Crisis Pregnancy Agency Launches Annual Report 2003

One in 3 Irish women, who have been pregnant, have experienced a crisis pregnancy. This was among the findings emerging from research commissioned by the State’s Crisis Pregnancy Agency and announced at the publication of its Annual Report in Dublin today (22nd).

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency, the body established to address the issue of crisis pregnancy, has commissioned up to €1 million in a research programme to fill gaps in knowledge around sexual behaviour, contraceptive use and crisis pregnancy.

At the launch the Agency gave details of a particular piece of research, among 3,317 Irish men and women and representative of the general population, that explodes many myths about crisis pregnancy.

• In most crisis pregnancies (75%) the woman went on to give birth
• 15% chose the option of abortion
• 70% were in a relationship, of some kind, at the time of conception
• Over half went on to raise the child with the father
• Failure or non-use of contraception is the determining factor

Commenting on the figures the Chairperson of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, Olive Braiden, said, “clearly the majority of women who experience a crisis pregnancy decide to keep their baby. Women who are facing a crisis pregnancy and choosing to parent have particular concerns about accommodation, childcare, work and money.”

Contraception
Ms Braiden went on to highlight the level of sexual risk taking particularly among 18 – 25 year olds who, according to the survey, were less likely to report consistently using contraception than other age groups. “The main reasons given for non-use in the last year, by younger people who did not want to become pregnant, was that sex was unplanned (58%) and or they were drinking alcohol or taking drugs”, she said. 10% of the general sample reported they did not use contraception the last time they had sex even though they did not want to become pregnant.

Within the larger sample, the most common methods of contraception and precautions used in the last year to avoid pregnancy were condoms (55%) and the pill (38%). While knowledge of the existence of emergency contraception (‘Morning after pill’) was high – fewer than 50% of the sample had specific knowledge relating to its use. 29% of women sampled had reported using it in the past.

Contraceptive Services
The Agency also focused on what it terms is a “poorly developed” contraceptive service – particularly outside urban areas. According to Crisis Pregnancy Agency Director, Sharon Foley, a key recommendation emerging from research into contraceptive needs is that contraceptive services are made available free of charge and that consideration be given to the deregulation of emergency contraception.

“Research indicates that the use of contraception is particularly low in women seeking abortion (approx. 25 – 30%). More effective contraceptive use, when accompanied by education and accessible contraceptive services will mean fewer crisis pregnancies and therefore fewer abortions,” according to Ms Foley.

Teen Pregnancy
A further research study has indicated that up to 30% of teenagers are sexually active. Additionally, there is consistent evidence that providing sex and contraceptive education within school does not lead to increased sexual activity or incidence of crisis pregnancy. “The Agency is working with the Dept. of Education & Science to drive sexuality education to ensure it is prioritised, strengthened and supported. We also advocate the development of “abstinence plus” sexuality education as “abstinence only” approaches are not proven to be effective”, said Ms Foley.

Crisis Pregnancy Counselling
Irish research into women’s decision to terminate their pregnancies suggests that the decision is made immediately after discovering the pregnancy and acted on very quickly. “The decision to have an abortion is grounded in women’s experience of relationships, their assessments of capability and aspirations for the future. Crisis pregnancy counselling plays an important role in slowing down the decision-making process so that an informed choice can be made,” explained Ms Braiden. “The Agency has committed €1.17 million annually to set in place a near 50% increase on the current level of crisis pregnancy counselling services nationwide,” she said.

Key Statistics
In 2002, a total of 6,522 women gave Irish addresses at UK abortion clinics. Remarking on the figures Ms Braiden said, “while this figure shows a decrease of 151 on the previous year it is only by monitoring over a five-year period that we can begin to comment with any certainty on trends”.

Up to 80% of abortions are to single women, with the highest abortion rate among 20 to 24 year olds and those over 40. Approximately 20% of conceptions within these two age groups end in abortion. Irish abortion figures are compiled by the Department of Health in the UK and represent the number of women who give Irish addresses at UK abortion clinics. The number of births to teenagers in Ireland – 2,803 last year – has remained relatively stable over the last three decades.

Other Activities
The Agency also announced the allocation of over €2 million to funding projects throughout the country. The funding, according to Ms Foley, accounts for more than 40% of the CPA’s overall budget and has been allocated principally to front line agencies and will result in a direct impact in preventing and managing crisis pregnancy. The Agency is currently developing a major national advertising campaign, aimed at the 18 – 24 age group, on the issue of safer sex and pregnancy prevention. Its current advertising campaign Positive Options – which promotes crisis pregnancy services – received over 77,000 text requests in 2003.

For further information please contact Caroline Spillane, Crisis Pregnancy Agency. T: 01 8146292 or 087 2644819

Editors Notes:
Download the Crisis Pregnancy Agency Annual Report 03 from www.crisispregnancy.ie/publications.php3
The following Research Papers are reported in this press release:
Irish Contraception and Crisis Pregnancy [ICCP] Study- A Survey of the General Population April 2004
Contraceptive Needs- The Evidence: A literature Review. (2004).
Promoting Positive Adolescent Sexual Health & Preventing Teenage Pregnancy – A Review of Recent Effectiveness Research. (2004)
A Review of Literature Exploring Factors Relating to Crisis Pregnancy and Crisis Pregnancy Decision Making. Crisis Pregnancy Agency Working Document No. 1. (2004)
Summary Report on the consultation process for the Strategy to Address the Issue of Crisis Pregnancy