From 1870 onwards, fertility continued to decline, not due to the increase in artificial contraception, but to more traditional methods such as withdrawal and abstinence. [17] This was due to changes in the perception of the relative costs of raising children. Abortions are quietly advertised to women with unwanted pregnancies seeking abortions, and there is a considerable amount of folklore about methods of causing miscarriage. Among working-class women, violent laxatives were popular, including pennyroyal, aloe, and turpentine. Other methods of causing miscarriages were very hot baths and gin, extreme exertion, a controlled fall down stairs or veterinary drugs. So-called “clandestine” abortion advocates were relatively common, although their efforts could be deadly. Estimates of the number of illegal abortions vary considerably; According to one estimate, 100,000 women attempted abortions in 1914, mostly through drugs. Previously, women had to take the first pill under medical supervision; However, MPs voted in March to maintain access to abortion at home. In the 1930s, women`s groups and legislators were deeply concerned about the heavy loss of life and health damage caused by illegal and unsafe abortions. The Conference of Cooperative Women was the first organization to pass a resolution calling for the legalization of abortion in 1934.

The Abortion Law Reform Association was founded in 1936. Before the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 1990 amended the Act, the Preservation of Child Life Act 1929 served as a buffer on the Abortion Act 1967. This meant that abortions could not be performed if the child “could be born alive.” The Abortion Act of 1967 therefore did not contain a legal limit, but the limit set by the courts as the time at which a child could be born alive. C v. S in 1987 confirmed that at that time, between 19 and 22 weeks, a fetus could not be born alive. [19] The 1967 law required that the procedure be certified by two physicians before being performed. Except in emergencies, abortions can only be performed in NHS hospitals, certain licensed service hospitals or other premises specially authorised by the Secretary of State, such as British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinics. At the end of 1999, there were 76 licensed beds and two hospitals. The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion with the recognition that there may be “strictly limited” conditions under which it is morally preferable to any available alternative. This is based on his view that the fetus is a human life with the potential to develop, think, pray, choose and love relationships. The Church suggested that arguments for further reducing the time limit for abortions “should be viewed sympathetically on the basis of advances in neonatal care” and said that any possible support, especially from Church members, must be given to those who are pregnant in difficult circumstances.

[109] Abortion has been legalized in cases of rape, incest, danger to the life of the mother, when the fetus is not viable (will not survive), the child is likely to have mental or physical abnormalities, or the fetus is dead. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Abortion Act 1967 legalised abortion as long as certain criteria were met. It is possible to have an abortion up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy (pregnancy). There is no pregnancy limit for abortions if there is evidence of a fatal fetal abnormality or a significant risk to your life if you continue the pregnancy. In 2020, London was the region with the most abortions, followed by the South East of England, the West Midlands and the North West of England. Abortion statistics collected at regional or national level (for England, Wales and Scotland individually) refer to residents. Abortions for non-residents are also recorded in England and Wales (combined), although they have been lower than usual this year due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic (943 abortions). Information for Northern Ireland is collected by financial year rather than calendar year, with 22 abortions registered in 2019-2020.

During this period, only a few offences of abortion and extermination of children were recorded in Northern Ireland – a possible effect of legal deterrence. Between 1998 and 2018, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded 17 cases of “illegal abortion” and three cases of “deliberate destruction of a viable unborn child”.