Nearly 200,000 unborn babies were aborted in England and Wales in 2017, latest official figures show – that’s one approximately every three minutes.
Over 3,000 abortions were due to the “risk” of disability. Women aged between 20 and 24 accounted for the highest abortion rate.
Pro-life organisations have responded with deep concern at the statistics, with one saying that women need a better outcome than abortion.
NHS abortions
Government statistics, released last month, showed a 2.3 per cent overall rise in the number of abortions that took place in England and Wales in 2017.
It was also shown that:
– 98 per cent of abortions were funded by taxpayers through the NHS;
– 9 in 10 abortions were carried out before 13 weeks – around 4 in five were under 10 weeks;
– 3,158 abortions were undertaken due to the risk of a baby being born “seriously handicapped”;
– Nearly 40 per cent of women who had an abortion in 2017 had previously had one.
Crisis
Clare Plasom-Scott of the Life charity cautioned that: “Each abortion represents a personal crisis for a woman who is so desperate she believes the ending of the life of her child is the only viable option.”
She noted that “every abortion ends the life of an unborn child” and said the organisation would continue to be “providing a voice for the unborn and care and support which women in crisis need and deserve”.
Philippa Taylor, Head of Public Policy at the Christian Medical Fellowship, drew out the startling statistic that one abortion took place every 2.7 minutes.
‘Safe’
She said the numbers of repeat abortions showed some women were using it as a form of contraceptive.
Taking aim at Ann Furedi – head of abortion giant BPAS – Taylor said: “For years she has wanted abortion to be regarded as no more than another form of birth control that women need when other methods let them down, in other words no more significant than buying condoms or taking the Pill.
Responding to the Government figures, BPAS claimed abortion is “an extremely safe procedure”.