New data provided by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (the UK’s national abortion provider), has revealed a growing gap between wealthy women and poorer women who are having abortions.
In 2020, women of very poor backgrounds accounted for 16.5% of abortions, while women from the wealthiest backgrounds only accounted for 5.9%.
This is a significant change since 2019 when the figures were 13.7% and 6.6% respectively.
This data suggests that women’s strained financial situations as a result of the pandemic may be influencing their decision whether to have an abortion or continue the pregnancy.
Unsurprisingly, BPAS has used this new data to push for an increase in low-cost abortions funded by UK tax-payers and DIY at-home abortions.
The reality though is that continuing to increase the abortion rate for poorer women will not solve the underlying issue of lack of resources.
LifeChoice Australia Managing Director, Rebecca Gosper, said: “Rather than pushing women towards the temporary band-aid solution of abortion, why don’t we assist them in a holistic way? We should be encouraging women to further their education, assist them with childcare, teach them important life skills, and provide whatever assistance is needed to address underlying issues. Abortion is not the answer.”