Health experts clashed this week over the long term health risks for women who have terminations as the House of Commons science and technology committee launched its inquiry into whether the abortion laws in England and Wales need updating in the light of current knowledge.

Doctors who gave evidence at the committee's first session agreed that the research showed that women who have induced abortions are more likely to have premature births in future—and the more terminations they have, the greater the risk.

But …