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‘Contraceptive’ Push by Abortion Business Leads to Largest Ever Surge in UK Abortion

Marie Stopes International staff professed themselves “taken aback” at abortion surge

By Gudrun Schultz

LONDON, United Kingdom, February 8, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Almost 6,000 abortions were carried out in January alone by the nine Marie Stopes International abortion centers in  the UK, the highest rate ever in the last 32 years.

MSI staff professed themselves “taken aback” at the surge in abortion demand despite a campaign to promote the use of emergency contraception. Described as a massive publicity drive, the campaign urged women to purchase the morning-after pill and promoted the MSI “party purse”, according to a report by the UK News, including the pill, condoms and a guide to sexual health.

“Despite our efforts we have still seen the biggest rise ever in abortion figures in the month after Christmas,” said Liz Davies, director of MSI in the UK, who attributed the rise to “excess partying” and alcohol consumption over the Christmas season.

Anthony Ozimic, political secretary for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC),  responded to Marie Stopes's comments on the unprecedented numbers of abortions it performed last month, saying, “Marie Stopes should stop trying to fool the public by feigning innocence and bewilderment about the rise in abortions. There is overwhelming evidence that easier access to birth control drugs and devices, which Marie Stopes promotes and provides, has failed to contain the rising number of abortions.”

“Marie Stopes also spends significant resources promoting and providing abortion,” Ozimic said. “Unborn children are being killed and vulnerable women are suffering post-abortion trauma as a result of Marie Stopes' work.”

A leading UK family planning expert admitted in September that promoting emergency contraception has not decreased the number of pregnancies or abortions in the country, which in fact have continued to rise.

“Despite the clear increase in the use of emergency contraception, abortion rates have not fallen in the UK. They have risen from 11 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 1984 (136,388 abortions) to 17.8 per 1,000 in 2004 (185,400 abortions),” wrote Anna Glasier, director of the Lothian primary care NHS trust in Edinburgh, in the British Medical Journal.

Ms. Davies, meanwhile, called for more campaigning to promote the use of emergency contraception, saying it was a “clear case for an annual government-funded national education campaign to alert women and men to the importance of preventing unwanted pregnancies and STIs, including HIV/AIDS.”

Britain has seen a recent push to make MAP accessible to girls as young as 12 in over the counter sales, as well as a government decision to reduce sales tax on the drug.

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

UK Abortion Rates Continue to Climb Despite Increasing Emergency Contraception Use
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091507.html

Early Abortion Drug Available Over the Counter
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1999/sep/990922a.html"http://www.lifesitene...

MAP to be Given to British Girls as Young as 12
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/apr/06041008.html"http://www.lifesiten...

The Contraception Misconception
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004_docs/contraceptionmisconception.htm

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