Abortion Down 14% over Five Years in British Columbia

Reuters
Reuters

The British Columbia Health Ministry states that in the past five years, the number of abortions in its province has decreased 14%.

The data was offered as part of the government’s publication every five years of all billed procedures, surgical and chemical abortions. In fiscal year 2009-10, 15,184 abortions were performed, and in fiscal year 2013-2014, 13,067 abortions were performed. The number of abortions declined steadily in the intervening period. As these numbers fell, the number of women of childbearing age rose from 580,800 to 595,900, meaning the abortion rate dropped.

According to the Health Ministry, in 2013-2014, 9,875 abortions were performed in the first 14 weeks after conception; between 14 to 18 weeks, 2,596 were performed; after 18 weeks, 288 were done; and 2,308 were termed “medical abortions.”

John Hof, president of United for Life British Columbia, told LifeSiteNews, “I’m happy there is a decrease because it means more babies are being born.” But annual national abortion statistics, reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), only include figures voluntarily submitted by hospitals and clinics. Hof added:

It would help us in our work to know whether there is an abortion epidemic among teenagers in Prince George, and not one in Kimberly. It would help to know how many are repeat abortions. It would help to know how this decrease impacts on the birth rate.

Johanne Brownrigg of Campaign Life Coalition pointed out to LifeSiteNews that another factor makes it difficult to ascertain exact figures: some women use methods of abortion such as the “morning after” pill, which would not be reflected in the government’s statistics.

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