In some London boroughs, including Lambeth and Southwark, nearly 50 young women in every 1,000 have abortions, but in other parts of England and Wales the figure is fewer than 10.
The overall figure for under-18s who had abortions fell between 2003 and 2004, from 18.2 to 17.8 per 1,000. There was also a slight drop in the number of under-16s having abortions, from 3.9 to 3.7 per 1,000, but fpa (formerly the Family Planning Association) said there are often annual fluctuations.
An fpa spokeswoman said the Government's teenage pregnancy strategy is working well overall, but added: "There are hot spots in some parts of the country, and that is the next thing that needs to be tackled."
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