Over half of mothers who have had an abortion in the last 12 months agreed that the cost of childcare was the “primary reason” for having an abortion, according to a new survey.
The charity Pregnant Then Screwed said that they worked in conjunction with Women In Data, to survey 35,800 parents from which a representative sample of 5,870 parents was extracted.
According to the findings of this survey, 52.5% of mothers who have had an abortion somewhat agree or absolutely agree with the statement “I believe that the cost of childcare was the primary reason for me to terminate a pregnancy”.
This is a slight decrease from a similar survey that Pregnant Then Screwed undertook in 2022 when they found 60.5% of women who had an abortion at some point in the prior five years said that the cost of childcare influenced their decision to have an abortion. In particular, 17.4% of women said that childcare costs were the main reason they chose to have an abortion.
These women do not want abortions, they just feel they have no other option
Additionally, as part of their most recent survey, the charity found that 85% of parents were concerned about the cost of childcare in relation to having more children and agreed with the statement “I tend to view childcare costs as prohibitive of having more children”.
Joeli Brearley, CEO and Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said “We’re running out of babies. The birth rate is in decline. But parents who want to have more children cannot afford to do so. Being a parent is tough enough, but when having more children means sacrificing your income, procreation feels like financial suicide. If we aren’t careful, becoming a parent will be a luxury item, and the economy can’t afford to pay that price”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is desperately sad that any woman feels that she cannot have her baby because of the cost of childcare”.
“What this indicates is that many women do not want to have abortions nor to have fewer children but, contrary to the pro-abortion mantra, they feel they have no choice but to have an abortion. What the women who have an abortion for this reason need is support. They don’t need abortion”.
