Choice Ireland welcomes UK Parliaments vote to maintain 24 week time limit on abortion.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Tuesday May 20, 2008 23:39 by Niav - Choice Ireland choiceireland at gmail dot com

Choice Ireland Press Release.

Pro-choice activists, Choice Ireland, have tonight welcomed the UK Parliaments decision to maintain the 24 week time limit on abortion. Efforts to reduce the upper time limits for abortions have been overwhelmingly rejected by MPs.

Several peer reviewed studies have demonstrated that survival rates below 24 weeks gestation have not changed since 1990 when the abortion legislation in the UK was last reviewed.

Commenting spokesperson Sinead Ahern says "only a very small proportion of terminations are carried out after 20 weeks (1.45%). The women who seek these late stage terminations tend to be the most vulnerable of women in particular those carrying foetuses with severe genetic abnormalities. Restricting time limits on abortion would not remove the need for the procedure and would only affect women in difficult positions”.

"This issue is especially important to Irish women" continues spokesperson Niav Keating. "Irish women, due to the delays associated with travelling outside the State, are more likely to have later terminations than their British counterparts. We are delighted that the 24 week time limit will remain in the UK but we renew our call for the Irish government to introduce free, safe and legal abortion services".

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For further information and comment:

Sinead Ahearn 086 398 3189
Niav Keating 086 329 3741

Choice Ireland is a diverse group of Pro-Choice activists campaigning for free, safe and legal abortion services in Ireland.