If anyone were to tell you that there seemed to be an increased interest in sex, or perhaps promiscuity, in the world, you'd probably scoff at the idea. Despite this, however, there seems to be some truth to the matter as a new report over at the Telegraph explain.

It seems that 19-year olds are now the most likely age group to have an abortion in the UK, with 32 out of every 1000 getting one, according to Department of Health figures. There is also increased concern that the procedure is being seen as a form of contraception, due to an increase in the number of abortions among 16- to 18-year olds.

Here are some numbers for you to chew on: there were 193,737 abortions among women and girls in England and Wales last year, which meant an increase of 3.9% on the total for 2005 to 2006. In contrast, the rise between 2005 and 2004 was 0.4%. Strangely enough, 32% of those having an abortion noted that they had a previous procedure done on them before.

These numbers don't bode well for the UK government, which has spent a tidy sum on contraception education. Said Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, "These are disappointing figures, especially on repeat abortions which further illustrates the failure of the Government's strategies on sexual health and teenage pregnancy."