Abortion Statistics
HOW MANY ABORTIONS IN AUSTRALIA?
Only two states in Australia that collect and publish abortion data. They are South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA)..
These states make up approximately 18% of Australia’s 25 million population.
South Australia has been reporting abortion statistics since 1970, and Western Australia since 1999.
South Australia reports new abortion data annually; Western Australia only releases new data every 3-5 years.
In 2014, an estimated 80,000 surgical abortions took place in Australia (it does not include medical abortions from drugs, such as RU486. This overall number was extrapolated from the combined reported abortion total of South Australia and Western Australia and their population (7.2% and 10.8% respectively) of Australia’s population.
The following statistics are from South Australian Government's report: 'Pregnancy Outcome in South Australia 2016 - September 2018 Pregnancy Outcome Unit SA Health ' pages 47-53 (pdf); it serves to provide an overview of the frequency and demography of abortion in Australia:
HOW MANY ABORTED BABIES ARE 'BORN ALIVE'?
Quite often babies are delivered alive as a result of a failed abortion. What happens to the babies? Because these babies are deemed so unwanted they are then left to die, and in some cases even deliberately killed (for more information see site’s Born alive and left to die).
NOTE: If statistics were unavailable for a particular state or territory, the explanation, title of spokesperson and date is given.
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT)- A/g Director, Office of the Chief Health Officer Population Health Division: "The ACT does not gather data on termination of pregnancy …" 15th October 2008
• New South Wales (NSW) - Health Ethics Branch NSW A/Senior Policy Officer: "Data on terminations for NSW is problematic." 9th October 2008
Note - In NSW, in 2000, a coroner investigated the death of a baby found alive in a bin after an abortion in Sydney's Westmead Hospital and also learned there had been more such cases, but none had been officially reported. READ STORY HERE
• Queensland (Qld ) - The number of babies that survived late-term abortions have increased in Queensland, figures released by the then Health Minister Cameron Dick showed. In 2015, 27 babies of five month's gestation survived, only to later die after not receiving life-saving treatment. 1
• South Australia (SA) - The number of aborted babies delivered alive and left to die were as follows: in 2000 - 7 babies; 2001 - 14; 2002 - 7; 2003 - 3; 2004 - 13; 2005 - 5; 2006 - 3; 2007 - 5. 2
• Tasmania (Tas) - No response from Health Department after several attempts.
Contacted the Health Department during late 2008 and early 2009.
• Victoria (Vic) - In 2007, 54 babies were delivered alive and left to die. 3
• Western Australia (WA) - From 1998 - 2017 there were reported 27 born alive babies and left to die. (NOTE: It is very common for these figures to be understated. For example, in 2009 the WA Health Department stated in a letter to All Lives Equal that there was no data available.)READ HERE
• Northern Territory (NT) - A/Executive Director, Acute care: Anecdotally, advised that there were no instances. 20th October 2008
Note - The A/Executive advisers failed to mention at least one officially reported case:
A coroner's hearing in Darwin reported how ‘Jessica Jane’, was born alive and left to die in a Darwin hospital in 1998 after a botched abortion. Northern Territory coroner, Greg Cavanagh, was told of how Jessica’s a tiny but perfect little body, was slipped into a stainless steel dish and left alone in a room where she cried until she died, 80 minutes later. At the inquest Cavanagh called, he was also told that other late-term babies had been born alive after abortions in the NT, only to be left to die. And none of those deaths had been officially reported or publicised.4
For more information on born alive babies, see site's: Born Alive And Left To Die and also Born Alive Survivors
REFERENCES:
1 Rise in Queensland babies surviving late-term abortions, figures show ABC READ HERE
2 Hard copy letter provided to All Lives Equal. Letter for SA Health Department, 2009.
3 Call For Victorian Inquiry Into Deaths Of Babies Born Alive After Failed Abortion ACL READ HERE
4 Inquest Into The Death Of Jessica Jane > READ STORY HERE And also NT Coroner Calls For Abortion Protocol > READ STORY HERE