Cross-party inquiry into unwanted pregnancy: your views?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello,

We've been asked by Conservative MP Amber Rudd to contribute to a cross-party inquiry into the factors underlying unwanted pregnancies in the UK, and ways in which the unwanted pregnancy rate might be brought down. (Other members of the Inquiry include Labour MP Sandra Osborne and LibDem MP Lorely Burt.)

The background information from the Inquiry states: 'Over the last decade, the age-standardised abortion rate has risen by 2.3 per cent. Beneath this statistic are some striking trends. For example, the abortion rate for women in the 30-34 age group has risen by around 10 per cent in the past three years, which is in stark contrast to other countries like New Zealand, where the rate has decreased by 5 per cent over the same period. Repeat abortions have also increased over the past decade, rising from 31 per cent in 2001 to 36 per cent in 2011. Although unwanted pregnancies in teenagers have been steadily declining over the past decade, the UK also remains home to the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe.'

The Inquiry is interested in hearing your views on the following:

1. The issue of unwanted pregnancy in the UK.
2. The figures suggest that there are increasing rates of abortions among some age groups in the UK, increasing rates of repeat abortions, and high levels of teenage pregnancy. What are the underlying reasons for these trends? And what role (if any) does government have in tackling them?
3. What lessons can be learned from previous attempts to tackle unwanted pregnancies?
4. Are there any measures the government should be implementing to tackle unwanted pregnancy?

Plus, of course, anything else you want to say.

Thanks,
MNHQ

I also want to know if these questions have been posed to a male group/forum?

Contraception fails, and where families may have previously decided to have the child, I would imagine that a combination of lessening of abortion stigma and financial pressures will be more likely to see that unwanted pregnancy terminated.

" why do an apparently increasing number of women not successfully contracept? Are there factors that are preventing that?"

Putting aside the fact that no contraception is 100%, there is the fact mentioned by NoKnownAllergies of lack of services.

I had my Mirena fitted about 3 weeks ago now. I wasn't sure they were going to be able to fit on the day they chose, based on my last period date given to them by my doctor, because my cycle was running very very late. I knew I couldn't be pregnant, but had no way to contact them to ask if I should reschedule because my period was only 1 day late on the only day I could contact them Wednesdays after 130 and my appointment was the following Wednesday at...145. So as NoKnownAllergies said above, they have about 4 clinic hours each week and that includes answering phone queries.

It's ridiculous.

I could rant for another 3 paragraphs about the NHS' complaints about missed appointments, caused by their own inability to answer the phone when I need to reschedule a date they chose for other procedures, but this is not the time or the place.

Change the culture to bring men into this debate, finally, as responsible actors. It is always treated as solely a woman's issue, and all the responsibility and disapprobation surrounding it is placed on women.

I suspect unwanted pregnancy would reduce at least a little if men were encouraged and expected to take a proper share of responsibility for preventing unwanted pregnancy, whatever the length and nature of the relationship/liaison.

End the counselling requirement (as opposed to option) before termination. I know it was a necessary compromise to get the original Abortion Act passed, but no one else in any other medical situation is forced to have a good talking to (especially by someone with an axe to grind) before making a decision. It is demeaning to treat women in this way.

My Reasons:

More women comfortable with saying no to hormonal contraception because they don't like the side effects. (so less women doubling up their contraception)

Less women feel they can afford babies, even if older and in stable relationship.

More women who get pregnant in abusive relationships getting access to abortion services.

I really don't feel qualified to guess!

I don't think NZ is a fair comparison because although it seems like a similar society to Britain it's really not. It was settled by very religious westerners to start with.

I think there are 2 main issues - that of unwanted pregnancies (which would explain the increasing rates of abortions especially in the 30-34 age group, and that of increasing rates of repeat abortions), and that of teenage pregnancies.

the first one - everyone's mostly agreed that it's the cost of living (especially these days with economic recession, increase in unemployment etc) and the cost of childcare. And when the children go on to school, the added issue of lack of afterschool clubs or extended school care (yes, they are not childcare nurseries but to enable both parents to work to pay the mortgage, it is necessary to have such a provision) does not help. I do not expect the teacher to run these clubs/care provisions - they can be outsourced to private entities or parent volunteers but something needs to be done.

the second one - Teenagers in this country seem to have a very lassez-faire attitude towards sex. Not all, of course, but clearly quite a significant group of them, if teenage pregnancies are the highest in Western Europe. I've been on public buses where I've overheard conversations of school girls (still in uniforms) talking about why Adam doesn't love her anymore and how she thinks if she gets pregnant by Adam he will love her and stay with her... I've got a friend who got made a grandfather unexpectedly (and he was visibly angry) - he helped to buy condoms for his son (!). Yes, that's responsible parenting, but I wonder if they had a chat about why they shouldn't be having sex for a few more years, if that would have been more beneficial.

I currently have a French girl staying with me at the moment (she's 18). We talked about British culture and the trend to wear micro mini skirts and boob tubes, the trend to drink too much and fall over drunk, the lack of respect they seem to have for each other (boys and girls) - she tells me that her mother would not let her wear those things, or go drinking - and she said she wasn't interested anyway. She seems very close to her family - she skypes with them for hours every evening (and no it's not just chatting to her boyfriend; she chats with her mum, dad, siblings...).

I agree with the poster who said that shows like TOWIE etc do not help. It propagates the idea that it's cool to do all those things. You can't just say it's 'media and tv and therefore not real'. It is so real to many people.

I agree with the poster who said that this would be an opportunity to showcase all the young olympians; with their stories of sheer hard work, determination to get to where they were recently.

I was educated in an all-girls religious school. We were told in no uncertain terms that we'd be expelled if we ended up pregnant, that sex was for loving relationships and at the age of 16 or less, you do not know what loving relationships are. And if your relationship really was that loving at age 15, then you can wait a few more years - that love will stay and grow even stronger.

I don't see it as a problem that these views are 'fuddy duddy'. I think many people still share these views even though it's not necessarily 'trendy' or 'pc'.

Is this even an issue which needs discussing at all? Maybe abortion rates have risen because they are more available and socially acceptable - isn't this a good thing?

Bertie, that was my first thought as well, actually.

Why does it matter why grown women are availing themselves of a service? Oh wait, because the service needs to be paid for and they aren't men? Is that it?

Eldritch makes a good point about the role of men in this discussion - interesting that three female MPs have been chosen as the main members leading the inquiry.

I think the biggest factor is cost of living related to income, coupled with less stigma about abortion - it's not seen as just something careless teenagers do anymore.

I think there's another factor though which as far as I can see hasn't been mentioned. AIDS. I'm 36, so in the group who would have been 30-34 4 years ago, with 10% fewer abortions. During sex education it was drummed into us that we MUST use a condom, whether or not we were on the pill etc. AIDS at that time was a death sentence. The message has stuck with me and I have always used one with the exception of when I have been TTC. By the time today's 30-34 year olds were receiving their sex education, antiretrovirals had been introduced and I imagine that would change the stance on condom use to some extent. I don't think this is a huge factor, but a few more people using a bit less contraception must have some impact on the unwanted pregnancy, and therefore the abortion, rates.

I agree with Bertie as well though.

I don't know that there is any benefit in discussing this.

With regard to teenage pregnancy, the right is still high but it's going down, to me that says whatever we've been doing since the last stats is working, there is never going to be a sudden change in figures, that's unrealistic. It takes time for behaviours to change.

High abortion levels amongst older women, IMO, purely comes down to more women feeling that it's okay to have an abortion if they want one. It's a slow change from feeling like if you are in a relationship and roughly the right age you should continue the pregnancy even if you're not sure you really want it.

I can't say I think that high numbers of abortions that women want and choose to have are ever a bad thing (unless you want to talk about STIs and condoms, which I agree is an issue, but possibly a seperate one)

I agree with Bertie et al too - cant see what the issue is really if you work out the difference in cost to the state between an abortion and supporting a child to adulthood(cb/CTC/education etc etc)

I don't necessarily agree with Bertie, although I feel women should have choice. What I mean is that n having a termination we are destroying a potential life.....I don't think that should be taken lightly (and I know it is NOT a decision taken lightly), therefore I'd be happier if we were looking at ways in which women avoided being in the horrible situation of having to end a pregnancy with all the upheaval that can bring. I'd rather NO woman had to experience it for lack of education and contraception.
I am not explaining myself well as I am very pro choice but it's a serious ethical issue for me. We need to be preventing these pregnancies which end in termination as far as possible so women don't have to go through it.

This has nothing to do with what women wear or how they conduct themselves, but it is down to changes in society.

My career only just withstood two children. You are seen as a drain on a company if you take maternity leave and after the way I was treated after DC1, at that point I would have considered not having DC2 had I got PG.

Childcare is WAY to expensive and we can only just afford it for the wrap around care for a child in primary school and nursery for a toddler. It pretty much eats up one of salaries. If I got pg again, we just couldn't afford it and I would seriously consider a termination.

Contraception isn't that easy to arrange around work and the children, so more rely on condoms. Personally, hormonal contraception like the pill or an implant make me put on weight, feel queasy and make me very bad tempered, so I am loathed to take them and DH isn't prepared to consider a vasectomy so we're limited to what we can use.

Oh and since this is going to a Tory committee - All of my friends who don't have children and have high flying careers are getting more and more well off while families, particularly those like mine who have adults and children with additional needs are getting shafted at every opportunity. You suck. (thats the polite version).

It's a cross-party committee, not a Tory one.
(Though I'm sure it would be useful for the Tory members to know how they have fucked up on keeping the family vote.)

It may be cross party, Turnip but I think a lot of us have avoid having second children recently is due to changes in CTC etc that has come in with the so called Coalition.

It can be very difficult to access contraception. I have the choice of a 3 week wait for a Gp appointment where they will prescribe the pill but nothing else. Coils etc are another appointment when the only dr who does them is available. No implants, depo etc.

If I want anything outside the standard Gp services, I have to be at a clinic by 4.30 on a Monday when I don't finish work till 5 and then just wait. This clinic finishes at 6.30. If you get there after 5 you don't get seen.

God forbid you need any sort of screening. That is a 40 minute drive plus wait. You get seen in that clinic so between 8.30 and 1.again you have to be there by 8.30. It isn't doable regularly.

we rely on condoms as they are the only things which we can get hold of easily. It is frustrating.

they could invent contraception that works 100% of the time.

isn't it wonderful though that most abortions take place before 13 weeks.

That would be good, eh, DF?

And no hideous side effects

How about more funding for research into male contraception? Any more options for doubling up would be a great thing, at the moment there's only really one option (some form of female hormonal contraception + barrier method) which means if you can't take hormones you're left with no doubling up option at all, and most people in long term exclusive relationships don't use condoms, because, well, it feels nicer without. I don't double up and I don't know that many people do.

If there were more options e.g. options for men then I think it could become the norm to use 2 methods of contraception together which, if male contraceptives have a similar success rate to female, could give you a 99.99% success rate. Even based on "typical use" success rates of the pill (92% according to wikipedia) if both partners were using contraception which had a typical 92% success rate the combined success rate would be 99.64%.

i had noticed a real shift-up in promotion of contraception of contraception by health services this year - health visitor and both midwives mentioned it on visits after my last baby was born much more forcefully than previous times.

although i agree it is no bad thing that abortion is available and acceptable, i also think it would be better if those pregnancies hadn't happened to begin with.

i think this one is fairly complex - do you think 30-sthings may simply be having more sex with more people? there has also been a rise in the rate of infection with STDs also.

Doctors seem to be moving away from offering the pill to women over the age of 30 and instead offering the coil/implant. Some women just don't like the thought of having a foreign object permanently in place so use condoms instead which are only 97% effective.

There has been a recession for nearly 5 yrs and a lot of families cannot afford to have more children. If I became pregnant now I would probably have a termination as we just couldn't afford another child.

I think men pressure a lit if women into abortion. I gave a number of friends who have had dp's tell them in no uncertain terms what they expect in case if an accident and are genuinely shocked when their partners dont agree. I also don't think there is an age cut off for this.

Also access to long term contraception is bureaucratic. I had to have three appointments befor I got my implant and also had to have the preliminary consultation at a clinic that was open for a fee hours a week. I had to take time off work for one app and will need to for my next appointment. You have to be v dedicated to make lt contraception work despite it bring largely aimed at people who can't be bothered to use condoms or the pill!
Plus porn doesn't exactly eroticise condom use.
I think all the wailing about over sexualised teens is dm wailing. Stats show it ain't that bad and as someone in my early 20s it wasn't as bad a people make out then either.

Absolutely agree with everybody who has already said: the big issue with unwanted pregnancy / abortion today is simple. Cost of living and childcare is extortionate, women are under intense pressure now to work rather than be stay at home mums and many careers are very unsupportive of breaks for children. It would be interesting to see how many 'unwanted' pregnancies were truly unwanted or, if living situations had been different, the woman might have liked to keep the baby. Of course abortion has become 'easier' - the Internet Age has provided access to info, forums for support etc that simply weren't so commonplace. The lack of importance placed on sanctity of marriage, importance of sticking with relationships etc has left lots of women alone when men walk out or have affairs, which may lead them to abort. Again, this lack of respect for relationships comes right back to the Gvmt again with the way they do not financially reward couples, but do reward single people. Yes, single mums get a lot of help financially. But that doesn't address the emotional issues, does it....

the birth rate has also increased though - this isn't purely a reflection of a difficult time to have a larger family.