Abortions at a 10-year low

Terri Cunningham

Long-term contraceptives plus less social stigma around unplanned pregnancies are thought to be behind a 10-year low in abortions in Northland.

The latest statistics show the number of abortions in the region dropped to 431 last year. It followed a steady decline over the past 10 years.

Manager of He Matariki Teen Parent School, in Raumanga, Terri Cunningham said women with unplanned pregnancies had better support than previous generations.

"I think it's very complex and there are many factors," Ms Cunningham said. There was less social stigma than ever before around the issue, she said.

Northland followed the trend across the country and internationally of an overall decline in the number of abortions. In 2004 there were 506 abortions in Northland and while that number spiked in 2011 with 532, overall the trend was downwards.

Family Planning national medical officer Dr Christine Roke said subsidies for long-term contraceptives was likely a big factor in the decline.

"These things have got more than one reason and one of the things is the increased use of long-term contraceptives," Dr Roke said. Women were increasingly seeing those kind of contraceptives as a better option, Dr Roke said. That was because many young women now understood it would not impact their ability to become pregnant in the future.

While contraceptive pills only worked about 91 per cent of the time, long-term contraceptives worked about 99 per cent of the time, Dr Roke said.

There was also better sex education in schools and less social stigma around unplanned pregnancies, Dr Roke said.

Voice For Life administrator/treasurer Steve Jaunay, based in Whangarei, said access to ultrasound scans and other technologies was generating a better awareness of the reality of abortion.

While the number of abortions overall had decreased, each life was important, Mr Jaunay said.

"Each pregnancy represents a potential life that we are given the responsibility to care and protect," he said.

"We have as a nation, and globally, failed to protect our most vulnerable citizens."

Of the abortions performed last year on Northland women, 83 were aged under 20 years old, 140 aged 20-24, 95 aged 25-29, 55 aged 30-34, 40 aged 35-39 and 18 were over 40.