Rise in Cavan women seeking terminations
A total of 123 women, who gave their address as County Cavan, sought to have an abortion last year, according to new figures contained in the fifth annual report on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
The report came before the Houses of the Oireachtas this week and covers the period for the year ending December 31, 2023.
The 2023 figure for Cavan represented a six per cent increase on the previous year for woman available of termination of pregnancy services.
However, Cavan has one of the lowest abortion rates in the country, seventh not including the nine who gave their address as Northern Ireland or the seven who put down 'Other'.
By comparison, in 2022, 116 women with addresses in Cavan terminated pregnancies, compared to just 70 in 2021, a rise of 67%.
A total of 107 terminations occurred in 2020 and 77 in 2019, the first full year since the new laws came into force.
Termination of Pregnancy services are provided, free of charge, by the HSE, through GPs or family planning services and in maternity units and hospitals across the country. In neighbouring Monaghan, 74 women seeking abortion services gave the Farney county as their address. That compares to 57 terminations in 2022; 36 in 2019; 54 in 2020; and 46 in 2021.
The report shows that, nationally, a total of 10,033 abortions were performed under the Act in that 12-month period.
Of those, 21 procedures were carried out due to a risk to life or health under the grounds set out in Section 9 of the Act; seven due to a risk to life or health in an emergency situation under Section 10; 129 due to a fatal foetal anomaly under Section 11; and 9,876 in early pregnancy under the grounds set out in Section 12 of the Act.
Hospital services
The HSE confirmed to The Anglo-Celt last April that safe abortion services for pregnancies under 12 weeks will be provided at Cavan General and also in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, from the fourth quarter of 2024 onwards.
Recruitment “has taken place” and termination of pregnancy services will be provided at Cavan General, one of the last two remaining hospitals not currently providing abortions, before the end of this year. The HSE spokesperson added that all maternity units provide care for women with a complication following termination of pregnancy and where there is a risk to life or health of the woman. All sites also provide services relating to managing complications arising from termination; appropriate care and supervision for women following a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality, and referral to the appropriate tertiary unit; as well as care and supervision in cases where maternal health/life is at risk.
Back in January a prayer protest took place at the entrance to Cavan General.
The event was held by members of the Choose Life Cavan branch, with the aim of highlighting to Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly; local politicians and HSE management; that the group objects “vehemently” to the proposed plan to introduce abortion services at the local acute hospital facility.