Almost 150 Irish minors travelled to UK for abortions in 2011

Over 4,000 Irish women travelled to the UK to terminate pregnancies last year

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Thursday, May 31, 2012, 8:01 AM

Updated Thursday, May 31, 2012, 8:01 AM

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Overall 4,149 females travelled to England and Wales for abortions last year from Ireland

Photo by Getty Images

Almost 150 Irish minors travelled to England and Wales for legal abortions last year, according to the latest figures from the UK’s Department of Health.

Representing a 10 percent drop from 2010 figures, some 37 girls under the age of 16 who travelled to the UK for an abortion, provided an Irish address.

A further 111 girls between the age of 16 and 17 also made the journey to the UK to terminate their pregnancies.

Overall 4,149 females travelled to England and Wales for abortions last year, a seven percent decrease from 4,402 in 2010. More than half of these women were in their twenties; 1,289 were in their 30s; and 257 were over the age of 40.

Speaking at an event at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin on Tuesday to mark Sexual Health Awareness week, Minister for Health James Reilly said the figures were “of great concern.”

He added: “I’m told by some of the experts here today that some schools are not taking up the option of allowing sexual health education to take place in school.

“I regret that and I certainly will be talking to Minister Ruairí Quinn about it and how to address that because I think it is wrong to deprive young people of essential information in relation to their well-being and health.”

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sirpeter | Jun 01, 2012, 12:30 PM EDT

When I was growing up contraception was all we needed to stop unwanted pregnancies.Seems that 4,149 females a year don't even know how to use contraception.I always knew that would be the case."Sexual Health Awareness Week".Like that's going to work!!The words are almost calming.For teenagers fear is good.They should have A "I'll break your Gonads if you get her Pregnant~Week" That's a good one for teenage boys. Or A "Don't be a Slapper use a Wrapper~Week.That's a good one for teenage girls.

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IrelandNorth | Jun 01, 2012, 07:45 AM EDT

Contraceptin is widely available in post-Catholoic Ireland. Why didn't they use such. Ultimately, the best form of contraception is abstention, an option very often unpromoted in contraception promoting outlets. Sexual morality is debased in neo-liberal Ireland.

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eiriamach | May 31, 2012, 03:39 PM EDT

Antoinette Kelly, I'm sure you know that no physician would try to 'abort' a pregnancy as far advanced as the pregnancy in your photograph unless the pregnant woman were in imminent danger of death or the fetus dead. Why would you place such a misleading photo with an article about abortion statistics?

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hyattsville | May 31, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT

Agree with Bobby. Ireland should look after it's own with provision of medical and counseling services, there is clearly a need. Providing exemptions of course to medical staff who refuse to perform such procedures on religious grounds.

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bobby | May 31, 2012, 11:55 AM EDT

It costs around €600 to have an abortion in the UK.

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bobby | May 31, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT

And many thousands more women give a UK address or none at all, also alot of women go to Holland and France to have an abortion, these women are not recorded. These women should receive help in Ireland, its shameful.

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Portia777 | May 31, 2012, 09:35 AM EDT

They are the numbers they know of.

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