Panorama - abortion

**Cliphead** · 4 February 2013, 20:41

Originally posted by mudskipper View Post

Nice cheery subject for a Monday evening.

They just said that 1 in 3 women have an abortion at some point in their lives. I'm not anti or pro abortion - I think it's a very personal choice, but 1 in 3 is shocking - I'm sure whenever it happens it causes emotional distress.

Do they have a breakdown of age, social grouping, ethnic grouping?

**northernladuk** · 4 February 2013, 20:41

Originally posted by mudskipper View Post

Nice cheery subject for a Monday evening.

They just said that 1 in 3 women have an abortion at some point in their lives. I'm not anti or pro abortion - I think it's a very personal choice, but 1 in 3 is shocking - I'm sure whenever it happens it causes emotional distress.

I can't believe 1 in 3... unless some have loads which unbalances it. In which case saying one in three is wrong.

**mudskipper** · 4 February 2013, 20:46

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

I can't believe 1 in 3... unless some have loads which unbalances it. In which case saying one in three is wrong.

Yep - it's a surprising figure.

**socialworker** · 4 February 2013, 20:56

Sounds very high to me. Though I knew someone at school in the 70s who had 3 in as many years, but she was a bit odd. 1 in 10 wouldnt surprise me.

**darmstadt** · 4 February 2013, 20:57

Originally posted by Cliphead View Post

Do they have a breakdown of age, social grouping, ethnic grouping?

WHS. I think it really needs to be broken down to reflect the whys. For example I knew a girl many years ago, who by the age of 17 had had 2 abortions due partially to social grouping and insufficient education. In fact I suspect that that is much the case in many abortions, sadly.

**MarillionFan** · 4 February 2013, 20:58

Originally posted by mudskipper View Post

Yep - it's a surprising figure.

At what point is the abortion? Are we talking the morning after pill? Induced miscarriage? Or Procedure?

An abortion is not just going in for an operation.

**formant** · 4 February 2013, 21:08

Originally posted by mudskipper View Post

I'm sure whenever it happens it causes emotional distress.

There's been plenty of research showing that that's not necessarily the case. No doubt this research focuses on abortion and mental health - so clinical depression and the likes, which may be a bit more extreme than the distress you're thinking of, but anyway, there's no scientific evidence that there's a link.

I'd argue that being forced to have a child you didn't want is no less distressing or healthy - and the effects of that are more long-term and can harm others (the child in particular).

I'm also a bit surprised by the 'one in three' figure quoted - that's more than I expected.

**mudskipper** · 4 February 2013, 21:10

Originally posted by MarillionFan View Post

At what point is the abortion? Are we talking the morning after pill? Induced miscarriage? Or Procedure?

An abortion is not just going in for an operation.

They weren't specific. I suppose including the morning after pill is the logical explanation for such a high figure.

**d000hg** · 4 February 2013, 21:14

Nobody is saying that having the child wouldn't be at least as distressing. The claim is that abortion nearly always causes distress and I suggest that is very likely considering that even women who think they're pregnant and then find they're not frequently feel a sense of loss.

As for 1 in 3, are they basing this on the current population of Britain, or saying that 1 in 3 people born today will have an abortion? That 1 in 3 girls get pregnant by accident is slightly less of a stretch but still a very big number.

As was asked, are they including morning-after or only cases when conception has been proved?

Panorama - abortion