Latest pro-choice news

mine not yours pro-choice.jpg

1) The British Medical Association today voted in support of retaining the current 24-week time limit on abortion, agreeing that there is no scientific justification for cutting it to 20 weeks.

2) I can’t find the full press release yet, but Yahoo and Nadine Dorries (I’m not linking) say the Department of Health has this evening issued a statement confirming that it will consider changing the existing legislation to prevent organisations who perform abortions from offering counselling:

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “The Department of Health wants women who are thinking about having an abortion to be able to have independent counselling.

“However, we do not believe it is necessary to set out this requirement in primary legislation as the necessary legal mechanisms already exist to enable this. We are inviting interested parties to meet with the public health minister, Anne Milton, and Department of Health officials to discuss the matter.”

That this “independent” counselling may fall to the likes of LIFE, who oppose abortion on principle in all circumstances is really frightening. Counsellors who are fundamentally opposed to abortion – and this includes in cases of rape and incest – cannot possibly put the wishes and needs of their client first. That’s before we get into the misinformation these kind of organisations give out about abortion’s effects on women. Their main aim is to end abortion, NOT to support women’s choices. Persuading women to make the choice they think is right is NOT counselling.

And pro-choice arguments aside, the potential for such a change to be pushed through without a vote is horribly undemocratic.

You can contact public health minister Anne Milton at [email protected].

Image of white woman’s belly with “MINE, NOT YOURS” written on it in black pen, by ge’shmally, shared under a Creative Commons Licence.