Abortion in the UK

Here is a quick fact file on abortion in the UK

1. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Abortion Act 1967 makes it possible to have an abortion up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy.

2. 1 in 3 UK women will have an abortion by the time they are 45. - statistic from BPAS

3. Abortions are on the rise with over 200,000 abortionsfor women resident in England and Wales in 2018.– Data from the Department of Health and Social Care

4. Over recent years there has been an escalation in protests outside clinics in the UK. In 2018 34 clinics reported anti-abortion activity. -BPAS

5. Many activists bear large banners, follow and question women as they enter/leave centres. Sometimes they even carry cameras leading women and staff to feel intimidated and distressed.

6. Currently there is no legislation in place which allows the police to take action to prevent what occurs outside clinics.

7. BPAS abortion clinic in Richmond and Marie Stopes clinic in Ealing have both successfully campaigned and secured a buffer-zone around their centre. Meaning protester activity cannot take place directly outside.

#abortion #protesters #bufferzones