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Abortion: Numbers of previous abortions by age group

  • Last modified date:
    9 February 2007
  • Gateway reference:
    None

Question

For the calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005 you provide me with the following information:   How many women undergoing an abortion had previously undergone an abortion (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times, (iv) four times, (v) five times,  (vi) six times and (vii) seven or more? If you could also break down the figures between woman aged 18-24 and women aged 25 to 30 and those aged 30 and above.

Answer

Under the Abortion Regulations 1991 (the Regulations), any doctor who performs an abortion must send the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) details of the termination.  Data derived from the information sent to the CMO under the regulations is published annually in the Abortion Statistics. The Department of Health collects and processes the data for abortions performed in England and Wales. Therefore, we do hold this information but the data can only lawfully be disclosed if it is sufficiently abstract from the information sent to the CMO, as set out in the regulations. 

Data will not be sufficiently abstract where the numbers of cases involved are small and/or where there is a risk of identification of the individuals involved by virtue of the fact that the information disclosed could be put together with other information which is, or may become, available.

The requested data are supplied in the attached tables. You will see we have applied some suppression to the tables where the numbers are fewer than 10 (0 – 9 cases).  After considering the Office for National Statistics’ guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005) and the Regulations, we have withheld information as we believe the disclosure of this information could breach an individual’s confidentiality and, in turn, breach the Regulations and the Data Protection Act 1998. The exemptions in Sections 40(2) and 40(3)(a)(i) and 44 (1)(a) of the FOIA apply (a summary of these sections are set out at Annex A). Both are absolute exemptions.  This means that we are not required to consider whether the public interest would best be served by disclosure of the information. 

Access to fertility control and contraception is fundamental to individuals and to their family life. Contraception is a crucial health care service that contributes to improved maternal health, child health and family stability. It is a key aim of the Government to reduce unintended pregnancy rates, as featured in both the sexual health and teenage pregnancy strategies, and provision of good quality contraceptive services is  essential to achieve this. We are investing £40million to improve access to contraceptive services. We have asked Primary Care Trusts to complete a national baseline questionnaire of contraceptive services.  The results will inform the publication of best practice guidance by the Department of Health and will help PCTs determine how best to meet gaps in local services. The Government has also recently reduced the VAT rate on condoms and other contraceptives, making the costs of these items more affordable, and is working with the industry to increase the supply of free condoms to high risk groups. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published guidance on long-acting methods of contraception which should raise awareness and usage of all the methods.

The Department of Health works in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills to implement the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. The Strategy, which is based on the best international evidence of what works in reducing teenage conception rates, includes: a media campaign; improving the quality of sex and relationships education in schools; helping parents to talk openly about sex and relationships with their children; and supporting teenage parents. The Strategy promotes the benefits of delaying first sex and seeks to improve young people’s access to contraceptive and sexual health advice services for the quarter to a third of under-16s who are sexually active.    The Strategy is working.  Between 1998 (the baseline year for the Strategy) and 2004 (the latest year for which data are available) the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.1 per cent and the under-16 rate by 15.2 per cent.  Both rates are now at their lowest levels for 20 years. 

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