New abortion statistics

What do the statistics mean?
More earlier abortions
More NHS abortions
More medical abortions
Reducing the number of abortions, prevention is better than cure

What do the statistics mean?

There is no evidence that women are opting to use abortion as a form of contraception. The vast majority of women requesting abortion have tried and failed to use contraception effectively. No 100% safe method of contraception is yet available, so for women who are sexually active and become pregnant, but do not want to have children at this point in their lives, abortion sometimes seems like the best option.

What the 2010 statistics show is a slight decrease in abortion numbers. It is hoped that this reflects a better use of contraceptive services and an increased use of more reliable contraceptive methods.

The statistics suggest that people in England and Wales continue to be sexually active regardless of their marital status or desire for children, and many see abortion as a useful last resort for those unable to contemplate pregnancy, childbirth and parenting at a particular moment in their lives.

More earlier abortions

More abortions than ever are taking place earlier in pregnancy with over 90% of abortions in 2010 taking place at under 13 weeks gestation compared to 87% in 2003.

78% of abortions took place at 9 weeks and under compared to 58% in 2003.

More NHS abortions

The NHS provided or paid for over 90% of all abortions in England and Wales compared to 80% in 2003.

More medical abortions

37% of all abortions in 2010 were carried out using medical procedures (as opposed to surgical methods) compared to 17% in 2003.

Reducing the number of abortions, prevention is better than cure

Most people agree that it is preferable to prevent unwanted pregnancies effectively in the first place rather than be faced with the dilemma of whether or not to have an abortion. Several things could contribute to more effective contraceptive use:

Comprehensive programmes of Sex and Relationships Education in schools to improve young people’s skills when it comes to communicating with sexual partners and choosing and using contraceptive methods.
More information for men and women of all ages about the links between alcohol/substance use and lack of effective contraceptive use.
Creative provision of contraceptive and sexual health services to improve services in rural areas and offer wider access via schools and workplaces.
More accurate representation of sexual relationships and more accurate information about sexual health in the media.