Recent statistics reveal that over 120 women chose to have an abortion in the UK in 2022 to avert any risk of bodily or mental harm which could have been imposed by continuing with their pregnancies. On Thursday, these figures were made public by the UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
The revealed statistics show that the total number of abortions performed for residents of England and Wales reached a record of 251,377 in 2022, marking an increase of 17% from the previous year. This figure is the highest recorded since the initiation of the Abortion Act.
These figures also encompass women arriving from Ireland to get an abortion in the UK. In 2022, 201 Irish women sought abortions in England and Wales, marking a slight reduction from 206 in the previous year.
In 2018, Ireland revoked the Eighth Amendment in May, which authorised abortions under specific conditions. This law was implemented from 20th December of that year, authorising abortions in the early 12 weeks of pregnancy and certain later cases where the woman’s life or health could be endangered or in cases of fatal foetal defect. This legalization led to a significant decline in Irish women travelling to England and Wales for abortions from 2879 in 2018.
Out of the women who travelled to the UK for abortion in 2022, 63% were classified under “ground C”, permitting abortions till 24 weeks gestation due to physical or mental health risks. However, in Ireland, abortion under these conditions is only permitted up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The data indicates a surge of 13 percentage points from 50% in 2021 in women travelling for abortion under this reason. In contrast, the percentage of abortions performed under ground E, where there is a significant risk of the child being born with severe physical or mental deformities, fell from 50% in 2021 to 37% in 2022.
The percentage of women choosing to undergo abortions in less than 10-weeks gestation remained steady at about 3% between 2021 and 2022. The Department reports that almost all abortions conducted under ground C were done due to risks posed to the woman’s mental health.
In April of 2023, Marie O’Shea, an advocate, presented a report to the government, assessing the sufficiency of the country’s laws on abortion. O’Shea’s report advised that medical professionals involved in abortions should not be subject to criminal penalty, that the legally required three-day waiting period to obtain abortifacient medication should be done away with, and that there should be a legal obligation for health workers to abstain from disseminating inaccurate information.
A discussion on a fresh alternative paper concerning the modification of abortion laws is on the cards for ministers. However, top-ranking government officials have raised concerns, suggesting that amendments are doubtful before the upcoming general election.