{"id":230736,"date":"2020-09-14T16:35:52","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T21:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=230736"},"modified":"2023-11-14T20:34:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T02:34:25","slug":"uk-abortions-2020-beat-high-diy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/uk-abortions-2020-beat-high-diy\/","title":{"rendered":"UK abortions in 2020 set to beat all-time 2019 high, and some think at-home abortions are to blame"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Right to Life UK<\/a>)\u00a0There has been a significant rise in the number of abortions performed so far in 2020, compared to the already all-time high figures recorded in 2019, new statistics<\/a> have revealed.<\/p>\n

The statistics, released by the Department of Health & Social Care this morning, show that 109,836 abortions were performed for English and Welsh residents in the six months between 1 January and 30 June 2020.<\/p>\n

This is an increase of 4,296 from the same time period in 2019, where 105,540 terminations were performed. Abortion numbers for 2019 were the highest ever recorded<\/a> in England and Wales over a full calendar year, at 200,608.<\/p>\n

However, at the current rate, 2020\u2019s abortion numbers look set to eclipse 2019\u2019s total.<\/p>\n

The total number of abortions which took place in England between 1 January and 30 June 2020 were 104,604, an increase of 3,820 when compared to 100,784 in 2019.<\/p>\n

The total number of abortions which took place in Wales between 1 January and 30 June 2020 were 5,232, an increase of 476 when compared to 4,756 in 2019.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0At-home abortions expected to become permanent in UK after COVID-19<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rise coincides with \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion change<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions were introduced in late March, a number of significant problems have arisen.<\/p>\n

According to a leaked<\/a> \u201curgent email\u201d sent by a regional chief midwife at NHS England and NHS Improvement on the \u201cescalating risks\u201d of \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions, two women have d<\/a>i<\/a>ed<\/a> after taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills.<\/p>\n

The email leak also revealed police have opened a murder investigation<\/a> into the death of a baby who they believe was born alive despite her mother taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills.<\/p>\n

A nationwide undercover investigation found<\/a> evidence of abortion providers putting women at significant risk by not carrying out basic checks before sending them \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills.<\/p>\n

It also discovered<\/a> \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills can easily be obtained and administered to others, potentially in a coercive manner.<\/p>\n

In May, it was revealed<\/a> UK police were investigating the death of an unborn baby after its mother took \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills while 28 weeks pregnant.<\/p>\n

In addition, abortion provider BPAS announced that it was investigating a further eight cases of women taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills beyond the 10-week limit, raising questions over what checks are being conducted to ensure the law isn\u2019t being broken and dangerous later-term abortions aren\u2019t happening.<\/p>\n

A number of women have also come forward to share the serious problems<\/a> they\u2019ve experienced after taking \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortion pills.<\/p>\n

One woman said she went through \u201chell\u201d<\/em> and thought she was going to die after taking the dangerous pills.<\/p>\n

Another woman said the pain and physical process was \u201chorrible\u201d<\/em> and \u201ca lot worse than expected\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Government has recently announced<\/a> that it will be launching a consultation on whether to end the temporary measure allowing \u2018DIY\u2019 home abortions or to make it permanent.<\/p>\n