Poverty leading cause of abortions, deputy claims

A Jersey politician thinks one of the biggest reasons abortions have increased in the island could be women facing poverty, after a record number of terminations last year.

Deputy Louise Doublet, chair of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, said data showed financial strain, timing and partner-related issues - such as domestic abuse - were the main reasons women chose terminations.

Ms Doublet said people were less likely to be able to afford to start a family and suggested free contraception.

However, the director of Public Health has urged caution over interpreting the figures adding there had been similar trends in other nations.

Ms Doublet said: "I do think there should be something in our forthcoming budget to make contraception more accessible to women in the island."

The latest abortions report from Public Health revealed the highest number of terminations recorded was among women aged between 25 and 29.

Public Health said 280 pregnancies were terminated in 2024 - compared with 260 the previous year.

But Ms Doublet said it was difficult to say exactly why the number of abortions had increased in Jersey, as no local data was collected.

The director of Public Health, Prof Peter Bradley, urged caution when interpreting the figures.

He said: "We do not know why more women are deciding to have terminations and cannot attribute the trends to any one cause."

But he added there have been similar increases in other developed nations, pointing to "broader societal shifts".

The States of Jersey is expected to debate changes to the island's abortion law before the end of this year.

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