WE’VE had feminism, we’ve had equality legislation, we’ve had an economic boom with unprecedented employment opportunities and we’ve had two women arrive in Áras an Uachtaráin with husbands and kids in tow.

THE number of babies born to teenagers fell by 35% in the last 10 years, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Almost a third of women say their pregnancy is a crisis one.

A SEX education programme being delivered by former teenage mothers in schools around the country is raising young people’s awareness of the dangers of becoming sexually active too young.

The Medical Council has today announced the appointment of Caroline Spillane as its new chief executive.

MORE than eight out of 10 men would like to go further than a kiss on their first date – if they got the chance.

MORE women over the age of 35 are experiencing crisis pregnancies but fewer are opting for an abortion, new figures show.

The number of teenagers giving birth fell by more than 8% last year while an increasing amount of women over 35 sought crisis pregnancy counselling, new figures revealed today.

Health Minister Mary Harney is ruling out another referendum on abortion.

There has been an increase in the number of women over 35 contacting the Crisis Pregnancy Agency.

The number of teen mothers has fallen again.

THE number of women giving Irish addresses at British abortion clinics has decreased for the eighth year in a row.

Twelve women travel to Britain every day for an abortion, latest figures revealed today.

AFTER reading the Human Rights Watch report (Irish Examiner, January 28), it astounds me that the Government still ignores the demand to legalise abortion in Ireland.

TEENAGERS are coming under increasing pressure to have sex at a younger age, only in many cases to regret it later, experts behind a new awareness campaign said yesterday.

Tips for teenagers on dealing with the pressures of underage sex went online today to help them make the right decision.

THE Irish Government vehemently defended Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws and insisted that terminations are easily and readily available where there is a risk to a woman’s life.

SECONDARY schools should develop a strategy for communicating with parents about relationships and sex education that occurs at school, a report has recommended.

Ireland is experiencing a baby boom with the highest number of births in more than a century, it was revealed today.

The number of women attending post-abortion medical check-ups is on the rise despite a fall in terminations, it was revealed today.

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney (July 21) voiced her support for the Crisis Pregnancy Agency’s latest advertising initiative which targets supposedly rogue crisis pregnancy counsellors.

THE Crisis Pregnancy Agency is set to crackdown on rogue counselling services which manipulate women and provide a “disingenuous” service.

POORER women are more likely to have abnormal smear test results than those who are better off, new figures reveal.

CURA has finally apologised to three women who were expelled from the Catholic pregnancy counselling agency after raising concerns about a leaflet containing details of agencies providing abortion information.

THE Crisis Pregnancy Agency has noted a continued drop in the number of women travelling to England and Wales for abortions since it was established.

AN increasing number of couples are choosing to have an abortion because of financial worries, according to a crisis pregnancy counselling service.

PARENTS have been urged not to shirk their responsibilities when it comes to sex education for their children.

SAGGY boobs and bottoms, stitches, swollen ankles and stretch marks.

MORE services are urgently needed in colleges to offer information and testing in relation to sexual health, student leaders claimed yesterday.

THE slashing of 41 State agencies will be a “first installment” in a long term plan of reducing so-called quangos, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said last night.

IN response to Jennifer Hough’s article in Monday’s edition regarding the reported activities of an independent centre referred to as a ‘rogue agency’, it should be emphasised that non-judgmental, trustworthy crisis pregnancy counselling is freely available in Ireland.

More than 210 schoolgirls below the age of consent gave birth to babies last year, it emerged today.

SOME women are still too ashamed to admit they are pregnant outside of a relationship and conceal the pregnancy right up to the birth in some cases.

Crisis pregnancy still poses serious difficulties for many women in our society.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) says it is concerned about the number of women who are still concealing their pregnancies in Ireland.

YESTERDAY marked the second anniversary of the statutory rape crisis which arose when the Supreme Court found the existing legislation to be unconstitutional as it did not allow a defence of not guilty due to an honest mistake regarding the girl’s age.

SITTING down and discussing sex and puberty with your children is one of the most effective ways of ensuring they will delay having sex and avoid unwanted pregnancies and abortions later in life, according to the Crisis Pregnancy Agency.

Women who lose their virginity as young teenagers are 70% more likely to face a crisis pregnancy in adulthood, it emerged today.

THE Sexual Health Centre welcomes the reduction of VAT on condoms, removing them from the category of “luxury item”.

The Government will rush emergency health legislation through the Dáil and Seanad next week to confirm that 19 boards, agencies and councils founded by the State have full legal standing.

DELAYING early teenage sexual activity forms a key part of the State’s latest strategy to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency has launched a new five-year strategy aimed at reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies in Ireland.

THERE is incontrovertible evidence that work and career opportunities strongly influence the way women deal with crisis pregnancies, research reveals.

WOMEN faced with unplanned pregnancies worry most about their ability to continue in work and may opt for abortion on the strength of those fears.