Women in Britain who come from backgrounds of greater deprivation are three times more likely to have abortions, according to data provided by one of the UK’s largest abortion giants, BPAS.
Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications, said: “This data depicts how the vulnerable and marginalized are routinely left behind. Abortion is not about choice, but instead, it is the lack of choice and a lack of support which pushes many women in need towards abortion.”
The data provided by BPAS reveals that, during 2020, women from the most deprived backgrounds accounted for 16.5% of all abortions, and women from the wealthiest backgrounds accounted for 5.9%.
It is suggested in the data that the Coronavirus pandemic has played an immense role in influencing women’s abortion decisions with the prospect of unemployment forcing women to consider terminations.
Abortion provider BPAS admitted that almost two-thirds of women who present for an abortion expressed how financial concerns influenced their decision.
SPUC’s Mr Robinson said: “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.
“BPAS, who supplied this devastating information should be able to acknowledge that is it not empowered women, making an informed choice presenting for an abortion, but instead vulnerable women in need who have been deprived of support.
“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 abortion for a myriad of societal reasons such as finances, unstable relationships or employment.”
Abortion and deprivation connected
Public health bodies across Britain have described 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 2020, SPUC reported how women living in Scotland’s most deprived areas were 2.1 times more likely to have an abortion than women living in the least deprived areas.
During the same year, SPUC was compelled to call out a “shocking lack of support for pregnant women” after a study found that the "two-child benefit cap" influenced women’s abortion decisions.
One woman said: “If there was no two-child limit, I would have kept the baby, but I couldn’t afford to feed and clothe it... I’ve really struggled to come to terms with my decision.”
SPUC’s Mr Robinson added: “It is vital that the Government and wider society do more to protect and support those women facing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy.”