Abortions rise to record level 'due to cost of living'

Abortions have reached their highest level on record, official statistics have revealed, with providers blaming the surge on the cost of living crisis.

Data from the Department of Health and Social Care showed that 251,377 women in England and Wales had an abortion in 2022, up 17% from 214,256 the previous year. The biggest increase was among women aged 25-29.

Heidi Stewart, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the reproductive rights charity that provides the majority of abortion services in Britain, said women had shared "heart-breaking" stories about ending pregnancies for financial reasons. "The cost of living crisis has placed immense strain on women and families, with too many having to choose between financial stability and having a baby," she said.

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A recent survey by the charity found that almost six in 10 abortions were "mainly or partly" motivated by financial concerns, said The Independent. 

However, the anti-abortion group Right To Life UK blamed the increased availability of at-home abortions for the rise and called for "the urgent reinstatement of in-person appointments". Rules were relaxed during the pandemic to allow women in the early stages of pregnancy to receive abortion pills without visiting a clinic, and at-home abortions now account for the majority of terminations.

The figures were released before a planned vote in Parliament to decriminalise unauthorised abortions after a rise in the number of prosecutions of women for ending their pregnancy beyond the 24-week legal limit. It is unclear if the vote will now happen before the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the July general election.

In 2023, "at least six women appeared in court in England on suspicion of having illegal abortions", said the Financial Times. Dr Jonathan Lord, co-chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists abortion task force, told the newspaper there was "real urgency" to change the law so women could not be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy.