IFPA escapes scrutiny thanks to fawning media
You barely have to poke the Irish Family Planning Association’s latest claim before it falls apart.
In their 2024 annual report, they argue that there’s “no scientific support” for the three-day waiting period before an abortion. They base the claim on the fact that 98% of their clients over a 12 month period went on to access abortion after the waiting period elapsed.
What the IFPA doesn’t point out in their report is that their clients account for just 6% of the consultations that take place in Ireland annually. While the IFPA purports that less than 2% of its clients do not proceed with an abortion after the three-day wait, national statistics suggest a much higher figure – around 9% in 2024 did not go through with an abortion in the end.
Out of 12,641 first consultations in 2024, only 10,441 returned for the second visit after the three day wait. After excluding miscarriages and hospital-based abortions based on IFPA percentages for these groups, more than 1,000 women appear not to have returned and instead continued their pregnancies. | 
