Long term relationship between contraceptive uptake and abortion rates across the UK

FOI Reference: FOI/2022/3952

You asked

For my dissertation, I am looking at the relationship between contraceptive uptake (particularly Long-acting reversible contraception) and abortion rates across UK Local Authorities areas.  I am investigating whether lower local rates of long-acting contraceptive uptake are associated with higher abortion rates and how this relationship has changed from 2014 to 2021, into the pandemic.  

If my findings are of interest to the scientific community, I plan on publishing them.

I have identified 3 datasets that are relevant to my research, however, I need the monthly data instead of annual data where possible, in order to be able to create more accurate comparisons and take into account seasonal effects.

To be able to complete my dissertation, I need the raw anonymized data with monthly granularity, if possible, from the following databases:

1. The NHS Digital Sexual and Reproductive Health Services SHRAD data on contraception from January 2014 to March 2021
2. The DHSC abortion dataset from January 2014 to March 2021
3. ONS population profiles for local authorities January 2014 to March 2021, with income deprivation and ethnicity (if possible, specified according to gender) but particularly numbers of women/age within each LA with as narrow age bin width as possible (to enable calculation of the various contraceptive uptake rates for women between 15-44yrs across LAs.)

We said

Thank you for your request.

1)    Unfortunately, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not hold this information and your question is better placed with NHS digital who hold NHS data they can be contacted on the following address enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk.

2)     Unfortunately, the ONS does not hold this information   and your question is better placed with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), they can be contacted on the following form Contact Us DHSC.

3)    For local authorities our latest annual Mid-year population estimates by sex and single year of age are for mid-2020 (previous years are available via the same link). From the downloadable Excel spreadsheet, Worksheets MYE2 provide data for Persons, Males and Females by local authority and single year of age.

We do not hold rankings of deprivation, however, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have produced rankings of deprivation by local authority as part of the Index of Multiple Deprivation. This data is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019

We have published a Review of the current evidence base for population estimates by ethnic group produced within the ONS, to provide guidance to users as to which estimates to use for what purpose.

In December 2021, we published Population estimates by ethnic group and religion, England and Wales: 2019. This publication builds on previous research and user feedback and was published in response to the need for more timely population estimates by ethnic group and religion. These are experimental statistics of population by 18 ethnic groups and 8 religious groups by age and sex at the national and regional level for England and Wales. As such, they are official statistics but will be subject to further testing in terms of quality and ability to meet user needs. As these estimates are primarily derived from survey data, they are not precise figures, therefore please be aware of the quality information you can find in the accompanying datasets. Further detail of strengths, limitations and quality information is outlined in Section 6 of the article.

Our 'gold standard' source for population estimates by ethnic group remains the 2011 Census. Data derived from the census are particularly useful when considering more detailed population groups than the 18 ethnic groups by age, sex and region. It is important to note that these estimates will not reflect change since census day in 2011. These data are freely available at national and subnational level on the Nomis website.

Finally, you may also be interested in Census 2021 data which will be released later this year. The Census 2021 first results will be released in late Spring 2022 with other data and analysis following through the year. Our full release plans can be found here.

When accessing any of our files, please read the 'notes, terms and conditions' contained within them.

Should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at pop.info@ons.gov.uk.