Garth George: Teen abortion rate a sorry reflection of weak society

Don't be fooled by the official statistics for the number of induced abortions performed in New Zealand last year that show a small decrease compared with the year before.

As the lead headline on the front page of the independent and non-denominational Christian newspaper Challenge Weekly put it this week, "Abortion statistics hide brutal truths". Such as:

* Despite last year's figures recording a fall for the second year in a row, the number of induced abortions in New Zealand has increased by 57 per cent since 1990.

* Over the same period the number of 11 to 14-year-olds having induced abortions has increased by 139 per cent, and the number of abortions for 15 to 19-year-olds has increased by 63 per cent.

* The number of women having their third abortion, or more, has increased by 268 per cent since 1990; and the number of abortions performed at more than 14 weeks has more than doubled in that time.

* Estimates put the total cost to the health budget of the abortion industry last year at more than $43.1 million.

Bob McCroskrie, director of the Family First lobby, one of those who analysed the figures released by Statistics New Zealand says: "What they show is that every week more than 73 teenagers had an abortion. That paints a terrible picture for our teenagers.

"This is a tragedy for the unborn child, and for the girls involved, some as young as 11. It is also devastating for the extended family, who, we can only hope, are aware of what has happened and can offer their support, rather than the child having been sneaked off for the abortion by Family Planning or a school counsellor. It also provides evidence that the myth of safe sex pushed by Family Planning, the Aids Foundation and similar groups is miserably failing our vulnerable young people, who are being made even more vulnerable by then being encouraged to have an abortion."

Mr McCroskrie said the increase in multiple abortions suggested a lifestyle choice of convenience rather than the weak legal justification of "mental harm"; and the increase in late-term abortion had come "in spite of all the pictures and scans we are seeing showing the fetal development of the unborn child. These latest figures show that the Abortion Supervisory Committee is failing both women and the unborn child."

Bernard Moran, Auckland spokesman for Voice for Life, who provided the estimates of the total cost of abortions last year based on his organisation's calculations, said the statistics showed that 15,252 abortions were performed on fetuses 12 weeks and younger, at a cost of $750 each; and 2279 were on fetuses over 12 weeks, at $1400 each. That amounted to $14,629,600, and on top of that certifying consultants' fees would have been $3.5 million, lifting the cost to $18,129,600.

Mr Moran said data from the NZ Health Information Service for 2003 showed that 25,000 bed-days in hospitals had been for women suffering complications from legally induced abortions.

Given the daily cost of hospital stays in the public system, that worked out at about $25 million a year.

"Thus," said Mr Moran, "the estimated cost to the taxpayer from the health budget of legal abortions last year amounted to at least $43,129,600."

He said that to make matters worse, Prime Minister Helen Clark had announced a donation last year of $7.3 million to international abortion agencies.

Helen Clark said New Zealand had given that money to the United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Both those organisations promoted and provided abortions and contraception throughout the world, particularly in Third World countries, and had been implicated as being complicit in China's forced abortion policy.

Said Mr Moran: "At a time when many seriously ill Kiwi battlers are being culled from hospital waiting lists because of lack of funds, there appears to be plenty of money available for abortions."

The Statistics New Zealand figures showed that a total of 17,530 induced abortions were performed last year, 680 (3.7 per cent) fewer than in 2004. This followed a decrease of 1.6 per cent between 2003 and 2004.

The general abortion rate (abortions for every 1000 women aged 15 to 44) dropped from 20.5 for each 1000 in 2004 to 19.7 for each 1000 last year. Women aged 20 to 24 had more abortions than other age groups at 37 for each 1000 women last year.

What bugs me about all this is that the secular media - press, radio and television - take these figures at face value, note them in some obscure position in a news section or bulletin, and leave it at that. Concerned citizens like Mr McCroskrie and Mr Moran unfailingly supply the media with their analyses, yet what they have to say is rarely published or broadcast.

There are those who avidly support open-slather abortion and refuse to be swayed by any criticism of the administration of the relevant act or any questioning of the physical and psychological dangers of the practice.

There are those, on the other hand, who believe that life begins at conception and who vehemently oppose abortion in any form, or who insist that the provisions of the law be adhered to.

Both are absolutely entitled to their positions. But what I want to know is why only one side of the argument is ever publicly aired. Truth hurts, perhaps?

* Garth George is editor of Challenge Weekly.