
Facts of LIFE
- Since the introduction of the Abortion
Act in 1967 there have been over 4 million abortions in
Britain.
- A total of about 500 abortions are
performed in NHS hospitals and private abortion clinics
every day.
- In 1998 there were 187,393 abortions
carried out and 636,000 live births in England and Wales.
Around 1 in every 4 pregnancies was terminated by an
abortion.
- Only 2 abortions in 1998 were
performed on the grounds that they were necessary to save
the life of the mother in an emergency. 92% were
performed on the grounds that if the pregnancy continued
the risk of injury to the physical or mental health of
the mother was greater than if the pregnancy was
terminated.
- Abortions can now be performed up
until birth if there is believed to be a substantial risk
that the child would suffer from 'serious physical or
mental abnormalities'.
- There are over 200 local LIFE groups
which run 140 Counselling Centres, 40 home based counselling centres and over 40 LIFE houses in
many parts of Britain.
- Every year about 350 women and their
babies find a home in a LIFE house.
- In 1998 over 95,000 people came to
LIFE for help.
The figures for abortion published by the Office for National Statistics 1998.
For more information contact: 0800 9154600