A YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph today, showed 58 per cent of those asked think abortions should not take place after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Abortion Rights Campaigns Coordinator responded today saying ‘‘the pointed Telegraph poll comes after months of sensationalist and misleading media debate, promoted on both sides of the Atlantic by the anti-choice lobby, which opposes all abortion, in the hope of confusing public and political opinion over women’s right to choose and winning support for the incremental erosion of current legal rights.'

'The media debate has almost entirely eclipsed women and their real situations from the picture and respondents to the Telegraph YouGov survey were given no information about why some women would face the need for a later termination.’

'Actually, very few women need later abortions - those who do, often face exceptional and distressing circumstances including violent abuse, failure to diagnose pregnancy or serious welfare issues with an existing child. No-one involved takes the decision lightly’.

‘Criminalising such women would not reduce the need for later abortion but would place some in a desperate position – forcing them to travel abroad, find unsafe back-street services or endure a pregnancy to term against their will. The major national medical and nursing bodies understand this and have been very clear in their support for the protection of such women under the law.’

‘Access to safe, legal abortion is a crucial issue for women and Abortion Rights is working to re-frame the current debate and stop the clock being turned back on women’s rights to abortion.’