March 25, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Almost half of adults in Britain would change their country’s guidelines for pregnancy termination, according to a poll by YouGov. 48 per cent of respondents would reduce the legal time limit for abortion to 20 weeks, while 35 per cent would keep the current limit of 24 weeks.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Almost half of adults in Britain would change their country’s guidelines for pregnancy termination, according to a poll by YouGov. 48 per cent of respondents would reduce the legal time limit for abortion to 20 weeks, while 35 per cent would keep the current limit of 24 weeks.

Eight per cent of respondents believe Britain should ban abortions altogether.

Abortion has been legal in Britain since 1967. The time limit for legal abortions is currently set at 24 weeks, or roughly six months into a pregnancy. British women do not have to pay for an abortion if they qualify for the procedure under the terms of the National Health Service (NHS).

Last year, a group of members of Parliament called for a stricter time-limit on abortions. Any change to existing regulations would be subject to a vote in the House of Commons.

The number of late-term abortions—performed after at least 20 weeks of gestation—in Britain increased from 2,041 in 1997 to 2,948 in 2006. Earlier this month, Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, commented on the numbers, saying, "Sometimes it is about women who are living very out-of-control lives, often with alcohol or drug problems, and sometimes it’s about women whose lives have suddenly changed, whose guy has suddenly left them, so that a wanted pregnancy becomes unwanted."

Polling Data

MPs will shortly debate the law on abortion. Currently, the legal time limit for abortion is 24 weeks. Some MPs want to reduce this limit to 20 weeks. Leaving aside medical emergencies, which of these options do you favour?

Keep the time limit at 24 weeks	35%
Reduce the time limit to 20 weeks	48%
Ban abortions altogether	8%
Don’t know	9%

Source: YouGov
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,311 British adults, conducted on Mar. 13 and Mar. 14, 2008. No margin of error was provided.