4th June 2025
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News Release
4th June 2025

Study reveals: One in eight women visited emergency department after abortion

“What they’re not telling you about impact of abortion law on women’s health” - PLC

Recently published research coupled with a reply to a Parliamentary Question raises very real concerns about the risk to women’s health related to state-supported abortion. The Pro Life Campaign has called for a meeting with the Minister for Health to discuss these and other developments regarding Ireland’s abortion law.

The research article published in the Irish Journal of Sociology describes a retrospective review of cases of in-patient medical abortion up to 12 weeks gestation in a single tertiary hospital in the south-west of Ireland, during the period from 1 Jan 2019 to 31 Dec 2022. 1

The complications recorded resulting from the abortions included women requiring blood transfusions, extended hospital stays, with some even being admitted to high-dependency units. 12% of the women who underwent abortions during this period presented to an emergency department on an unplanned basis, primarily due to concerns about infection or bleeding.

While the authors of the article described these complications as “infrequent” and in keeping with the international literature, their findings are worth highlighting in the context of very little public discussion of abortion complications in Ireland since Irish hospitals began providing medical abortions. 2

Separately, but also of significance, a reply from the HSE to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Carol Nolan TD (PQ 10966/25) states that during the period 2019-2024, there were 29 incidents where ‘moderate harm’ was reported for women undergoing abortions.

Commenting on all the latest information that’s come to light, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Eilís Mulroy said:

“These findings taken together are very troubling and should prompt a serious official response. The reply to the recent Parliamentary Question showing that for 29 women since 2019, the damage done to them by the abortion they had reached the level of 'moderate harm', which is one of the official categories listed for adverse incidents. The description given for 'moderate harm' includes an increased length of stay in hospital and the possibility of ‘causing permanent or long-term harm or loss of function’ for the woman.
3 The possibility of such an outcome is very serious for the women involved. It raises the question: why is there little or no public discussion on this and other deeply troubling effects of the new abortion law previously raised? If, as it appears, they are being overlooked because some people in power don’t want to face any of the inconvenient truths about the law they passed, this shows disgraceful disregard of women’s health. Some healthcare providers are less likely to discuss challenges of abortion provision if it could undermine continued availability of abortion - a reality of “self-censorship” that is explicitly stated in another recent article, published by researchers involved in the three-year review. 4

“Women being admitted to high dependency units in hospitals after abortion is not what the people of Ireland were promised at the time of the abortion referendum, when senior politicians were falsely calling abortion 'healthcare' even though it's evidently a life-ending procedure. What was claimed back then is a discussion for another day but right now the Government has a duty to start listening to voices other than those from the most extreme side of the pro-abortion movement.

“In the interests of women’s health and the lives of unborn babies, those in positions of power need to start acknowledging what's happening under the new law, including the massive increase in abortions and the adverse consequences of abortion on women that are not being faced. The Pro Life Campaign is requesting an urgent meeting with the Minister for Health to discuss the matter.”

ENDS

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