Shocking statistics from Public Health Scotland have revealed how women living in Scotland’s most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to undergo an abortion compared to women living in Scotland’s least deprived areas.
SPUC has described the link between abortion and deprivation as a “shocking symbol of inequality which is totally unacceptable in a 21st century society.”
The Scottish abortion statistics which were released earlier this week confirm how 13,583 unborn children were killed by abortion during 2019, which is the second highest number of deaths recorded since the United Kingdom’s Abortion Act came into force in April 1968.
The Public Health Scotland report describes how “there continued to be a strong association between deprivation and termination rates. In recent years termination rates increased across the deprivation groups, although this was more pronounced in the most deprived areas.”
In 2019, women living in Scotland’s most deprived areas were 2.1 times more likely to have an abortion compared to women living in the least deprived areas.
“Abortion symbolizes deep rooted inequality running through society”
Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications said: “The link between deprivation and abortion rates is indeed saddening, yet not surprising.
“For years, SPUC has stressed how abortion is a symbol of inequality and highlights how society has failed to meet the needs of women. So often, women are pushed and pressured towards making a choice for a number of societal reasons such as finances, unstable relationships or employment. This is confirmed by the fact that 98.4% of all Scottish abortions in 2019 took place under Ground C.
“It is unacceptable, that in 21st century Scotland, women living in disadvantaged circumstances are forced towards having abortions. This is the disturbing reality behind the veneer of choice. It is vital that the Scottish Government and wider society do more to protect and support those women facing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy.”
Deprivation and abortion connected throughout the UK
The termination of pregnancy statistics for England and Wales were published in June 2020 and reveal that 209,519 unborn children were killed by abortion in 2019. Meaning a total of
223,102 unborn children were killed by abortion across all regions of the United Kingdom.
The link between deprivation and abortion which was so prominent in the Scottish abortion statistics appears to be present in England and Wales also. A report from the Department of Health and Social Care states that “women living in more deprived areas [of England and Wales] are more likely to have abortions than women living in less deprived areas.
The link between increased deprivation and rising abortion rates remained persistent within all age groups of women presenting for an abortion in England and Wales.
SPUC’s Michael Robinson added: “Sadly, these figures illustrate how the most marginalised members of our community are routinely left behind. Women deserve better than abortion. Politicians routinely say much about helping the poor and how important human life is. However, we see that our abortion regime is skewed to disproportionately kill the unborn in the poorest areas and subject the women in those areas to the often-dreadful consequences of abortion.”