treatment if required.”
The figures do show a slight decrease in teenage conceptions.
Alarm
The news comes as it was revealed last week that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have reached historic levels in the UK.
Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that last year there were 482,696 new diagnoses of STIs.
And experts have expressed alarm at the resurgence of infections such as gonorrhoea, which increased by six per cent, after having previously been in decline.