19 June 2012
Lower Abortion Rate Good for Women and Unborn
Family First NZ is welcoming a drop in abortions according to figures released by Statistics NZ today. However, there is
still huge concern that an average of 55 teens have an abortion each week, 38% of women have had previous abortions,
more than half are already parents, and 17% of abortions are being performed in the 12th week or later despite the
research on fetal development.
“Teen abortions account for almost a 1/5th of all abortions in 2011,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family
First NZ. “This is a tragedy for the girls involved, some as young as 11. It is also devastating for the extended
family, especially if the young girl has been sneaked off for the abortion by Family Planning or a School Counselor
without the parents’ knowledge or consent.”
“It is incorrect to label abortion as ‘pro-choice’, because nobody chooses to be in the situation of an unwanted
pregnancy and having to make such a difficult decision.”
A University of Otago study in 2008 found that women who had an abortion faced a 30% increase in the risk of developing
common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Other studies have found a link between abortion and
psychiatric disorders ranging from anxiety to depression to substance abuse disorders.
“With 98% of abortions in NZ being performed on the basis of the mental health of the mother, it is time that the
research on the post-abortion mental health outcomes was given equal weight with the pre-abortion claims. Abortion harms
women – yet groups seeking to decriminalise abortion refuse to acknowledge this, seeing the right to abortion more
paramount than the long-term health and welfare of the women,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“We need to protect the rights of women to know the medical facts in order that they can make fully informed decisions.”
Family First NZ is calling for a law which requires informed consent (including ultrasound) for all potential abortions,
and counselling to be provided only by non-providers of abortion services. Parental notification of teenage pregnancy
and abortion should happen automatically except in exceptional circumstances approved by the court.
ENDS