The 1992 referendum on the X Case preserved in the Irish constitution a provision which allowed for abortion where the life of the mother was at risk from suicide. 20 years later as a result of complete and abject failure by previous government administrations there is still no legislation in place to allow for abortion in this country under those specific circumstances.
Abortion in Ireland has traditionally been seen as black and white; you were either Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. Debates and discussions about abortion have polarised families, friends and colleagues in a way that was reminiscent of the Civil War. While the current government grapples with the need to make legislative provision for the X Case, anti-abortion groups are attempting to discredit suicide as a threat to the life of a pregnant woman. In both a Finnish and a Californian study, researchers found that the risk of suicide was higher among women who have had abortions than those who continued their pregnancies. Sounds fairly damning? Actually, no. By using the crudest of methods they tried to establish a causative link between abortion and negative mental health outcomes. In both studies they merely checked the suicide register and cross-referenced it with women who had legal abortions previously. No qualitative analysis appears to have been undertaken to explain this.
In fact according to Dr David Reardon of the Elliott Institute;
"Data that is drawn from medical records as was done both in Finland and in our study, is generally more objective than relying on women's own description of how abortion affected their lives."
Leaving aside the patronising tone, Dr Reardon doesn't seem to appreciate that 'Correlation does not equal Causation'. It is more likely that many of these women were suffering from or were susceptible to mental health issues prior to the pregnancy, thus their belief that they could not cope with an unplanned pregnancy.
Generally speaking pregnancy is a protective factor against suicide in women of child bearing age. A new study has found in the US that while maternal mortality because of medical conditions has been reduced with advances in medicine, homicide and suicide have now surpassed medical conditions as the leading cause of death in pregnant women. Unplanned pregnancy is a risk factor for domestic violence and physical abuse which can lead to homicide or suicide. Physical abuse occurs in 7 to 20% of pregnant women. Those women with an unplanned pregnancy have a 3 fold higher risk of physical abuse than planned pregnancies.
In recent weeks some very brave ladies have come forward and talked publicly about their heartbreak of having to go to the UK for abortions because they were told that their unborn babies had a chromosomal or congenital disorder which was incompatible with life. Few can imagine the trauma for these women who were told that their babies would die before or immediately after birth. They chose to limit their distress and grief by terminating the pregnancies. Most people have been moved compassionately by these heartbreaking accounts, although some Pro-Lifers have launched vitriolic attacks labelling them as 'murderesses'. It's one thing to stand by your principles but surely the high moral ground is lost when you verbally attack, villify and victimise these women.
In a recent study of Irish doctors, 75% of GPs believed that abortion should take place in Ireland in limited circumstances. 40% of those surveyed whether they agree with abortion or not acknowledged there may be detrimental health affects from travelling. 11% knew of a patient who had purchased an illegal substance to induce a termination. The cost of travelling and perhaps an inability to travel without acknowledging the reason why are presumably factors in some of these cases.
Oprah Winfrey recently talked about being sexually abused as a child. At the age of 14 she found herself pregnant. She drank laundry detergent to try and induce a termination. Do we want any woman let alone a teenage girl to have to resort to such desperate measures when faced with a desperate situation?
There is a difference between being pro-abortion and pro-choice. Faced with an unwanted pregnancy it is up to each woman/couple to make the best decisions for them. If a woman believes that she cannot physically, mentally, emotionally and/or financially cope with an unwanted pregnancy then she should not be judged by those of us who might choose differently. None of the thousands of women who travel to the UK each year make that decision lightly. In an open and supportive society we could dispassionately examine the reasons why women faced with an unwanted pregnancy choose to make that trip. If there are concrete, tangible ways to support them through their pregnancy AND motherhood then we should implement them. But calling them 'murderers' and flashing grotesque images in an attempt to further traumatise and increase their guilt is despicable and quite often counter-productive. And while some people may have squared the idea of abortion in very limited circumstances, generally can we ever really understand the complex emotional, psychological and relational dynamics at play in a woman's decision to have an abortion.
Abortion in Ireland has traditionally been seen as black and white; you were either Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. Debates and discussions about abortion have polarised families, friends and colleagues in a way that was reminiscent of the Civil War. While the current government grapples with the need to make legislative provision for the X Case, anti-abortion groups are attempting to discredit suicide as a threat to the life of a pregnant woman. In both a Finnish and a Californian study, researchers found that the risk of suicide was higher among women who have had abortions than those who continued their pregnancies. Sounds fairly damning? Actually, no. By using the crudest of methods they tried to establish a causative link between abortion and negative mental health outcomes. In both studies they merely checked the suicide register and cross-referenced it with women who had legal abortions previously. No qualitative analysis appears to have been undertaken to explain this.
In fact according to Dr David Reardon of the Elliott Institute;
"Data that is drawn from medical records as was done both in Finland and in our study, is generally more objective than relying on women's own description of how abortion affected their lives."
Leaving aside the patronising tone, Dr Reardon doesn't seem to appreciate that 'Correlation does not equal Causation'. It is more likely that many of these women were suffering from or were susceptible to mental health issues prior to the pregnancy, thus their belief that they could not cope with an unplanned pregnancy.
Generally speaking pregnancy is a protective factor against suicide in women of child bearing age. A new study has found in the US that while maternal mortality because of medical conditions has been reduced with advances in medicine, homicide and suicide have now surpassed medical conditions as the leading cause of death in pregnant women. Unplanned pregnancy is a risk factor for domestic violence and physical abuse which can lead to homicide or suicide. Physical abuse occurs in 7 to 20% of pregnant women. Those women with an unplanned pregnancy have a 3 fold higher risk of physical abuse than planned pregnancies.
In recent weeks some very brave ladies have come forward and talked publicly about their heartbreak of having to go to the UK for abortions because they were told that their unborn babies had a chromosomal or congenital disorder which was incompatible with life. Few can imagine the trauma for these women who were told that their babies would die before or immediately after birth. They chose to limit their distress and grief by terminating the pregnancies. Most people have been moved compassionately by these heartbreaking accounts, although some Pro-Lifers have launched vitriolic attacks labelling them as 'murderesses'. It's one thing to stand by your principles but surely the high moral ground is lost when you verbally attack, villify and victimise these women.
In a recent study of Irish doctors, 75% of GPs believed that abortion should take place in Ireland in limited circumstances. 40% of those surveyed whether they agree with abortion or not acknowledged there may be detrimental health affects from travelling. 11% knew of a patient who had purchased an illegal substance to induce a termination. The cost of travelling and perhaps an inability to travel without acknowledging the reason why are presumably factors in some of these cases.
Oprah Winfrey recently talked about being sexually abused as a child. At the age of 14 she found herself pregnant. She drank laundry detergent to try and induce a termination. Do we want any woman let alone a teenage girl to have to resort to such desperate measures when faced with a desperate situation?
There is a difference between being pro-abortion and pro-choice. Faced with an unwanted pregnancy it is up to each woman/couple to make the best decisions for them. If a woman believes that she cannot physically, mentally, emotionally and/or financially cope with an unwanted pregnancy then she should not be judged by those of us who might choose differently. None of the thousands of women who travel to the UK each year make that decision lightly. In an open and supportive society we could dispassionately examine the reasons why women faced with an unwanted pregnancy choose to make that trip. If there are concrete, tangible ways to support them through their pregnancy AND motherhood then we should implement them. But calling them 'murderers' and flashing grotesque images in an attempt to further traumatise and increase their guilt is despicable and quite often counter-productive. And while some people may have squared the idea of abortion in very limited circumstances, generally can we ever really understand the complex emotional, psychological and relational dynamics at play in a woman's decision to have an abortion.