A new US study is being used to claim that abortion is 14 times safer than giving birth.

The researchers drew on data from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. Anthony Ozimic of SPUC told the Huffington Post: "Whatever the merits or otherwise of this study and its authors' conclusions, the fact remains that the Republic of Ireland, where abortion is banned, has one of the world’s best records on maternal health, better than the US or the UK where abortion is available easily.

"The key to saving pregnant women's lives, whether in the developed or developing world, are improvements in primary healthcare and specialist pregnancy care. Abortion neither treats conditions nor cures illness." [Huffington Post, 24 January]

Other stories:

• Act now to get government to block advertising by commercial abortion centres
• 'Three-parent' embryo technique "unethical and macabre" says SPUC
• Claim of rise in illegal abortions globally is dubious, says SPUC
• Midwives defend right to conscientious objection in Scottish court
• Baby-saving pro-life counsellors are under threat, so let's focus on defending them from all quarters [John Smeaton, 27 January]
• Skin cells turned directly into brain cells, claim US scientists [BBC, 31 January]
• Four patients die thirsty or starving every day in UK hospitals, suggest new stats [Mail, 22 January]