Abortions rise as the over-35s think: I can’t get pregnant

INCrEASING numbers of women in their late 30s and 40s are having abortions because they had wrongly assumed they were too old to become pregnant, experts warn. Many women are under the false illusion that they do not need contraception, because by this age the only way they could become pregnant is through IVF, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

The organisation – Britain’s largest abortion provider – blames repeated warnings by fertility experts that women are ‘leaving it too late’, when in actual fact the chances of conception are still relatively high.

Figures from the Department of Health show that abortion rates among women in their 30s and 40s have been steadily rising, but have fallen in almost all other age groups.

Since 2001, the rate has risen by 15.5 per cent for women aged 30 to 34 and by 6 per cent in the over-35s.

In addition, research by BPAS on 156,751 women having abortions between 2011 and 2013 show those in their late 30s and 40s are far less likely to use contraception than younger age groups.

More than 42 per cent of women in their 40s hadn’t used contraception compared to 36 per cent in their early 30s and 34 per cent in their late 20s.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said: ‘Over the past few years we have seen much scaremongering about older women’s fertility. From career women leaving it too late to older women banking on IVF to conceive, these stories lead many women to dramatically underestimate their own fertility later in life.

‘At BPAS we see more women over 35 with unplanned pregnancy than we do women under 18. We know from speaking to women that stories and campaigns suggesting it’s hard to get pregnant after 35 – even if well intentioned – are having a real impact on women’s perception of their own fertility, and therefore their use of contraception.

‘Women deserve accurate, impar-

‘Underestimate their fertility’

tial information to make their own choices about family planning in their 30s.

‘Fertility does decline as you get older, but the drop is not as great as we are sometimes led to believe. For women who don’t want to fall pregnant the message is simple: use contraception until you have passed your menopause.’

Figures f rom the Office f or National Statistics show the conception rates among women in their late 30s and 40s have doubled since 1990.

In 2012, there were 14 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 40 and over compared to just six per 1,000 in 1990.

Similarly there were 63 per 1,000 for women aged 35 to 39, while in 1990 it was 34 per 1,000.

It was revealed earlier this year that more women over 40 are becoming pregnant than girls under 18.

According to official figures, there were 28,714 pregnancies among women over 40 in the UK in 2012, compared to 27,834 for girls under 18.

The figures show that pregnancy rates among over-40s are well over double those of 1990.

But a spokesman for the Prolife Alliance charity said BPAS also made money providing contraception and advice, so it was in the service’s interests to urge women to be cautious. The spokesman added: ‘Women do become less fertile as they get older – there is no doubt.

‘But it seems to be that rather than just relying on contraception, women just need more advice and education on when they are likely to fall pregnant in terms of their natural cycle.’