British Pregnancy Advisory Service figures show that Irish women tend to have abortions slightly later than their English and Welsh counterparts, writes Carol Coulter, from Birmingham.
Statistics complied by the organisation also show that 1,761 women from the Republic and 627 from Northern Ireland sought its services in 2001.
Almost half of women from England and Wales - 43.7 per cent - who went to BPAS clinics had abortions in the first nine weeks of pregnancy, while for Irish women (both North and South) the figure was 28.8 and 28.4 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, 58.5 per cent of Northern Irish women and 50.8 per cent of southern Irish women had abortions between nine and 12 weeks into their pregnancy.
Women from the Republic had the highest rate of abortion at 13 or 14 weeks' gestation, at 8 per cent. The figures for later abortions levelled out, with about 12 per cent of women from all three areas having abortions between 15 and just over 20 weeks' gestation. Abortion is legal in Britain up to 24 weeks.
According to Ms Cherie de Burgh, director of counselling services with the Irish Family Planning Association, Irish women have later abortions than their British counterparts because they need to raise money for the journey and the operation.
"Often a woman will come to us for counselling at six or seven weeks, and decide on a termination. But it will take her another six or seven weeks to raise the money," she said.
The cost of an abortion with the BPAS before 14 weeks is £315 sterling in clinics outside London, and £365 sterling in London. To this must be added the cost of travel and, if necessary, accommodation. Many women bring a partner, parent or friend with them, she said.
But, referring to the cost, she said: "The IFPA has a policy of never turning anyone away. So does the BPAS. Women can ask for a reduction or help with the cost. But they still have to get the fare. About half the women who come to us have trouble raising the money. But we never had anyone who did not travel because of the money. We'd negotiate with the BPAS."
She said about two-thirds of the women who came to the IFPA for counselling opted for terminations, but there was an element of self-selection in this. "They come to us because they are actively considering termination . . . If they want to continue the pregnancy they go to an agency like Cura or Life."
The majority of Irish clients of the BPAS are in their 20s.
"In Ireland, women under 19 with their first unplanned pregnancy are more likely to go ahead with it, while in their 20s they are more likely to have abortions," said Ms de Burgh.
According to Ms Ann Furedi of the BPAS, women who have abortions in Britain come from all social and ethnic backgrounds. One in five is married, which does not include those divorced or separated or in an on-going non-marital relationship, and almost half already have one child or more.