Asked by: Joe Benton (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many repeat abortions were performed on women aged (a) 25 to 30, (b) 30 to 35, (c) 35 to 40, (d) 40 to 45 and (e) 45 years and over by gestation in weeks; and how many abortions those women had previously undergone.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The following tables show repeat abortions for women aged 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44 and 44 years and over by gestation in weeks and the number of previous abortions, 2013. The age groups presented are in line with published data. This allows the number of previous abortions to be presented in as much detail as possible without the need for further grouping to protect patient confidentiality.
Table 1: Repeat abortions to women aged 25 - 29 by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013
Gestation (weeks) | |||||
Number of previous abortions | Under 10 | 10-12 | 13-19 | 20 and over | Total |
1 | 10,877 | 1,636 | 822 | 121 | 13,456 |
2 | 3,427 | 536 | 275 | 42 | 4,280 |
3 | 880 | 129 | 70 | 10 | 1,089 |
4 or more | 358 | 56 | 30 | 3 | 447 |
Note: The number of abortions for women who have had four or more previous abortions have been grouped to protect patient confidentiality.
Table 2: Repeat abortions to women aged 30 - 34 by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013
Gestation (weeks) | |||||
Number of previous abortions | Under 10 | 10-12 | 13-19 | 20 and over | Total |
1 | 8,283 | 1,083 | 548 | 79 | 9,993 |
2 | 2,723 | 428 | 201 | 26 | 3,378 |
3 | 729 | 131 | 58 | 6 | 924 |
4 or more | 335 | 59 | 29 | 3 | 426 |
Note: The number of abortions for women who have had four or more previous abortions have been grouped to protect patient confidentiality.
Table 3: Repeat abortions to women aged 35 - 39 by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013
Gestation (weeks) | |||||
Number of previous abortions | Under 10 | 10-12 | 13-19 | 20 and over | Total |
1 | 4,922 | 639 | 325 | 53 | 5,939 |
2 | 1,558 | 232 | 118 | 13 | 1,921 |
3 or more | 635 | 92 | 47 | 5 | 779 |
Note: The number of abortions for women who have had 3 or more previous abortions have been grouped to protect patient confidentiality.
Table 4: Repeat abortions to women aged 40 - 44 by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013
Gestation (weeks) | |||||
Number of previous abortions | Under 10 | 10-12 | 13-19 | 20 and over | Total |
1 | 1,956 | 234 | 167 | 20 | 2,377 |
2 | 615 | 72 | 55 | 2 | 744 |
3 or more | 228 | 37 | 16 | 2 | 283 |
Note: The number of abortions for women who have had three or more previous abortions have been grouped to protect patient confidentiality.
Table 5: Repeat abortions to women aged 44 and over by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013
Gestation (weeks) | |||||
Number of previous abortions | Under 10 | 10-12 | 13-19 | 20 and over | Total |
1 or more | 256 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 291 |
Note: The number of abortions for women who have had one or more previous abortions have been grouped to protect patient confidentiality.
Asked by: Joe Benton (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's publication, Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2013, published in June 2014, which method of stopping the fetal heart besides feticide is referred to in paragraph 2.25.
Answered by Jane Ellison
No other such method is referred to or required as the publication refers to cases where the procedure is undertaken under general anaesthesia i.e. patient and fetus are anaesthetised.
Asked by: Joe Benton (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, With reference to the findings of his Department's Abortion Statistics 2013, published in June 2014, paragraph 2.4, that 81 per cent of abortions in that year were carried out for single women, if he will take steps to reduce the abortion rate by encouraging couples to stay together.
Answered by Jane Ellison
51% of the women classified as “single” in Abortion Statistics 2013 were in a relationship but not married or in a civil partnership.
More broadly, the Government’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (March 2013) highlights the importance of building knowledge and resilience amongst young people so they have the confidence and emotional resilience to understand the benefits of loving, healthy relationships and delaying sex.
Asked by: Joe Benton (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women who underwent an abortion in 2013 had previously had an ectopic pregnancy.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Information on women who had an abortion and had previously had an ectopic pregnancy is not available.