RU486

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women of each age group in each region after taking mifepristone were subject to (a) excessive bleeding, (b) haemorrhaging when the foetus was expelled from the uterus, (c) damage to the cervix and (d) an infection in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by length of gestation of the pregnancy. (261578)

The information is shown in the following table.

*Total complications reported*¹ *for abortions using Mifepristone (Mifegyne, RU486) by gestation and age, residents, England, 2003 to 2007*
			Haemorrhage	Other complications²
	Total abortions using RU486	Total complications	Gestation under 13 weeks	13 weeks +	All gestations
2003	29,667	121	61	49	11
2004	34,466	93	58	25	10
2005	44,779	129	81	31	17
2006	56,805	136	98	24	14
2007	67,917	183	121	30	32

*HaemorrhageOther complications*²
	Total abortions using RU48	Total complications	Age under 25 years	25 years+	All ages
2003	29,667	121	39	71	11
2004	34,466	93	35	48	10
2005	44,779	129	52	60	17
2006	56,805	136	49	73	14
2007	67,917	183	72	79	32
¹ Up until the time of discharge from the place of termination. ²Includes uterine perforation and/or sepsis. Note: Breakdown by region is not possible due to small numbers. This is line with the Office for National Statistics’ guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005)

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 10 March 2009