1 in 4 pregnancies ends in abortion?

[MultiBird]

Reading the BBC article about the US ruling, it says that in the US 1 in 6 pregnancies ends in abortion, which I thought seemed very high, but I looked it up and it's 1 in 4 in UK.

I'd fight very hard indeed if anyone challenged a woman's right to choose here, but isn't that very high? Is there some truth in the argument that it's being used as contraception? I've heard it said before and dismissed it as ridiculous but 25%?!

Bear with me a sec and I'll post the links.

I don’t think there’s any real denial that some women use it as contraception, they clearly do, but it’s not the majority by any stretch and it doesn’t mean the right to choose should be taken away.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61929438

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/one-in-four-pregnancies-end-in-abortion-in-england-and-wales-dxfp65b2g

No, I agree, but there's something wrong if rates are that high? For the women, mostly.

Does the statistic include terminations for medical reasons? (Eg risk to mother / babies life?)
That figure is very high!

My first thought is that there is a misunderstanding as miscarriages can also be called spontaneous abortions and that sounds like the mc rate..

Goes off to check.

Yes, I imagine so, but still 25%?

Are you sure it isn't referring to miscarriages? I've read a few times, over the years, that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion...

Given the continued prudery around women and sex that's hardly surprising for young women - how many get pregnant because they haven't been supported, helped with appropriate contraception education etc?

I'd like to see a break down by age and any medical necessity etc.

There's an article from Caitlin Moran somewhere where the data is clear about why women and have abortions. I don't have it to hand but please remember children born when they aren't wanted aren't being born into happy families. It was something like 30% because women can't afford to have them, 15% abusive or disinterested partner, x% not ready to be responsible and 5% rape victims etc . Basically no one wants to have an abortion, its a horrible experience but if women are forced to have those babies what happens to those children? Thinking they all grow up happy well adjusted, well fed children is a myth.

I thought that too, but having read around it a bit today, I don't think so.

Aren't miscarriages medically classed as abortions too? That might account for the high figure. I could be wrong but I'm sure I've read that somewhere.

Does it include comparison to the number pregnancies when end is miscarriage or are they comparing it only to births?

Which 'end' of the process we manage is the important thing. I firmly believe no one gets to manage the abortion end but women. So you're left with the contraception/decision end.

Contraception issues? Make it more accessible and less shit (the pill is shit!). If studies show it's about financial worries, well make women worry less about money. Close the sex pay gap, for starters. Worries about the relationship? Sort out DV services, the Courts, CSA and housing. Worries about managing disability in a later child? Sort out support services for carers and respite.

There are ways of making having a baby more attractive. Reducing access to abortion isn't the way.

I have seen the data the articles are based on but it's the number of "pregnancies" and it's abortions not miscarriages.

If medical records have been used to compile this data, don't forget that the medical term for a miscarriage early in pregnancy is 'spontaneous abortion' and that is how it would have been recorded. If those were erroneously included in the figures, which they may well have been, then that would skew the data considerably.

Would it matter if 90% of pregnancies ended in abortions?

Although it sounds high, when you put it in context it isn't.
I've been pregnant 4 times. I have had 1 abortion, 1 miscarriage and have 2 children. I fit into that statistic, I'm probably not that unusual. Most people don't get pregnant that often.

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2020/abortion-statistics-england-and-wales-2020

Here you go. There are now more abortions pa for women over 35 than under 18, although "peak" age is 21.

What happened in 2016?

Age breakdown is on the govs website with the rest of the statistics, teenage abortions are actually declining year on year.

Yes, on the basis that I don't think any woman wants to have an abortion. Surely best avoided if possible?

Agreed. Everyone likes to be pro choice but…

’oh but I’d personally never….’
and
’as long as it’s only when it’s a real accident and not used as contraception’

people, even pro choice women, really don’t have a clue.

Sorry, I haven't seen...

Does a woman have the right to choose an abortion or not?
If she does, you don’t place conditions like “but only if there’s not too many statistically”.
To say “I don’t trust women to make good choices about abortion and contraception” is an anti- safe-and-legal-abortion position.

Don’t force women to carry pregnancies to term if they don’t want to. Women are dying because they can’t receive medically necessary abortions. Women will die because they can’t access safe and legal abortion.
What’s that slogan - “Trust Women”

Of course it would, something would be seriously wrong for women if that were the case. Also it’s a medical procedure that it’s really unpleasant and carries risks to womens health. The right to have abortions is very important but yeah 90% of pregnancies ending in abortion would obviously be a cause for concern.