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Brits Concerned Over High Abortion Rates

Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Britain would like to reduce the number of abortions in their country, according to a poll by Communicate Research for Alive and Kicking. 70 per cent of respondents believe the fact that more than 200,000 abortions are conducted each year in Britain is too high.

Since 1967, British women have had the right to an abortion. The procedure can presently take place only in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Any change to existing regulations would be subject to a vote in the House of Commons. 79 per cent of respondents think the government should put in place an automatic regular review of abortion law to account for advances in medical knowledge.

Abortion briefly became a political topic earlier this year after Cosmopolitan magazine published the views of the three main party leaders on the issue. Labour’s Tony Blair said he "disliked" the idea, adding, "You should not criminalize a woman who, in very difficult circumstances, makes that choice." Conservative leader Michael Howard said abortion "should be available to everyone" but suggested lowering the legal limit from 24 weeks of gestation to 20 weeks. Liberal Democrat Charles Kennedy said he had voted for a 22-week limit on abortion, but said, "I don’t know what I would do now".

British women do not have to pay for an abortion if they qualify for the procedure under the terms of the National Health Service (NHS). 50 per cent of respondents believe the current abortion limit of 24 weeks should be lowered significantly, given that more than 80 per cent of babies born at that age survive.

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

Agree
Disagree
No opinion

The fact that more than 200,000
abortions are conducted each
year in Britain is too high and
ways should be found of
reducing this number
70%
16%
13%

The government should put in
place an automatic regular review
of abortion law to account for
advances in medical knowledge
79%
10%
11%

The current abortion limit of
24 weeks should be lowered
significantly given that more
than 80 per cent of babies
born at that age survive
50%
30%
19%

Source: Communicate Research / Alive and Kicking
Methodology: Interviews with 1,005 British adults, conducted from Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/9653

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Reply 1

Kate85

Firstly, I would prefer for women to terminate pregnanices that they either do not want or would not be able to care for than have all of these children born in an environment where they aren't wanted, lumped into care with the other X unwanted children or bought up in poverty etc.

Also, althought the limit for abortion is 24 weeks you would be hard pushed to find a place that would abort a pregnancy of 24 weeks "just because", this limit is usually reserved either for women who are in danger of dying if they continue the pregnancy or if there is something drastically wrong with the baby. Most abortions are carried out under 12 weeks and I believe that if we lower the limit then many women would die in later pregnancy or severe abnormalities with the baby would not be found early enough to terminate.

Reply 2

Ferret_messiah

A poll conducted for a pro-life organisation suggests criticism of abortion? I am shocked and astounded!

Push poll.

Ummm... 40-70% of babies born at 24 weeks survive. Not 'more than 80%'. I wonder where they got that figure...

Reply 5

Segat1

Its a very delicate matter. I hope I never have to make the decision, but I have seen how it affects women and all I can say is that this is not an easy option out.

Reply 6

Howard

The fact is though that the UK has 600,000 births a year and 200,000 abortions. So one in four pregnancy is terminated. I can't quite see how such a large number is justified in a wealthy developed country with all the birth control techniques available.

Reply 7

L i b

I think that the law is being stretched in favour of abortion. At present, continuing the pregnancy has to present a severe risk to the life of the mother or the mental health of the mother or her family, or the child would be incredibly deformed if born.

I find it hard to believe that is true for 200,000 pregnancies... more like 200.

Doctors who abuse the law should be struck off and face charges. That'll cut the numbers way down.

Reply 8

Jangliss

Those questions were so loaded...

Anyway, it's best this way. Until we have a society in which all children grow up well provided-for, I don't see a more humane way out of this. Often the result of not having an abortion used to be abuse of the mother and/or tying young girls into serious relationships with children at a very early age. This is something which happens most often to our least able to cope and least financially independent demographics, remember.

Reply 9

spk

It is important to understand that one of the most powerful arguments for legal abortion (and one of the main reasons it was legalised in the UK) is that without it, desperate young girls would seek backstreet abortions from non-medical practitioners or would attempt to induce a miscarriage themselves.

Reply 10

la fille danse

LibertineNorth

I find it hard to believe that is true for 200,000 pregnancies... more like 200.

I'm sure more than .02% of women would have their mental health detrimentally affected by being forced against their will to carry a pregnancy to term.

And as for my opinion about the number of abortions, it's of course unfortunate that so many woman are having unwanted pregnancies. The fewer unwanted pregnancies, the better. My sole concern is with the women though, not the fetuses...

Reply 11

Kate85

Also the only way to be 100% of not getting pregnant is to not have sex. Lots of people say "use protection" but even the pill is only 99% effective therefore unless everyone who doesn't want a baby stops having sex then there are always going to be unwanted/unplanned pregnancies and I don't see how people should be made to abstain unless they want to reproduce.

Reply 12

lady_daisychain

concern for increased abortion? why concern? if abortion decreased, there would probably be higher teen pregnancy rates, i bet they'd still be concerned...

go find something worthwhile to be concerned about, something about people already living on this earth, rather than bunches of cells that have the *potential* of living which doesnt affect us whatsoever.

Reply 13

LuverlyLawyer

rather than bunches of cells

http://www.pregnantpause.org/develop/krakow/krak12.htm

These are pictures taken at 12 weeks, the time most abortions are carried out. Not really a 'bunch of cells' hey. Feet, hands, toes, fingers, toenails and fingernails. The heartbeat begins at 16 days.

http://www.pregnantpause.org/develop/krakow/krak20.htm

Here's 20 weeks. Don't forget abortions can be carried out to 24 weeks (or actually until birth in the cases of serious defects). :frown:

Reply 14

LuverlyLawyer

Er they were pictures of perfectly healthy babies! What kinda censoring is that??!!!

Thank you.

These are pictures taken at 12 weeks, the time most abortions are carried out.

Source?

59% of abortions are performed eight weeks or earlier; in the US at least, but it may well be different over here for all I know.

Edit: Indeed, it seems that 43% of abortions in the UK are performed earlier than 9 weeks. 45% are performed between 9 and 12 weeks. So there is no possible way that the majority of abortions are performed at 12 weeks...

Reply 17

LuverlyLawyer

In my legal research I learnt that many of the statistics regarding stage of abortion have been distorted by doctors wishing to make it appear that the majority of abortions are done earlier than they are. It is usually atleast 5-6 weeks before the woman even knows she is pregnant. It then takes another week or so to decide what to do and then a number of appointments have to be made. Appointments for the actual abortion are usually, due to demand, about three to four weeks after the relevant documents have been signed. This in all totals an average gesgation stage of about 12 weeks. Doctors put the baby at about 8 weeks old and write it in as an estimate. By doing this they keep the abortion in the lowest catagory. They are false statistics. It's very sad but true and distorts the reality of the situation.

Reply 18

la fille danse

These are official government statistics, by the way. What reason does the government have to lie about abortion?

It is usually atleast 5-6 weeks before the woman even knows she is pregnant. It then takes another week or so to decide what to do and then a number of appointments have to be made. Appointments for the actual abortion are usually, due to demand, about three to four weeks after the relevant documents have been signed. This in all totals an average gesgation stage of about 12 weeks.

Even using the highest numbers you've given, that equals 11 weeks.

And if a woman has reason to believe she might be pregnant, she can find out approximately two weeks after having sex.

Doctors put the baby at about 8 weeks old and write it in as an estimate.

Source?

Gestational age is calculated by using the first date of a woman's last period, for simplicity's sake (since it can't be determined the exact date that the egg was fertilised). So if a woman tells you she's 10 weeks pregnant, the fetus was actually only conceived approximately 8 weeks ago. I have no reason to believe that the opposite (8 weeks means 12) would be true in the case of abortion...