News
Featured Image
 Shutterstock.com

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 17, 2014 (LifeSiteNews) – Reported induced abortions in New Zealand continued to decline in 2014, causing those who work to promote life to celebrate for the seventh consecutive year.

According to Statistics NZ, which collates the information on behalf of the Abortion Supervisory Committee, there were 13,137 abortions in 2014, down from 14,073 in 2013. The numbers are the lowest recorded since 1994, when there were 12,835.

All pro-life leaders in the country welcomed the news, each offering reasons why abortion is being rejected.

Access to 3D ultrasound, information about fetal development, education of the general public, and the increased willingness of people to speak up about the realities of abortion on the street, at places of education, and in the work place were all cited as important factors.

Notably, teenage girls between 15 and 19 are having fewer abortions (1,758 in 2014). That is a dramatic decrease of almost 60 percent since 2007, when the same cohort had 4,173 abortions.

The same cannot be said for younger teens, as the number of abortions performed on girls aged between 11 and 14 increased to 57 in the same time period. The news comes at a time when parental notification for underage pregnancies and abortions is a hot topic.

There were 81 late-term abortions performed (20 weeks plus), an increase from 2013 when there were 73. Of these, 20 were performed at 24 weeks or later.

Click “like” if you are PRO-LIFE!

It is standard practice to give intensive care to neonates at National Women’s in Auckland from 24 weeks onward.

While most abortion facilities decreased the number of abortions performed, four actually saw an increase. These were National Women’s Health (Auckland), Family Planning (Tauranga), Lyndhurst (Christchurch) and Southland Hospital (Invercargill). Both Southland Hospital and Tauranga Family Planning are relatively new facilities opening in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Further statistics can be found at Statistics NZ.