Sexual health campaigners have welcomed the guidance, saying that girls have a right to get confidential advice. They say it will help to protect them and reduce the number of teen pregnancies.

However, anti-abortion campaigners say the guidelines ignore the parent's right to know what is best for their child.

The publication follows the recent case where a 14-year-old from Nottinghamshire had a termination without her mother's knowledge, after seeking advice from a school health worker.

Do you think parents have a right to know? Or do teenagers have a right to confidential health care? Send us your views.

This debate has now closed. Thank you for your comments.

Your comments:

SUGGEST A DEBATE This topic was suggested by Payam Torabi, UK: Will the new abortion rules help to change the current situation? Send us your suggestions for Have Your Say debates

If the teenagers can have sex without their parent's knowledge, they surely should have a right to confidential health care. This will keep them away from social stigmas and other socio-psychological problems. It is an important step and in keeping with the tradition of building a healthy society.
Anuj Bahl, New Delhi, India

Another chipping away at the stone of the moral health of this country. I thought they would have understood by now that it is the failed culture of the 60s perpetrated by the liberal elite, which has resulted in this moral malaise. Will they never learn? Children are children.
John Karran, Merseyside, UK

I got pregnant at 15 but my paretns forced me to have the child instead of an abortion and gave away the baby. Today I have to suffer the burden of fretting about where she is and who has her. I would not have had all this depression if I had had an abortion. So I believe the girl should decide. It is her body burden and psyche
SP, USA

In claiming that all parents should know if their daughter becomes pregnant and seeks an abortion we are making a huge assumption; that those parents are good parents and will have the best interests of their daughter at heart. Sadly this is simply not always the case, and young women and girls must have the opportunity to make decisions about their lives with information from trained advisor and without the pressures and prejudices of family.
Elizabeth, Oxford, UK

As long as a parent is responsible for their child's action under law, the law must respect the parents' right to make decisions for them. If a parent is considered unfit then a court of law assigns a legal guardian. That is the only time a parent should be limited in deciding with their children what is best for their family.
Jim H., Sudbury, MA USA

So many things are happening that are undermining family relationships and this is just another one of them Pete Bowler, Knutsford, England

So many things are happening that are undermining family relationships and this is just another one of them. Please can we start thinking in terms of supporting parents who are bringing up children as best they can rather than increasing the difficulties they are working under? They need to know what their kids are going through - the joys and the sorrows. I am sure that there are exceptions where it would be unwise to inform parents that their young daughter has had an abortion - but they must be very very rare and will be associated with demonstrably poor parenting. They should be individually justified before a children's court.
Pete Bowler, Knutsford, England

As the government is agreeing to sex under 16 by allowing abortions and contraception without parents consent. Perhaps it should remove the law regarding sex under 16? Either that or enforce it.
Caron, England

I was very depressed by this news over the weekend. I have very strong views on the right to life and I speak to my children explaining these views as part of my desire to provide them with the tools that they will need to look after their physical and spiritual well being. I believe that children (and adults) need to be aware of the consequences of their actions, and this has been demonstrated in the past week with the reports on STDs and binge drinking. However, the government is undermining my efforts by issuing guidance which suggests (wrongly) that the consequences of underage sex can be avoided by a simple procedure called an abortion.
Paul, Farnham, UK

Only the girl in question has the right to make the decision. I couldn't have coped with a baby at 16. I was having sex by then and in my own mind I had addressed the possibility of getting pregnant and I knew what I was likely to do in those circumstances. I felt if I was going to have sex I should know how to deal with any possible consequences. However, I feel very strongly that the girl's parents ought be to be informed of their daughters decision, with no powers to over rule her. I also would suggest the doctor concerned has a moral/legal obligation to advise the police if a crime has been committed.
Liz, Surrey, UK

As a parent myself -admittedly of two boys - I strongly object to the state taking on any of my parental responsibilities. If the state decides that only it can make this kind of decision then the state can take responsibility for truancy, underage smoking, drinking and anti-social behaviour. Either I am responsible or they are, you cannot have it both ways.
Terry, Epsom, Surrey, England

Abortion is murder and will never be just! By allowing 14 year olds who don't even understand the emotional depth of sex between male and female will just degrade and demoralise family values and relationship values further more! Rather be strict and say no and have a few than allow it to be a 'free for all!'
Steph, UK

To Steph UK, I had an abortion when I was 16 because my abusive boyfriend had got me pregnant, you are saying that I shouldn't have the right to chose whether to have that child. If I had kept my baby I would've been tied to that boyfriend forever and had to bring up a child in the knowledge that their father had been abusive towards its mother. You can't tell me that is right and you also can't say that teenagers don't understand the emotional depth of sex because they do. You can't deny someone their strong feelings at that age just because you don't believe they are adult enough to deal with them.
Anon, UK

I can understand why parents are angry but why aren't they looking to see why their children fell pregnant in the first place? Their daughters are obviously having under-age sex yet none of the parents seem concerned about that. They need to ask their children why they were having sex at such a young age first and they need to ask themselves why they didn't recognise this before blaming other people like doctors who did recognise that the children were having sex and needed help. If the teenagers consider themselves old enough to have sex, the parents shouldn't be suddenly acting as if their teenagers are uncomprehending infants who didn't realise the risks of having sex and who had abortions without understanding the consequences.
Lucy, UK

Another morally bankrupt decision from a desperate government in its final months Alan, UK

This isn't an abortion issue, it's a parenting issue. The government having been banging on about children being out of control, yet they're now saying there's no consequences (i.e. children wont be accountable to their parents) to breaking the law. It is after all illegal for under 16's to have sex. Also, many parents are very supportive once that initial hurdle of 'telling them' has been overcome. It can bring other issues into the open. Another morally bankrupt decision from a desperate government in its final months.
Alan, UK

Funny how these anti-abortionists are so concerned about the welfare of the unborn and not very vociferous about the welfare of the born. I'd like to know how many of them have been adopted and how many have themselves adopted; how many of them have been abused or counselled the abused...
Richard, Glasgow, UK

It is inevitable that there will be more, rather than less teenage pregnancies. The reason being that young girls can get a termination without their parents knowledge, consent or help in deciding whether to continue with the pregnancy and keep the child. I expect the "Pro-Life" groups will also have much to say on the subject.
Barry, London, United Kingdom

Their bodies are not ready, their minds are not ready and their emotions are not ready to bear and support a child Gill, France

I think all "children" 16 or under should be supported and encouraged to have an abortion - their bodies are not ready, their minds are not ready and their emotions are not ready to bear and support a child. Encouraging a child to go through with the pregnancy is not in the best interests of the child or the unborn foetus. There is no way an adult can fully understand the implications of having a baby - much less a child of 16 or less. I am not saying that with good support a teenager can't be an excellent parent - its just very unlikely. Children have rights over their own bodies but they don't have rights over others - at least I hope not.
Gill, France

The same society which agrees on abortion of a foetus of any stage, might as well admit that all the unloved, homeless, family less, single parents, deficient or any other unwanted child type should be exterminated! Otherwise we are talking nothing but hypocrisy.
Lucia Kelp, Malm�, Sweden

It is a woman's right to decide whether, and when, to have an abortion. That's it. Period. Back street abortions were a horrible, dangerous procedure, and we should not go back to them, but we will, if abortion is limited.
Sara, Vancouver Canada

Few parents would respect the child wishes if they were different from their own Nathan Hobbs, Luton, UK

What do you want.... 14 year old mothers or girls having abortions at 14... only seems fair to give the girls the choice. If you involve the parents, the girls have no choice as few parents would respect the child wishes if they were different from their own.
Nathan Hobbs, Luton, UK

Where in the world is this society headed to? A parent has a cardinal role in the upbringing of their offspring and God forbid that this responsibility be relegated through meaningless laws that in essence only worsening and weaken family ties. Think twice....the repercussions of such laws are bound to be grave in the long run. Parents have a God given duty and right to 'guard' their children!
Mundia, M, Nottingham

Certainly a girl under 16 should have the right to an abortion. I would even say she should be forced to have the abortion as the liaison was illegal in the first place. Parents should have no rights here. It could well be that the pregnancy could be due to their lack of parenting ability,
Jack Oliver, Newark England

Every pregnant woman, young or old has the right to make their own decision about the future of their child Polly Neill, Ealing, London

Every pregnant woman, young or old has the right to make their own decision about the future of their child but it must be made based on true knowledge. The recent images are an important step in allowing a prospective mother to make the right choice. It may make that choice harder but in this case that is a good thing.
Polly Neill, Ealing, London