MEDIA RELEASE

22 March 2010

‘Lifestyle’ Abortions Lose Support

Family First NZ is welcoming research from Massey University Social Inequality Study which shows that approval of abortion depends on the particular circumstances.

“Support for abortion was only strong where the mother or the baby was at serious risk, or the pregnancy was as a result of incest or rape. But when the choice was based on non-medical personal preferences, the support rapidly dropped to between 33% and 50%,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“With 98% of abortion carried out on the dubious and highly subjective grounds of ‘danger to mental health’, a third of abortions not being the first abortion, and the Abortion Supervisory Committee being rebuked by the High Court recently for not administering the law correctly, it is time to revisit the abortion-on-demand culture that currently exists in NZ.”

“It is incorrect to label this as ‘pro-choice’, because nobody chooses to be in the situation of an unwanted pregnancy and having to make such a difficult decision.”

The NZ poll is consistent with trends in overseas polls. A recent Canadian poll showed that 75% believed that ‘abortion was morally wrong’, and a Gallup poll just released in the US showed a decline in support for abortion among US youths to just 24%.

“It is now evident that NZ’ers are losing their appetite for abortion on demand and the government should clarify the law to protect the unborn child,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Family First NZ is calling for a law which requires informed consent (including ultrasound) for all potential abortions, and counselling to be provided only by non-providers of abortion services. Parental notification of teenage pregnancy and abortion should happen automatically except in exceptional circumstances approved by the court.

ENDS

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