§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of recorded(a) perforations and ruptures of the uterus following abortion and (b) ectopic pregnancies for 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987 and the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. SackvilleFigures relating to perforation of the uterus following abortion are shown in table 1 for the years 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987 and 1991. Table 2 shows the available data relating to ectopic pregnancies for the years 1982, 1987–88 and 1990–91. The number of ectopic pregnancies increased gradually between 1987–88 and 1990–91 due in part to the improvement in data recording in the hospital episodes statistics (HES) system. Data for 1967, before legal abortions were performed, and the full time series requested for ectopic pregnancies cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
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Table 1 Recorded cases of perforation of the uterus following abortion
England and Wales
Residents and non-residents
Year Number 1972 226 1977 131 1982 202 1987 186 1991 138 Source: Abortion notifications.
Figures supplied by OPCS.
Table 2 Estimated number of episodes where ectopic pregnancy (ICD 633) is
the principal diagnosis
England
Year Number 1982 14,344 1987–88 24,941 1990–91 27,674 1 Source: Hospital in-patient enquiry ordinary admissions only. 2 Source: Hospital episode statistics—ordinary and day case admissions in NHS hospitals. Figures are provisional based on incomplete ungrossed data and may be subject to revision following analysis.