LONDON — A teenage girl and her mother have lost a legal challenge against a rule that prevents women from Northern Ireland from receiving free abortions in England.

The 18-year-old from Northern Ireland, who cannot be named to protect her identity, was 15 when she traveled to England for an abortion in 2012. She had to pay hundreds of pounds (dollars) for it because she was excluded from free abortion services.

Abortions are illegal except in extreme cases in Northern Ireland, and hundreds of women seek them in England, where the procedure is legal. Both Northern Ireland and England are part of the United Kingdom.

Three judges on Wednesday upheld the previous High Court ruling.

A lawyer said the women plan to appeal to Britain's Supreme Court.