Abortion statistics are the canary in the coalmine for reproductive rights

The warning signs are here, women’s reproductive healthcare is paying a high price under the government’s austerity measures. Our ability to choose means nothing in practice if services are cut and waiting times are increased.

According to the latest figures, total abortions increased marginally for residents of England & Wales. The figure for women resident in England and Wales is an increase of 4% since 2017 and the highest number recorded.

But even though the need for abortion and women’s health services is increasing, cuts are reducing access to abortion services, especially in rural areas. A TUC report highlights there is ‘only one specialist abortion clinic serving the whole of Wales. The British Pregnancy and Advisory Service which runs the only clinic in Wales has pointed out that the lack of services leads to longer waiting times for women who want a termination. Cuts to services in this area have a very real impact on women’s health and lead to increased costs in the long term.’

There have also been an increase in women struggling to access contraceptive services due to budget cuts. When contacted by the Advisory Group on Contraception, out of 74 (49%) of all 152 local authorities, plan to reduce the number of sites commissioned to deliver contraceptive services in at least one year between 2015/16 and 2018/19.

Cuts In key health services stop women from being able to make choices about their own bodies and our own reproductive rights and will have a real impact on our health, our families, our jobs and wealth. Whether that’s through the gender pay gap, changes to universal credit or cuts to public-sector jobs, the number of women living in poverty has increased, relative to men.

Votes in Parliament is one thing, but having the ability to access services everywhere in the country is crucial. We have to recognise that women need to control their own bodies to maintain a productive contribution to society and the economy and it’s up to us to campaign against the squeeze on access to abortion.

Abortion Rights has always had a two-pronged campaign strategy – to campaign in Parliament to defend and extend abortion legislation and a grassroots campaign made up of activists all over the country to highlight the effect of abortion stigma and the importance of access to services. Join us to help take up this battle and donate in December to the fighting fund.

Rachel Earlington, AR Executive Committee