In the UK, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks, but most are carried out much earlier than this.
In 2009, 189,100 abortions were performed on residents in England and Wales, compared with 195,296 in 2008 (a fall of 3.2%).
Ninety three per cent of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks of pregnancy, and 75% at under 10 weeks.
The abortion rate was highest for women aged 19-21 years, and most (94%) of abortions were funded by the NHS.
Personal decision
Making a decision about whether to have an abortion is not easy. Before deciding, discuss your situation with healthcare professionals, family members and (if applicable) your partner.
The final decision about whether or not to have an abortion is yours, and you should not be pressured into making a decision that you might later regret.
If you are under 16, you can have an abortion without telling your parents, as long as two doctors believe it is in your best interests and you fully understand what is involved.
However, the doctors will encourage you to involve your parents or another adult in your decision-making process. If you have an abortion, you have the right for it to remain confidential, regardless of your age.
The Abortion Act 1967
In accordance with The Abortion Act 1967, an abortion must be carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy. But there are a few situations when the law states that an abortion may be carried out later.
The law states that an abortion is legal after 24 weeks:
- if it is necessary to save the woman's life
- to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman
- if there is substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
Generally, an abortion should be carried out as early in the pregnancy as possible (ideally before 12 weeks) and those performed after 24 weeks are rare.
Most abortions (90%) are carried out before 13 weeks and virtually all (98%) are performed before 20 weeks. The earlier an abortion is carried out, the easier and safer the procedure is to perform. However, you must be given enough time to consider all your options so that you are as comfortable as possible with your decision.
To work out how many weeks pregnant you are, the calculation is usually made from the first day of your last period. If the exact stage of pregnancy is unclear, an ultrasound scan may be used.
