The Morning After: A Cross Party Inquiry into Unplanned Pregnancy

Gail Beer & Matt James

Unplanned pregnancy is an issue that affects the lives of women of all ages from early teens to those in their forties, crossing every socio-economic group while adversely impacting society as a whole. It is estimated that there are 8.7 million women of reproductive age living in England today (AGC 2012) and so the issue of unplanned pregnancy is something that demands our careful consideration and attention.

Given the cost to society and the impact on women, the committee believes that an integrated, cross departmental strategy to tackle unplanned pregnancies is currently lacking. The rising abortion rates in some age groups and high teenage pregnancy rates suggest that there are still some underlying issues that need to be addressed.

By holding this cross-party inquiry the committee wanted to first understand why there has been an increase in terminations despite the good work established by the Government’s Teen Pregnancy Strategy. Secondly, the committee wanted to know what more needs to be done to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies.

Impact:

• Coverage of the report was high profile and included spots on Newsnight and Women’s Hour
• Deliberations brought MPs together to agree on a common position on SRE
• Ongoing reference document in policy and press discussions on the need for updating PHSE and SRE education in schools.

“I was delighted to work with 2020health who provided great expertise and support for the cross party inquiry”

Amber Rudd MP

Sponsored by MSD