Crisis Pregnancy Agency launches annual report for 2007
AGENCY TO ISSUE GUIDELINES ON CONCEALED PREGNANCY AND TO COMMISSION GUIDELINES ON CRISIS PREGNANCY AMONG WOMEN WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
7th July 2008 – Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D., today launched the Crisis Pregnancy Agency’s Annual Report for 2007. The report gives details on the Agency’s work in 2007 and is available on www.crisispregnancy.ie
Launching the Annual Report today in Dublin, the Minister spoke of the Agency’s contribution to addressing the incidence of crisis pregnancy: “The Crisis Pregnancy Agency continues to raise awareness of the importance of using contraception, while increasing the network of support services available for women who experience crisis pregnancy, including those who seek support following abortion. The implementation of the Agency’s Strategy for 2007-2011 will ensure a multi-dimensional approach to tackling the incidence of crisis pregnancy.”
Ms Katharine Bulbulia, Chairperson of the Agency, outlined the Agency’s work in facilitating the development of guidelines for health service professionals dealing with crisis pregnancies: “The Agency is currently developing guidelines for use by health professionals when dealing with a woman who is concealing a pregnancy. There are a variety of factors which prompt women to conceal pregnancy, and Agency research has found that women who conceal pregnancies often perceive strong social stigma attached to becoming pregnant outside of a relationship. These guidelines will assist health professionals in dealing with what is unfortunately not an uncommon situation, and set standards to ensure that women who conceal pregnancy are given support and assistance.”
A woman who conceals pregnancy presents herself for antenatal care late into pregnancy without informing her social network of her situation. Agency commissioned research has estimated that one in every 403 births at rural hospitals is concealed, while one in every 625 births in a Dublin hospital is concealed.
The Agency, in partnership with the National Disability Authority (NDA), is also set to commission guidelines for crisis pregnancy counsellors and GPs to better support women with an intellectual disability experiencing a crisis pregnancy. The Agency and the NDA have submitted an invitation to tender for the development of these guidelines.
Ms Bulbulia said: “Research into sexuality, pregnancy, parenting and sexual health for women with an intellectual disability is limited, both in Ireland and internationally. Existing data suggests that disabled women in Ireland are receiving less than adequate preventative health and social work services in comparison to other European countries. Women with intellectual disabilities are among those least likely to receive quality prenatal care, prompting an urgent need to address their vulnerable status.”
Ms Caroline Spillane, Director, Crisis Pregnancy Agency stressed the importance of making counselling accessible to all women who experience a crisis pregnancy: “Since the Agency’s establishment in 2001, crisis pregnancy counselling services have been expanded nationally by nearly 50%, with crisis pregnancy counselling now available at over 50 centres in 27 locations throughout Ireland. The Agency has funded the development of a pilot training course in crisis pregnancy counselling at the NUI Maynooth, and the first students of this course will graduate later in the year. The Agency has committed to funding this pilot scheme into its second year, with the aim of setting standards of good practice in crisis pregnancy counselling while enabling accredited counsellors and specifically trained volunteers to up-skill in the area.”
A key objective for the Agency is to improve knowledge about relationships and sexuality for adolescents as this will be the most effective method of achieving a long-term impact on the incidence of crisis pregnancy. The Agency is currently working with the Department of Education and Science and the HSE on developing a DVD and a set of lesson plans to assist in the delivery of Relationships and Sexuality Education to senior cycle students. The Agency has developed a number of resources for parents to help them to talk to their children about relationships and sex including; the “You Can Talk to Me” DVD and booklet, the “Parents Make the Time to Talk” supplement and the “Busy Bodies” booklet. The Agency is, in consultation with a range of other organisations and young people, currently planning a campaign to encourage adolescents to delay first sex.
Ms Caroline Spillane, Director, Crisis Pregnancy Agency, gave an overview of the Agency’s funding programme, which provides over €4 million annually to services to reduce crisis pregnancy, to support women experiencing crisis pregnancy and to support young parents.
The Agency re-launched its Positive Options campaign in September 2007, with the aim of raising awareness of State-funded crisis pregnancy counselling services to women aged from 18-45. The new campaign message is “An unplanned pregnancy is not the end of the world,” and market research conducted in December indicated that 75% of women are aware of the campaign.
The Positive Options website received over 32,000 visits in 2007, while 67,000 text messages were received requesting counselling information. For a list of free crisis pregnancy counselling services, freetext list to 50444 or visit www.positiveoptions.ie.
The Agency has funded several new crisis pregnancy counselling services. Funding has been provided for Fem Plus, a new service in Blanchardstown, a new Cura service in Gorey, Co. Wexford, a new Pact Service in Cavan and a new IFPA service in Monaghan. Three new counselling services in Killarney and Tralee, being delivered in partnership with the HSE South, were formally launched in early 2007. Further service development took place in Kerry recently with a new Cura outreach service opening in Dingle and a new IFPA service opening in Gorey, Co. Wexford.
The Agency notes that last year was the sixth successive year in which there was a decrease in the number of women giving Irish addresses at UK abortion clinics. Since 2001, the number of women giving Irish addresses at UK abortion clinics has decreased by 1,987. The abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44) has fallen from 7.5 in 2001 to 4.7 in 2007. The Netherlands has emerged as the only other jurisdiction that Irish women are travelling to in significant numbers for abortion. In 2007, 445 Irish women travelled to the Netherlands for abortion procedures, compared with 461 in 2006 and 42 in 2005.
Teenage births are also declining steadily. There were 3,078 births to teenagers in 2001 compared to 2,352 births to teenagers in 2006.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Lorna Farren
Programmes and Communications Officer
01-8146292
087-6289831
Enda Saul
Programmes and Communications Manager
01-8146292
085-7172008
Editor’s Notes:
1.
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) was established in 2001 and is mandated to provide for:
A) A reduction in the number of crisis pregnancies by the provision of education, advice and contraceptive services
B) A reduction in the number of women with crisis pregnancies who opt for abortion by offering services and support which make other options more attractive
C) The provision of counselling services, medical services and other health services for the purpose of providing support, after crisis pregnancy, as may be deemed appropriate by the Agency.
2. Abortion Figures
Year/No. of women giving Irish addresses in UK Clinics/Abortion rate per 1,000 women aged 15-44
2001/6673/7.5
2002/6522/7.2
2003/6320/6.9
2004/6217/6.7
2005/5585/5.9
2006/5042/5.2
2007/4686/4.7
UK Dept of Health
Year/No. of women giving Irish addresses in Clinics in The Netherlands
2005/42
2006/461
2007/445
3. Teenage Births
Year/No. of Births to Teenagers aged 15-19 years
2001/3078
2002/2940
2003/2816
2004/2490
2005/2420
2006/2352
4. Resources for Parents
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency has a suite of resources for parents, to assist them in talking to their children about relationships and sex. To get a copy of the ‘You Can Talk To Me’ DVD, for parents of 11-15 year olds, parents can freetext PARENT followed by their name and address to 50123. To get a copy of the ‘Parents, Make the Time to Talk’ supplement, for parents of 15 – 17 year olds, parents can freetext TALK, followed by their name and address to 50123. To get a copy of the “Busy Bodies” for parents of fifth and sixth class students, freetext BUSY followed by their name and address to 50123.
5. For Crisis Pregnancy Counselling
For a list of these agencies, members of the public can freetext the word list to 50444 or visit www.positiveoptions.ie. The Positive Options campaign won a Public Service Excellence Award from the Department of the Taoiseach in 2006.
