Five teenagers were among hundreds of women who had at least their sixth abortion in Britain last year, Sky News has learnt.

Data for England, Wales and Scotland also shows more than 140 women had at least their eighth termination in 2018 - an increase of more than a quarter over the previous two years.

Anti-abortion campaigners said the figures were "extremely alarming" and suggested that recent law changes allowing early abortion pills to be taken at home had contributed to an increase in repeat terminations.

However, abortion provider Marie Stopes UK said women having multiple terminations should not be stigmatised and the reasons for them "are deeply personal and vary widely".

Data released by the Department of Health for England and Wales and NHS Scotland under the Freedom of Information Act revealed:


:: Five teenagers were among 718 women who had at least their sixth abortion in 2018

:: 143 women had an abortion last year having previously had seven or more terminations - a 19% increase on 2017 and a 27% rise on 2016

:: 172 women had their seventh abortion in 2018 - a 26% increase on 2016

:: 403 women had their sixth termination - 10% up on 2017 and a 33% increase on 2016

:: 1,298 women - including five teenagers - had their fifth abortion in 2018, while 4,389 women - including 23 teenagers - had their fourth termination

:: Overall, 84,258 repeat abortions were performed in Britain in 2018, including 3,332 on teenagers - with the overall figure up 7% on 2017 and an 11% rise on 2016

Image: Pro-choice protesters campaigned for abortion to be legalised in Northern Ireland

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said women having high numbers of abortions were "crying out for help" and voiced concerns about the "harmful policy" that allows women in Britain to take an early abortion pill at home.

Antonia Tully, the organisation's director of campaigns, told Sky News: "A woman seeking her seventh or eighth abortion could easily be in an abusive situation where she is being repeatedly coerced into having an abortion.

"Alarm bells should be ringing loudly when teenage girls are having repeat abortions. Is anyone asking questions about why a teenager, possibly underage, keeps presenting for abortion?

"This is a massive betrayal of vulnerable women and girls who need help not abortions."

Ms Tully added that women in Britain can have abortions at home "away from any medical supervision", saying: "This harmful policy ignores the evidence that women aborting at home, often alone, can be left with serious mental health problems."

However, guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists state that there is no causal association between an induced abortion for an unwanted pregnancy and future psychiatric illness or self-harm.

Marie Stopes UK said the number of women having eight or more terminations was a "tiny fraction" of the 205,295 abortions carried out in England and Wales last year.

Dr Caroline Gazet, clinical director at Marie Stopes UK, told Sky News: "For the few women who do need [eight or more abortions], we need to focus on where they are being failed and how we can help them rather than stigmatising their choice.

"We have also found that some women seeking more than one abortion, were in violent or controlling relationships, which contributed to their decision to end a pregnancy.

"There is no right number of abortions and the reasons women choose to have them are deeply personal and vary widely."

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Anti-abortion charity Life said the figures were "extremely alarming but hardly surprising given the increasingly easy access to abortion".

The charity's director of advocacy Liz Parsons told Sky News: "Women having repeat abortions, especially young people, would suggest there are underlying problems leading to unplanned pregnancies which are not resolved by putting women on the abortion conveyor belt."

The figures do not include Northern Ireland where abortion was only decriminalised last month.

Before then, abortion was only allowed in Northern Ireland if a woman's life was at risk or there was a danger of permanent and serious damage to her physical or mental health.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "We believe all women in Scotland should have access to clinically safe and legal abortion services.

"It is our view that abortion care should be part of standard healthcare provisions, free from stigma.

"NHS Boards always speak to patients having a termination about contraception options."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said it was unable to comment "given the pre-election period".