As Christmas approached, the Abortion Supervisory Committee (ASC) submitted their report to Parliament for 2013. This report gives statistics and information pertaining to abortions carried out in New Zealand during 2012. It is a requirement of the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act, 1977 that the ASC reports to Parliament each year.
The report works on the previous year’s statistics, which are released in June by Statistics New Zealand, so the total number of abortions (14,745) are for 2012. Family Life International NZ’s commentary on this can be found here and here.
The interesting aspect of the report is the commentary given by the Committee regarding abortion “services” in New Zealand as it allows us to glean an insight into their concerns and intentions for the future. Of note are the following points:
1. Access
While not surprising, the ASC mention that they “believe it is desirable for women to have access to local services.” This has been on the agenda for some time now, not just with the ASC, but also with abortion stake-holders such as Family Planning and ALRANZ. It is this philosophy which has seen Southland Hospital and the Tauranga Family Planning clinic gain licenses to provide abortion. We can expect to see a greater emphasis on small town New Zealand having abortion access (probably – but not limited to – the medical form) in coming years.
2. Women turning away from abortion
The Committee contends that “women are choosing to continue with pregnancy at various stages within the abortion decision-making pathway.” How true this is, we cannot know as there is no data provided to support this claim. However, we do know that when pro-lifer’s hold a peaceful, prayerful, woman-centred vigil outside abortion clinics, women have changed their minds. They catch a glimpse of hope, realising that they do not have to walk this journey alone.
3. Harrassment
Simply holding vigil or handing a brochure offering help to women and men walking into a clinic is deemed as harrassment by those who promote abortion. Speaking the truth in a charitable and peaceful manner is hardly harrassment.
The ASC are particularly concerned about continued so-called harrassment “as disturbing reports of violence at overseas abortion clinics continue to surface.”
What “disturbing reports of violence” are the ASC talking about?
The reports coming out of the US in particular, are of abortionists providing terrible clinic conditions, women being whisked away from abortion clinics in ambulances, women dying at the hands of abortionists, coercion, deceit, harrassment of pro-lifer’s by abortion clinic staff…
The ASC really should substantiate these claims of violence that occur overseas, as scaremongering such as this only serves to paint a false picture in the eyes of the general public about what goes on both here in New Zealand and overseas.
4. Contraception
The ASC now “requires every operating surgeon to note on the Statistics New Zealand form information on the type of contraception provided to women at the completion of the procedure.” The report goes on to say that “It is hoped that this proactive approach of prompting operating surgeons to discuss contraceptives at the time of a termination will reduce repeat abortion figures.”
Yet contraception fails. The statistics prove it.
Year on year approximately 47% of all abortions carried out in New Zealand are on women who used some form of contraception at the time of conception. Abortion proponents, especially the ASC, like to tell us that more than half of women were not using contraception at the time, but it is only a smidgen over 50%.
The reality is abortion is a back-up for failed contraception.
5. Complications
Slightly more information was given about reported complications than previously. These figures revealed that the uterus of 12 women was perforated; and 33 women hemorrhaged (with or without other complications). All together 90 women suffered complications from abortion in 2012.
Abortion is safe when it is legal? Tell that to those 90 women.
14,745 unborn children lost their lives.
Conclusion
There was nothing very remarkable about the 2013 Abortion Supervisory Committee Report. Just more smugness from a group of people who continue to allow New Zealand’s abortion laws be flouted in the name of “choice” and “best medical practice”. Maybe one day their eyes will be opened.
Wouldn’t be nice to see a statistics on men killing their unborn children?
Yes, men kill their unborn children by not providing food and medical/ emotional care .
Or who is supposed to provide food to the unborn baby ? Or is the father’s food split in half with the unborn? Does the father goes half hungry ?