THE abortion rate in Hampshire went up slightly last year.
In Hampshire there were 3,506 terminations in 2017, a rate of 15.3 for every 1,000 women aged 15-44 compared to 13.7 in 2016.
The rate for England is 16.5 but ranges from 9.6 per 1,000 women in York to nearly three times that in Barking and Dagenham.
The highest rate in Hampshire was among women aged 20-24 with the lowest for women aged under 18.
One of the most significant changes at national level has been a decline for younger women and a rise for women in their early 30s.
Dr Kate Guthrie, of the Royal College of Obstetricians, said: “It’s encouraging to see a continuing decrease in the abortion rate for young women under 25, and in particular for teenagers.”
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