Contrary
to impressions given in the media, by professional bodies such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and by most parliamentarians, an
overwhelming majority of Britons actually want to make it harder for women to get abortions, a new poll reveals.
It
is particularly striking how much support there is among women for lowering the time limit for abortion,
which currently stands at 24 weeks. Of the 70 per cent of women who want the
limit lowered nearly six in ten are in favour of a limit of 16 weeks or fewer
and 41 per cent actually want it 12 weeks or fewer.
2,000
people were recently interviewed by ComRes, finding that:
- 70 per cent of women would like the current time limit for abortion to be lowered
- 59 per cent of women would like the abortion time limit lowered to 16 weeks or lower
- Only one per cent want the abortion time limit raised to birth
- 93 per cent of women want independent abortion counselling introduced
- 79 per cent of general population want a five-day consideration period before abortion
- 84 per cent of women want improved pregnancy support for women in crisis
- 70 per cent of parents want introduction of parental consent for girls 15 and under to get abortions
- 56 per cent support freedom of conscience for doctors
