Scottish Abortions Highest in Five Years

01.06.2018

The number of abortions carried out in Scotland last year was the highest for five years, official figures showed. In 2017 there were 12,212 abortions, a rise of 1 per cent on the previous year. Abortion rates in the most deprived areas were twice as high as those in more affluent districts.

Across Scotland, the government's target that 70 per cent of women having abortions should have them while less than nine weeks pregnant was exceeded, at 72.1 per cent. However, the target was missed in some of the more remote parts of Scotland.

The figures show that 58 women in Scotland took the abortion pill at home, which was made legal last October.

The statistics showed that abortion rates in the most deprived areas remained almost double those in the most affluent neighbourhoods, at 16.2 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, compared with 8.2 in more prosperous areas. Women aged 20-24 accounted for more terminations than any other age group at 28.6 per cent, but rates for all women under 24 fell in 2017 while those for older age groups increased.

BBC. May 29.