High abortion rates for young

Nearly one in three Northland abortions are for women aged 20 to 24, according to Statistics NZ.

Figures show 532 abortions took place in the Northland region last year, 180 of which were for women in this age group.

Nationally, 15,863 abortions were performed last year, 33 per cent for women aged 20 to 24.

Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (ALRANZ) says contraception should be freely available to all women.

"If we want to lower the abortion rate, the way to do it is not to restrict abortions," member Alison McCulloch said. "It is to ensure there are fewer unplanned and unwanted pregnancies [and] the way to do that is to increase access to contraception and to have education programmes."

But the Whangarei branch of Voice for Life New Zealand says women need more information when they visit a doctor for a termination.

"The ALRANZ statement that not restricting abortions will reduce them just doesn't make sense," Whangarei spokesman Steve Jaunay said.

"Figures in New Zealand show that almost 50 per cent of women who have abortions do so as a result of failed contraception, in fact; a large percentage hadn't use contraception at all."

Mr Jaunay said in an Australian-New Zealand survey, 60 per cent of young girls reported losing their virginity while drunk.

"There is no proof that increased access to contraception will lower the abortion rate. The heart of the problem lies in responsible decision-making with regards to issues like youth alcohol as well as relationships and sexuality and exposure to risk," Mr Jaunay said.

"The ALRANZ solution of throwing free contraception into the mix is simplistic and not well thought through, and in fact rather than help the situation may well exacerbate it. Our view is free contraception will not lower the [termination] rates."

Mr Jaunay said doctors needed to tell women about research linking mental and emotional disorders with abortion.