Thousands of women had four abortions or more
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thousands of women had four abortions or more*
By Laura Donnelly and Melissa Kite
Last Updated: 2:05AM BST 18/05/2008
Thousands of British women have had four or more abortions, including
dozens who have undergone six by the age of 30.
Figures uncovered by the Telegraph show that almost 4,000 women have had
at least four abortions. In a "grotesquely bleak" picture of British
society, scores of women have had at least eight terminations.
The figures emerged as the row over controversial changes to fertility
law erupted into a bitter war of words, with a minister accusing
"anti-abortion" MPs of trying to "hijack" legislation.
On the eve of a crucial Commons vote, Dawn Primarolo, the Public Health
Minister, accused Tory backbenchers of an underhand attempt to remove
the right to abortion by tabling amendments to the Human Fertilisation
and Embryology Bill.
In an interview with the Telegraph, she also accused MPs who oppose the
creation of hybrid embryos of putting forward "extreme and untrue
arguments".
Nadine Dorries, the MP leading the campaign to reduce the abortion time
limit from 24 to 20 weeks, hit back at the criticism, while revealing
that she has received hate mail over her stance. Miss Primarolo made her
comments as the Government braced itself for a difficult two days of
debate on the Bill, which has been denounced by Christian MPs and clerics.
Gordon Brown was forced to concede free votes on key aspects of the
legislation after three Roman Catholic members of his cabinet made clear
they would vote against the measures. A free vote will also be allowed
on abortion amid unease about the number of late terminations carried
out for "social" reasons.
It emerged on Saturday that NHS doctors were refusing to carry out late
procedures and that 75 per cent of the 7,000 terminations performed
after 17 weeks of pregnancy each year were being carried out at private
clinics and charities.
Department of Health figures uncovered by this newspaper show that
during 2006 more than 3,800 women underwent at least their fourth
abortion, including more than 1,300 who were on their fifth or more. Of
more than 60,000 women who underwent a "repeat" abortion, almost 15,000
were on their third.
These included 65 women who had their sixth abortion by the age of 30,
and 82 girls aged under 18 who had already experienced three, and more
than 50 women who had had eight abortions or more.
On Saturday night, campaigners for legal changes expressed shock at the
picture uncovered. Dr Peter Saunders, general secretary of the Christian
Medical Fellowship, said: "This is just so grotesquely bleak." He said
the situation was "approaching the sorts of things we used to hear about
Soviet Russia.
"When you try to imagine a woman who has had eight abortions, or perhaps
more, it is absolutely clear that she is using it as a form of
contraception." Meanwhile, Ms Primarolo criticised Conservatives who
have tabled abortion votes, including Ms Dorries, saying she did not
believe them when they said they were simply trying to reform the law.
She said: "If they are being honest, they are saying they don't like
abortion. They want to prevent it entirely and they see that gradually
changing the time limit down is the way to do it, because there isn't
support to completely change the '67 Act.
"This Bill is so important and, frankly, it's been hijacked and it's not
right."
Ms Dorries pointed out that the Embryology Bill had been specifically
drafted to allow abortion amendments and that ministers had initially
hoped it would offer Labour MPs a chance to liberalise abortion further.
Now that this had backfired, they were complaining.
"They don't like it because it has not gone their way," she said. The
Mid-Bedfordshire MP added: "I'm an advocate of fast, safe, free access
to abortion, especially in the first trimester. My only problem is with
late abortion."
She revealed in an article in the Telegraph on Saturday that she has
received hate mail for her stance. The word "bitch" was smeared on her
window and dismembered dolls posted to her.
"The number of abusive phone calls, emails and letters we have received
are too numerous to mention," she said.
Abortion by numbers:
22,000 abortions in England and Wales in 1968, the first year they were
legal
193,700 in 2006
Of these 7,123 carried out after 17 weeks
3,000 carried out after 20 weeks, a 44% increase in a decade
2,000 carried out on the grounds that the child would be born handicapped
7,400 carried out on non-UK residents
24% of abortions undertaken by NHS
67% carried out at independent clinics under NHS contracts
9% self-funded
£500 is the average cost of an abortion up to 12 weeks involving no
anaesthetic
33% of British women will have an abortion by the age of 45 (excluding
Northern Ireland)