Southern abortions buck national trend

The number of abortions performed on Southern women increased between 2011 and 2013, bucking the national decline in the procedure.

Women from Otago and Southland - the regions compromising the Southern District Health Board - had 876 abortions in 2013, up from 867 in 2012 and 862 in 2011, the latest report from the Abortion Supervisory Committee says.

Nationally, the number of abortions continued its decline, down to 14,073 in 2013 from 14,745 the previous year. It continued the downward trend in the number of abortions nationally that started in 1995.

The report also showed the average abortion performed during the first trimester in Otago was performed by the eighth week of pregnancy. In Southland, it was performed by the ninth week.

Abortions in the Southern district accounted for 6.2% of all abortions performed nationally in 2013, up from 5.8% in 2012.

The number of abortions also rose in Canterbury, where 1620 procedures were performed in 2013, up from 1544 in the previous year.

The report said harassment continued to trouble the committee.

''While the committee recognises the right to freedom of expression of people and groups with strong views about abortion, we have received reports of instances of verbal abuse ... [of] people entering hospital facilities,'' the report said.

''Women ... should be able to enter clinics without feeling they are the subject of coercion or humiliation.''

The issue was also a focus of previous reports by the committee.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz

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