Abortions

Overview of page

• Introduction
• Facts and figures
• Abortions under 10-weeks
• Repeat abortions and abortions after birth
• Current services
• National and local strategies and guidance
• References

Introduction

Abortion is the process of ending a pregnancy, this can either be done by taking medication or by surgery. Abortion is a part of sexual health and this information should be reviewed in conjunction with the wider 2026 Sexual Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for Blackpool. High rates of abortion, alongside higher rates of sexually transmitted infections can indicate poor sexual health in a population. The Sexual Health JSNA presents an overview of sexual health needs and service provision in Blackpool and supports the development of a sexual health strategy and action plan for Blackpool.

The Abortion Act 1967 allows pregnancies to be lawfully terminated under 24 weeks, provided certain criteria are met. The Department of Health’s Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (2013) states the importance of early access to abortion services, as the earlier an abortion is performed, the safer the procedure is. Since March 2020, residents of England have been able to access abortion medications at home (under 10 weeks) without the need to first attend a clinic or hospital.¹ No clinical procedures are entirely risk-free and it is preferable that women have access to and use reliable contraceptive methods that prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. 

Abortion is an imperfect proxy for unintended pregnancy but allows an insight into knowledge and access to effective contraception advice and services, in addition to issues with individual use of contraceptive method.²

Although integrated care boards are now responsible for commissioning most abortion services, local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive sexual health services including contraception services and advice and sexual health specialist services such as young people's sexual health and teenage pregnancy services; outreach; sexual health promotion; and services in schools, colleges and pharmacies.

Facts and figures

Data from the Department for Health show that for women resident in Blackpool in 2023:

• The total number of abortions was 780, up from 619 in 2021, giving an abortion rate of 30.8 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is an increase from the rate of 26.6 in 2021 and is significantly higher than England (23.4) (figure 1).
• Both the England and Blackpool abortion rates have been rising since 2016, Blackpool's rate increased faster than national and regional figures between 2016 and 2020, however, from 2021 they have risen at similar rates 
• There were 25 abortions to young women aged under-18 in Blackpool in 2023, a rate of 11.1 per 1,000 (figure 2). This is statistically similar to the England average of 7.8 per 1,000. See Teenage Conceptions for further information on under-18 abortions. 
• The under-18 abortion rate has with some variation, generally following the same decreasing pattern, although 2022 did see a steep increase on the 2021 rate.
• Over a third (37%) of abortions in Blackpool are for women aged under-25, this compares to 35% nationally.
• The trend for over 25-year-olds shows rising abortion rates for Blackpool (26.9 per 1,000) and nationally (21.6) (figure 3).
• Like the national picture, the abortion rate was highest for women aged 20-24 years (at 63.7 per 1,000) with rates in Blackpool significantly higher than England (39.4) per 1,000

 Figure 1: trend in abortion rate (all ages), 2012-2023, Blackpool, North West and England 

Figure 2: trend in under-18 abortion rate, 2012-2023, Blackpool, North West and England                               

 Figure 3: trend in over-25s abortion rate, 2012-2023, Blackpool, North West and England                                                            Source: Dept of Health, Abortions Statistics, England and Wales

While Blackpool has experienced an increase in the abortion rate across all ages, variation is disguised between different age groups (figure 4). The highest rate is for those aged 20-24. Similar to the national picture, rates are significantly higher than England for all age groups (except 35 and over). 

Figure 4: age-specific abortion rates, Blackpool and England, 2023

  

Abortions under 10-weeks

The Department of Health and Social Care advise that women who request an abortion should be given timely access to services, provided they meet the legal criteria under the Abortion Act 1967. Evidence shows that earlier procedures are associated with a lower risk of complications: they are less invasive and do not involve instrumentation or use of anaesthetics. Ensuring prompt access, so that abortions can occur at an earlier stage of pregnancy is both cost‑effective and a measure of the quality of care provided. The choice of early medical abortion is likely to have contributed to the increase in the overall percentage of abortions performed at under ten-weeks gestation and data from the Department of Health and Social Care show that for Blackpool in 2023:

• 92% of abortions were carried out under 10-weeks. This compares to 79% in 2010 and 81.3% in 2015. This is significantly better than the national figure of 89%.
• 98% of NHS funded abortions (all gestations) in Blackpool are carried out by the independent sector compared to 84% across England.

• 718 (92%) of the abortions performed were medical (87% for England).

Figure 5 shows the proportion and count of NHS and privately funded abortions, including those under 10-weeks. 

Figure 5: abortions by funder and gestation, 2023

Repeat abortions and abortions after birth

More than a quarter of abortions in England in women aged under-25 are repeat abortions (figure 6). This is an indicator of access to (or lack of) good quality contraception services and advice, as well as problems with individual use of contraceptive method. Across Blackpool in 2023:

• Over half (51%) of all abortions were repeat abortions. This compares to 42% across England and of these 100 were under-25 (35%, England 29%).

• For women aged over 25 years, the proportion of repeat abortions was 59% (England 49%).

• The repeat abortion rate has increased both locally and nationally over the last decade.

Figure 6: proportion of repeat abortions, 2023

The proportion of women having an abortion after a birth allows an understanding of the post-partum contraception need at a local level. This is monitored for under-25 year-olds and can allow interventions to be developed and tailored to help young parents to manage their future reproductive lives and prevent unplanned pregnancies, where a need is identified.

• There were 110 women aged under 25 in Blackpool who had an abortion after a previous birth in 2023, this is 38.6% of all women aged under-25 years having an abortion in the year

• This is significantly higher than the national average of 21.5% and is the highest rate in the North West.

Women who may need additional support

• Women having repeat terminations
• Women with existing health conditions, which may make having a termination a riskier procedure
• Some female adolescents
• Women experiencing sexual exploitation, violence, coercion or abuse
• Women with substance use or severe mental health problems

Current Services

Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB commission three providers of termination of pregnancy.  Early medical terminations are available in Blackpool through MSI Reproductive Choices and National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) and through British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). Surgical terminations are available in Bolton through NUPAS and Manchester through MSI. 

Locally, termination of pregnancy services offer contraception, including long acting reversible contraception to all women using their service, in an effort to prevent subsequent unplanned/unwanted pregnancies and repeat terminations. They also supply condoms and undertake STI testing.

Any women with existing health conditions that may make procedures higher risk, can access medical and surgical abortions through Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust.   

National and local strategies and guidance

Best practice in abortion care, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2022 - The paper sets out the essential elements of a high-quality abortion care service including comprehensive post-abortion care and contraception.

Best practice in post-abortion care, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2022 - The paper sets out the essential elements of a high-quality post-abortion care.

NICE guideline [NG140] Abortion care, September 2019 – This guideline provides recommendations for services to provide safe, effective abortion care that is easy for women to access.

NICE guideline [PH51] Contraceptive services for under 25s, March 2014 – This guidelines gives best practice for providing contraceptive advice and services.

References

[1] House of Commons Library (2025) Early medical abortion at home during and after the pandemic

[2] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2026) Fingertips | Department of Health and Social Care