Latest abortion stats show ideology is triumphing over women’s safety, says pro-life group
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) says that the sharp increase in medically induced abortions shown in new abortion statistics out today illustrate how abortion ideology is triumphing over women’s health.
The 2018 abortion statistics for England and Wales, released today, reveal that 71% of abortions were medically induced, higher than in 2017 (66%), and almost double the proportion in 2008 (37%).
"These statistics are very alarming," said Antonia Tully, Campaigns Director of SPUC. "The use of abortion pills is being pushed worldwide for reasons that have nothing to do with women's health - namely, the desire to make abortion as widely available as possible, and facilitating "DIY" abortion. This has been seen in the recent moves which allow women in England, Wales and Scotland to complete a medical abortion at home, away from medical supervision.
"Abortion pills are presented as a safe and simple solution (often by researchers with close links to the abortion industry), however they are often harmful to women". Mrs Tully continued, "Common side-effects include vomiting, severe pain and excessive bleeding. A recent Swedish study of women who had an early medical abortion at home found that 26% of women bled for more than four weeks.
"Unsurprisingly, the complication rate for medical abortions this year is 3 times that of surgical (253 to 83). The overall rate of 1.7 complications per 1000 abortions has continued to climb from 1.6 in 2017 and 1.5 in 2008.
"Those pushing for medical abortion also ignore the horrific psychological effects it has on women. In a Scottish study of women's experiences of medical abortion, different women spoke of 'agony', 'I bled so much...it's pouring out' and 'in hindsight I wish I'd never looked but I did, and that was probably the most traumatic thing I've ever seen or done.'"
"Women should not be facing the mental anguish that accompanies self-administered medical abortions, nor any abortion for that matter." Mrs Tully concluded: "These statistics show that women's true health and well-being is being sacrificed at the altar of an extreme abortion ideology."
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