New Government figures reveal that abortions in England and Wales have reached an all time high, with thousands of pregnancies terminated last year on the grounds of disability alone.
Statistics released today by the Department of Health and Social Care reveal 207,384 abortions for women resident in England and Wales in 2019, an increase of 6,776 on the previous year.
There were 3,183 disability-selective abortions last year, with 656 of these being for babies with Down's syndrome. Seventeen abortions were for babies with a cleft lip or cleft palate.
The statistics for 2019 also show a 5.9% increase in repeat abortions, rising from 78,988 in 2018 to 83,624 in 2019.
The number of abortions funded by the NHS but performed by private abortion providers also reached a record high of 153,601, up 2% from 2018.
Antonia Tully, SPUC Director of Campaigns, said women were not being told the truth about the harm of abortion.
"We are looking at a national tragedy here," she said.
"This appalling figure shows us that abortion is becoming more and more normalised. Propaganda telling women that abortion is 'simple and safe' coupled with easier access to abortion pills is driving up abortion numbers.
"But behind the figures are real women who have taken an irreversible step and who are likely to be suffering physically or emotionally.
"The lockdown measure to allow DIY home abortions is compounding the myth that abortion is a normal and easy thing to do. It isn't.
"Women deserve the truth about the harm that abortion can do to them. Agencies such as ARCH (Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline) can help heal the wounds of abortion in both women and men. Nothing can bring back a dead baby."
Lynn Murray, spokesperson for Don't Screen Us Out, a campaign group challenging disability-selective abortion, said: "As a mother of a 20-year-old daughter who has Down's syndrome, I see every day the unique value she brings to our family and the positive impact she has on others around her.
"It is deeply concerning that despite the leaps that advocacy groups have made in raising awareness in support of people with Down's syndrome, abortion in the case of Down's syndrome is still so commonplace and widespread in the UK. In fact, we hear from parents all the time how abortion was repeatedly presented to them in the hospital as an obvious solution following the receipt of the news that their baby had Down's syndrome.
"With the Government set to follow through on proposals to make private screening tests available on the NHS, projections show that there will likely be a steep increase in the numbers of children with Down's syndrome screened out by termination unless there is an immediate intervention."
Spokesperson for Right to Life UK, Catherine Robinson called for an urgent change to the law to stop abortions for treatable conditions like cleft lip and club foot.
"Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies," she said.
"People are shocked and horrified when they discover that abortion is permitted up to birth after the diagnosis of cleft lip, cleft palate, and clubfoot as the primary condition, believing it goes against the very fabric of what our country stands for today.
"As a society, we should be empowering those with disabilities, and take great pride in the positive contribution they make to our country."
Nola Leach, Chief Executive of Christian advocacy group CARE, said the numbers of abortions in England and Wales were "incredibly sad".
"Every abortion is a tragedy," she said.
"The fact that the abortion rate for women 35 or over has gone up since last year raises big questions about the pressures of modern life.
"The instability of cohabitation and the intense pressure for couples to maintain two incomes are taking a heavy price.
"Calls from some to make abortion even more available here in England and Wales will only see these numbers increase.
"This is not what the wider public wants and there's clear evidence that people support abortion laws that provide more protections for women and that will help reduce the number of abortions.
"These figures are also a stark warning of what will come in Northern Ireland if MPs and Peers approve the UK Government's abortion regulations.
"The simple truth is that the abortion regulations for Northern Ireland are even more extreme than Great Britain and will allow for abortion on demand up to 24 weeks and up to birth for 'serious disabilities'.
"Northern Ireland's previous, life-affirming law has meant there are 100,000 alive today in Northern Ireland who would otherwise not be.
"We want to see an end to the culture that sees abortion as the only option to an unplanned pregnancy and it's vital that women are fully informed of all the options that are available to them."
