The number of teenagers travelling to Britain for abortions climbed sharply during the first three months of the year, figures released yesterday revealed.
Some 257 teenagers received terminations in England and Wales between January and March, an increase of 47 since 2001.
However, the overall number of women seeking UK abortions fell by 10 per cent over the same period, according to the British Office for National Statistics. In total, 1,689 women had terminations in Britain in the first quarter of 2002.
The rise in teenage abortions prompted criticism from the Irish Family Planning Association of the Government's "outmoded" stance on sex education. Assistant chief executive Ms Catherine Heaney said the State had failed to keep pace with changes in society.
The Government appeared unwilling to recognise that young people were having sex more often and at an earlier age than previous generations, she said.
Free contraceptives should be made available to young people as a matter of urgency, Ms Heaney said.
She added: "Over the past year, official figures have indicated a steady increase in the numbers travelling for abortions in the under-20 age group. This trend is worrying and requires a comprehensive response.
"Many young people are reluctant to ask their GP or chemist for contraceptives. Yet the Government is not offering them an alternative. In addition, the high price of contraceptives places them beyond the reach of teenagers."
Parents and educators needed to buttress the self-esteem of young people who felt compelled into having intercourse against their will.
Ms Heaney said: "Clearly more young girls and women are experiencing crisis pregnancy.
"We need to respond to this comprehensively through a programme of self-esteem and empowerment."
Last month, a rise in the number of Irish women travelling to Britain for abortions was predicted after the government there unveiled plans to widen the availability of drug-induced terminations.
Britain's Pro-Life Alliance accused the British government of "cost-cutting" and being "obsessed" with abortion.
The Department of Health in Britain said the move was intended to eliminate the wide variations in waiting times for abortions, which can range from two weeks in some areas to around six to eight weeks elsewhere.
An estimated 5,000 Irish women obtain abortions in Britain each year.