New Zealand

Inadequate abortion services in several areas

12:28 pm on 14 October 2012

The Abortion Law Reform Association says several areas of New Zealand do not provide adequate services for women needing an abortion.

The association says that can extend the waiting times by one to two weeks with emotional and medical consequences for women.

Southern District Health Board has struggled to set up abortion services in Invercargill. Previously, women there needing an abortion had to travel to Dunedin or Christchurch.

Association president Morgan Healey says several other regions also do not provide abortion services and this can cause problems for women needing to terminate a pregnancy.

They are: West Coast, Tasman and the Bay of Plenty.

More than 15,000 abortions were performed in New Zealand last year.