Abortion Rights

Marie Stopes TV ad complaints rejected

In a media victory for pro-choice campaigners, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected public complaints against Marie Stopes’ landmark “Are you late?” television advert.

The advertising watchdog received more than a thousand complaints, plus over 3000 postcards from a protest campaign organised by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, about the country’s first ever abortion services commercial, which ran for just four weeks in May and June.

The advertisement in question directed women facing possible pregnancy to Marie Stopes International’s 24-hour helpline.

Despite drawing the seventh highest number of complaints to its agency, the ASA acknowledged that the issue of abortion is controversial, but said the commercial did not advocate any particular choice or course of action over another and did not even mention abortion.

Speaking to the BBC, the ASA said, “We understood that post-conception decisions could be very difficult, but considered the ad dealt with the issue of possible pregnancy in an understated way and was not sensationalist.”

Marie Stopes said it received an “overwhelmingly positive” response to the ad, with the advice line taking significantly more calls from women and health professionals who expressed gratitude for the support.

Read the ASA's adjudication on the the advert here.

Academies Act threatens sex education in UK schools

The recently passed Academies Act is set to fundamentally alter education in the UK and risks increasing the influence of anti-choice groups in British schools.

Rushed through parliament and passed into law on July 27, the flagship Conservative bill allows controversial academies and “free schools” to escape from the control of their local authority, giving them unprecedented latitude to include extreme religious and anti-choice views in their curricula.

Abortion Rights to contribute to G8 maternal health consultation (you can, too!)

After declaring reproductive, maternal and newborn health as “the most off-track of all the Millennium Development Goals,” Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell has announced the launch of a public consultation process to guide the government’s development efforts.

Abortion Rights will be submitting evidence to the consultation exercise - entitled “Choice for women – wanted pregnancies, safe births,” along with other key stakeholders including charities, health and development professionals, and the public, and we are encouraging our supporters to contribute their views too.

The G8 Summit: abortion excluded from from policy goals

The results of the G8 summit of world leaders which took place in Canada last month have been released, with a mixed outcome for reproductive rights advocates.

The summit report - the Muskoka Initiative for Maternal and Child Health – details a five-year, $7.3 billion package for improving maternal, newborn and child health and increasing access to reproductive health services. G8 countries have pledged US $5 billion of new money over the next 5 years and an additional $2.3 billion has been committed by non-G8 member states and foundations, but the Initiative omits any mention of abortion services.

Irish anti-choice groups offer rogue ‘Pregnancy Crisis Services’

Further alarming evidence has emerged this month about the tactics used by anti-choice groups claiming to provide counselling to women facing unplanned pregnancy.

The Crisis Pregnancy Programme run by the Health Services Executive in the Republic of Ireland has received 67 complaints over a nine month period about agencies trying to influence women’s decisions about their pregnancies.

Several women who approached these agencies for advice on their options reported feeling distressed by the counselling techniques used. State-funded pregnancy counselling services are now warning women to avoid ‘unreliable’ counselling services and have called on the Irish government to step in and regulate their activities.

Northern Ireland: gynaecologists support liberalising abortion laws

A majority of gynaecologists in Northern Ireland do not support the abortion law as it stands, a new academic survey has shown. The research, conducted at Middlesex University, involved interviews with 37 out of the 42 practising gynaecologists in Northern Ireland, and revealed that 57% support liberalising current abortion law in the province, with many willing to carry out abortion under certain circumstances.

Development Secretary highlights unsafe abortion; calls to empower women in international agenda

The new International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell addressed abortion and maternal health in his first overseas speech in Washington this week, citing death rates from unsafe abortions, and promising that Britain will place women at the hearth of the international development agenda.
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New review supports current abortion term limits; finds no evidence of foetal pain before 24 weeks.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) released new guidelines this week, finding that foetuses cannot feel pain in the womb before 24 weeks. The evidence strikes a blow to anti-choice campaigners who wish to reduce abortion term limits on the grounds of foetal pain, offering fresh evidence that current term limits remain scientifically sound.
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Pharmacists' standards - the right to opt-out?

Abortion Rights has recently contributed to a consultation on Standards of Conduct and Ethics by the General Pharmaceutical Council – the industry regulator for pharmacy professionals. Our submission concerns the guidelines allowing pharmacists to ‘opt-out’ of providing medication because of their personal beliefs, which could potentially result in women being denied access to the ‘morning after pill’.

A Million Voices for Public Services - and your Voice for Choice

Abortion Rights has pledged its support for Unison's 'Million Voices for Public Services' campaign. The union is mobilising supporters to defend essential public services from public spending cuts as the new government seeks to reduce the budget deficit. Abortion Rights will be joining with many of its affiliated trade unions in campaigning to protect public services, especially NHS spending in the area of reproductive health and abortion services.

Over the last decade we have seen the percentage of abortions funded by the NHS rise to 94% and the proportion of abortions taking place at under 10 weeks rise to 91%, as a direct result of increased investment in reproductive healthcare.

Abortion Rights is committed to defending these improvements, which have been so important to the health and well-being of millions on women in the UK.

Add your voice to Unison's campaign here

Statistics show continued fall in abortion rates

The number of abortions carried out in England and Wales fell by 3.2% last year, newly released Department of Health figures show. 189,100 abortions were carried out in 2009, compared with 195,296 the previous year. Scotland has also seen its first drop in abortion rates in six years, with 13,005 procedures taking place in 2009.

A record 94% of terminations were funded by the NHS in England and Wales, up from 91% last year, and the number taking place early in pregnancy continues to rise, with 91% carried out before 13 weeks and 75% before 10 weeks. These figures are key indicators of improvements in service provision and accessibility and reflect the increased levels of investment in reproductive health and education seen over the past decade. In 1997 the NHS funded only 75% of abortions, and only 56% took place in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Figures released for Scotland highlight the continued link between abortion rates and levels of poverty. In areas of high deprivation the rate is 16.5 per 1000, almost double the rate of 8.8 per 1000 in the most affluent areas

Scottish Public Health Minister Shona Robison said it was encouraging to see a decrease in the number of abortions for all age groups for the first time in six years and noted that the Scottish government was working with parents, schools and the NHS to provide education around relationships and sexual health.

She added: "We have also raised awareness of the contraceptive choices available which suit individual's lifestyles, such as longer-lasting contraception.

"Services for sexual health in Scotland have also increased in number and improved in quality, in all areas of Scotland, over the past few years."

The decline in abortion rates across Britain, for all ages groups, highlights the importance of maintaining investment in sexual health and abortion services, and the need to ensure they are protected from future cuts in public sector spending.

A New Parliament: the outlook for abortion rights

Now that the drama of the general election and the negotiations to form a coalition have finally ended, what does the future hold for the struggle for abortion rights and reproductive choice in the UK? From a pro-choice perspective the results have been mixed.

A total of 128 MPs who voted to keep the 24-week abortion time limit in 2008, including staunch pro-choice campaigners Evan Harris and Chris McCafferty, have lost their seats or retired. Their absence will be keenly felt in a House of Commons now dominated by newly elected members.

An initial tally of the new Parliament indicates about 210 MPs supporting the 24-week time limit, 221 opposing and 213 whose views are currently unknown.

In terms of the new coalition Government, David Cameron made his preference for a reduction to 20 or 22 weeks clear during the election campaign. Within the Cabinet, the majority of members favour a reduction, including three who voted for a 12 week limit. George Osborne remains the only Conservative member supporting 24 weeks, alongside Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg, Chris Huhne and Danny Alexander.

Abortion services to be advertised on British TV for first time

For the first time ever, a commercial for unplanned pregnancy and abortion advisory services will be aired on British television. The commercial, to be screened first on Channel 4 at 10.10pm tonight (24th May), is part of a new campaign by Marie Stopes International.

The ground breaking commercial was created by Marie Stopes International after research showed that only 42% of British adults stated that they know where to go for specialist advice when facing an unplanned pregnancy. The survey also showed that over three quarters of British adults (76%) agree that commercials about unplanned pregnancy advice services should be allowed on TV.

Despite the fact that one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime, the subject is still not always openly, or honestly, discussed. While there is a lot of information about abortion available unfortunately not all of it is accurate or impartial.

The advertisement features a number of women from different walks of life who are "late". A voiceover says that being late for a period could mean pregnancy. "If you're pregnant and not sure what to do Marie Stopes International can help," runs the voiceover. The ad finishes with the strapline "Are you late?"

Early baby survival rate 'static'

A study has been released showing that survival rates for very premature babies have remained ‘static’ for the past 15 years. The findings, which have implications for the ongoing debate over the abortion time limit, demonstrate that while more babies born at over 24 weeks do now survive, the longer term rates for babies born at 22 and 23 weeks have not improved.

The British study, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, looked at 230 babies born at 22 and 23 weeks. Over the course of 15 years, the length and intensity of treatment of pre-term infants appeared to increase, the longer term survival rates did not.

No Abortion in Canada's G8 Maternal Health Plan

The Canadian government has declared it will no longer fund abortions in developing countries as part of its G8 maternal and child health care initiative.

Reversing a policy that has been in place for nearly three decades, and departing from the positions of G8 allies including Britain and the United States, Canada's International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda said the government would consider funding family planning measures such as contraception, but not abortion.

"We're not debating abortion; we're clarifying family planning," she said.

Cameron launches attack on abortion time limit

8th April 2010

David Cameron has called for a reduction in the abortion time limit, re-igniting an issue debated, and decisively rejected, by Parliament in 2008. His proposal, reported in the Catholic Herald newspaper on April 9th, disregards current medical opinion and scientific evidence and threatens to undermine a crucial right for British women.

Foetal viability was rigorously examined by the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology in 2007. The Committee concluded, in a view shared by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, that:

“while survival rates at 24 weeks and over have improved they have not done so below that gestational point. Put another way, we have seen no good evidence to suggest that foetal viability has improved significantly since the abortion time limit was last set, and seen some good evidence to suggest that it has not.”

Abortion Rights notes that when the abortion time limit was last debated in Parliament in 2008, during the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, MPs voted decisively to retain the current 24 week time limit. George Osborne was the only member of the current Shadow Cabinet who backed 24 weeks – other front-bench Tories voted to lower the limit to 20, 16 or 12 weeks, or were absent from the House.

The vast majority of abortions in the UK are carried out before 13 weeks of pregnancy (90% in 2008) and 73% take place below 10 weeks. Less than 1.5% of abortions are carried out later than 20 weeks.

Later abortion is disproportionately likely to involve teenage or vulnerable women. Typically it is requested after delayed recognition of pregnancy, family or relationship breakdown, domestic violence, sexual assault or rape; ‘denial’ of pregnancy due to fear of parents’ or partners’ reactions; not knowing where to ask for help, delays to referral or the diagnosis of a serious foetal abnormality.

Darinka Aleksic, Campaign Co-ordinator of Abortion Rights, said:

“Abortion Rights rejects David Cameron’s claim that developments in medical science and technology mean that the abortion time limit should be reduced . All the major British medical bodies agree that the current 24 week time limit should be maintained.

Reducing the time limit would have serious negative consequences for the well-being of the small number of women needing a later abortion each year – who often face extremely distressing circumstances.

The majority of the British public support a woman’s right to choose, and will not appreciate Mr Cameron’s attempt to exploit this serious personal health issue for political gain in the run up to the general election“.

Read the Catholic Herald's article here

Coverage of the story, including comment from Abortion Rights, in the Guardian

Or read Abortion Rights' blog piece on the issue

Get active in your local area and help Education for Choice

Education for Choice is a UK charity that provides education and training resources on abortion for young people from a pro-choice perspective. In the New Year they’ll be running some focus groups to road-test their new advocacy messages and would love to hear from pro-choice supporters who are willing to share their views. Email lisa@efc.org.uk for more information.
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Run for Choice!

Abortion Rights will be lacing up its trainers and joining thousands of women on the Women’s 5K Challenge in Hyde Park on the 5th September. The fun-run is the biggest and best in the UK, contributing to a whole host of charities, and this year, we’ll be racing to raise money for Abortion Rights, to support our campaign defending women’s right to choose.

Why not join our team? All ages and abilities are welcome – you can even walk!

Email choice@abortionrights.org.uk for more details, and check out the Women's Challenge website.

Please join Abortion Rights

Abortion Rights is the only national grass roots membership-based democratic campaign working to defend and extend women's rights to abortion. We need your financial support to provide a bulwark against those who repeatedly attack women's fundamental reproductive rights and to be an effective champion of improved rights.
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