Dr. Gilda Sedgh:

I was asked to expand on the slide, on the finding that abortion rates on average are similar in countries whether there are strict or liberal abortion laws. Let me make a couple of points. Within each of these groups of countries there is a wide variation in the abortion rates and these figures are averages. We do not see a strong relationship in an univariate correlation between laws and incidence. We do see a strong relationship between contraceptive prevalence and the abortion rate. We see it more clearly when we look at the proportion of women with an unmet need for contraception and the abortion rate. One would then see a much stronger relationship, if that is what we were looking at in this slide, rather than the abortion laws.

Deputy Naughton asked about late term abortions. Among the small proportion of women who do have late term abortions the reasons for late term abortions are where we will tend to see abortions for reasons that have to do with risks, to foetal health and to foetal life. Adolescents comprise a larger share of late term abortion than early term abortions and it suggests that it is restrictions or barriers to accessing abortion that causes some women to obtain their abortions later. Young women might not know they are pregnant, might be afraid to tell somebody they are pregnant and thereby also admit they have had sex, or they do not know where to go and who to ask. In countries with restrictive abortion laws, some slightly larger proportion of abortions are done later in pregnancy compared to countries where abortion is allowed on broad grounds, so that is another indication that access to legal abortion that can drive the proportions of abortions that are done late.

If it okay-----