A new government report in England is causing alarm for British pro-lifers as it shows 17 women in 2012 between the ages of 18-29 had already had seven abortions at the time of their eight abortion obtained that year.
The report reveals thousands of repeat abortions for women in England, making it appear abortion is being used as a means of birth control. The following is from an exchange in the House of Commons given in parliamentary answers by Jane Ellison, the health minister:
Mr Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged (a) 18 to 24 years and (b) 25 to 30 years old in each strategic health authority area who had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four, (v) five, (vi) six, (vii) seven, (viii) eight, (ix) nine and (x) 10 or more previous abortions had an abortion in 2012. [192780]
Jane Ellison:
The numbers of abortions requested are set out in the following table.
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From 2012, the Department of Health publishes abortion figures by Clinical Commissioning Group and local authority (LA) of residence. SHA totals are therefore approximations based on an aggregation of the relevant LAs.
Paul Tully, the general secretary for SPUC, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, emailed LifeNews with a reaction to these startling numbers.
“These distressing figures are significant but not for the reason people often think. The pro-abortion lobby will suggest that more stringent birth control regimes are needed to stop women becoming pregnant and incurring expensive NHS abortion costs.
Many pro-life people assume that the figures suggest abortion is being used as a method of birth control. Some women may have this view, but importantly, this view is in practice encouraged by the Department of Health – which sees abortion as ‘back-stop contraception.’
As a result of these figures, ministers are likely to agree to more intensive programmes to promote contraception, both to women who have abortions, and to young people generally.
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The result of this is well-recognised – it doesn’t reduce abortion, but promotes attitudes and sexual behaviour which increase the likelihood of children being conceived in unstable situations. And whether wanted or not, many will be aborted.
To break this vicious cycle, doctors should refuse to sanction abortion for so-called ‘unwanted” pregnancies’ – which is not a lawful basis for abortion. Also, ministers should demand that the Department of Health stops promoting birth-control policies which lead to sexual abuses, the undermining of marriage and the killing of unborn babies.”