Women in their early 20s are having more abortions than any other age group. Statistics New Zealand figures show that 17,550 terminations were carried out last year on women aged between 15 and 44. However, the rate was much higher amongst women aged between 20 and 24 years. Overall, 36 percent of all pregnancies were terminated. The Abortion Law Reform Association says the figures highlight the need for action on the proposal by Family Planning to provide early medical abortion services. President Dame Margaret Sparrow, says New Zealand still lags in ensuring abortions are carried out as early as possible, although there is an improving trend. The figures show that half of abortions in 2009 were performed at under 10 weeks gestation, up from around 46 percent in 2008 and from just under a third in 2003. Dame Margaret says that compares with 74 percent performed at under 10 weeks in Scotland in 2009, where medical abortions using the abortion pill (Mifegyne, formerly known as RU486) is now the preferred method. “Making medical abortion more accessible, as proposed by Family Planning, would certainly help improve our figures.” She says Family Planning’s application has been with the Abortion Supervisory Committee for more than a year, but still there has been no decision. Article source
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