Over 200 people requested information on abortion from the HSE when they were more than 12 weeks pregnant last year.

The National Women’s Council is calling for the 12-week gestational limit on abortion to be immediately lifted, in line with World Health Organisation guidelines.

Following the Repeal of the Eighth Amendment, abortion is legal in Ireland during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

After the first three months, it is only permitted if the women’s health is at risk or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

My Options

In the last two years however, nearly 450 people contacted the HSE ‘My Options’ phoneline when they were already passed the time limit.

The figures include 207 people last year and 235 in 2020.

Of the 9,651 calls to the phoneline last year, 207 were about women who were over 12 weeks pregnant and 95 were from people who were under 17.

Limits

National Women's Council Women's Health Co-Ordinator Alana Ryan said the gestational limit must be lifted.

“Access to care after 12 weeks in Ireland is very limited,” she said.

“If you want an abortion, there has to be a risk to the health of the woman or a fatal foetal anomaly diagnosis – which is defined very narrowly.

“At the National Women’s Council, we are calling for an extension of that 12 weeks so everyone who needs an abortion is able to access it up to viability.”

Most experts say the point of viability comes after around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Infants born before 24 weeks generally have a less than 50% chance of survival.

Guidelines

Ms Ryan said the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines advise against gestational limits.

“Really what we need to see is that abortion is available to everyone up until viability, with no gestational restrictions as we have with the 12 weeks,” she said.

“This is in keeping with what the World Health Organisation’s abortion guidelines recommend, as released just last month.”

The WHO guidelines recommend the removal of all “medically unnecessary policy barriers – including criminalisation, mandatory waiting times, gestational limits and the need for the approval of anyone but the pregnant woman.

It warns that restrictions on access do not reduce the number of abortions that take place and are more likely to drive women and girls towards unsafe procedures.

Abortion

My Options is a freephone line that gives confidential information and counselling to people experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.

It gives information on abortion services and continued pregnancy supports.

A review of abortion services in Ireland is currently under way.

Additional reporting from Michael Staines.