| New opinion poll shows British public favour reform of abortion law |
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Results released in advance of the 40th anniversary of UK abortion legislation. A new NOP opinion poll published today (23 October) clearly shows that a majority of people in Britain (52%) believe that the current law on abortion – which requires women needing abortions to seek the permission of two doctors - is in need of reform. (1) The NOP poll, commissioned by campaigning group Abortion Rights, is published today as a global abortion conference takes place in London marking 40 years of legal abortion in Britain and looking at the devastating impact of unsafe abortion around the world. The poll yet again confirms that an overwhelming majority of people in Britain (83%) support a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights, said: “Forty years ago we were on the eve of a vote, which would transform women’s lives. The 1967 Act ended decades of dangerous back-street abortions and saved the lives and health of thousands of women in Britain. Forty years of safe, legal abortion in Britain is something to celebrate. “But, the majority of the public clearly feels that the legislation is now out of date. It is time for a law that trusts women to make the abortion decision and remove the need for two doctors’ permission to access the procedure – a process that can lead to delays for women at a difficult time.” The results echo the support from the British Medical Association, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Nursing – all of whom unanimously support the removal of two doctors’ signatures in the first trimester. The NOP poll was commissioned by Abortion Rights in order to examine the British public’s opinion of the current law on abortion and to help gauge whether there is popular support for updating the law and improving service provision. As the law currently stands abortion is the only medical procedure that requires the permission of two doctors other than the involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act. There is concern among pro-choice campaigners that women seeking abortion may experience delays if a doctor’s personal beliefs are opposed to abortion – meaning a woman has to go on to find another doctor to approve her decision. Furthermore, 16 per cent of women in the UK pay privately for abortion services, which campaigners feel is partly due to a postcode lottery of service provision. Abortion Rights is campaigning for the law to be reformed because of experiences like that of Kat Stark, who said: “The first doctor I went to refused to refer me for an abortion. He kept asking me how I had gotten pregnant and eventually told me to leave the surgery and think about it for a while - even though I was totally sure about what I wanted to do. It was a week before I realised that I was entitled to go and seek another opinion.” The NOP poll also asked whether people supported a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion and a majority (83%) said yes. This confirms consistent opinion poll findings over the last few years, which show that a large majority of people in Britain are pro-choice. Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights, said: “Our poll shows clearly that people in Britain support a woman’s right to choose and want women to be able to make the decision to have an abortion without delay or interference. “Therefore, we are also calling on the Government to closely examine abortion services for women in Britain. This should include looking at whether doctors’ personal beliefs are sometimes delaying women’s request for an abortion, and whether all PCTs are providing a well-funded, adequate service.”(2) “Reforming the law and improving NHS provision would be the best way to ensure that women’s reproductive rights are protected in Britain four decades on.” The opinion poll was commissioned by Abortion Rights ahead of the 40th anniversary. ENDS Media information, briefings, interviews: Anne Quesney - 07909 974 101 Notes to editor: 1. An NOP telephone survey of 1000 adults in England, Scotland and Wales was conducted between 19 and 21 October, who were asked about their view of abortion and the law in Britain. For a full copy of the poll questions and results, contact the Abortion Rights office Q1. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, which led to legal abortion in Britain. Do you think that a woman should or should not have the right to decide to have an abortion? CODE ONE ONLY Yes should have the right – 83 % No should not have the right – 13 % Don’t know - 4% Q2. Abortion is one of the very few medical procedures, which requires the permission of two doctors to perform. Which of the following statements, if any, best describes your position on this? Would you say…ROTATE ORDER READ OUT – CODE ONE ONLY A woman who wants to have an abortion should require the permission of two doctors in order to have this procedure – 43 % A woman who wants to have an abortion should require the permission of one doctor in order to have this procedure – 35 % A woman who wants to have an abortion should not require the permission of any doctor/s in order to have this procedure – 17 % None of these 1% Don’t know 4% 2. Another NOP poll commissioned by Abortion Rights in March showed that 73 per cent of the British public said that they were opposed to the delays that women often face when seeking an abortion. |
