A relief center for girls with unwanted pregnancies opened its doors last Thursday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The center provides technical and psychological services to pregnant girls under the age of 16 who either do not want to keep their children or have been raped, according to the Xi'an health bureau, which founded the center.

"The center will provide abortions, healthcare, counseling and guidance to pregnant girls under the age of 16. It will also operate a hotline for teenage girls," said Liu Lu, an official with the health bureau.

The center, which is located in the Xi'an Hospital for Women and Children, is staffed by obstetrics, gynecology and psychology experts with experience helping girls.

"The opening of the center does not mean we are encouraging underage girls to have sex. We want to provide safe and reliable services to help the vulnerable pregnant girls," said Cai Rongjun, a social worker who works with underage pregnant girls.

A local resident surnamed Liang told China Daily that her daughter became pregnant last March, but was afraid to tell her mother. The girl went with a classmate to a private clinic for an abortion but ended up in hospital after falling ill.

According to statistics from the health bureau, official medical bodies performed some 46,000 abortions last year. Many of those treated were young girls who gave false names and ages.

There are no statistics for the number of abortions performed at private clinics.

Cai said the effects of such a situation could be wide-reaching. "If a pregnant underage girl faces indifference and unwarranted charges regardless of whether the sex was consensual or not, then she might give up, causing more problems for her health, as well as for society," Cai said.

"Xi'an's special aid center for girls will ensure privacy and provide both proper psychological and physiological treatment," the health official said.

(China Daily June 5, 2007)