53% of unplanned pregnancy cases intended to abort

More than half of women with unplanned pregnancies who received counselling from the Irish Family Planning Association last year intended travelling abroad for an abortion.

At their first counselling session, 283 (53%) said they had decided to travel to another state for an abortion, with most stating they planned to go to Britain for a termination.

Three pregnant women were considered eligible to access abortion services in Ireland under the 2013 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, but none of them wanted to undergo the necessary assessment procedures and opted to travel for an abortion.