ISSUES
: Abortion
Chapter 1: Abortion facts
12
was too late for an abortion as the
foetus was “a baby now”. Perhaps
that was simple ignorance of the
law, but the suspicion remains that
some health professionals find the
procedures distasteful and do not
support them.
This is not the first time that that
the influence of personal views
on abortion provision in Scotland
has been highlighted: in 2014 two
Catholic midwives in Glasgow
brought a legal challenge over
whether they could be required to
support staff who were involved
in carrying out terminations. Their
case was upheld in the Court of
Session, but later rejected by the
Supreme Court.
Next year will mark 50 years since
the passage of the Abortion Act.
The law was meant to end the
deaths and damage resulting from
desperate, backstreet abortions.
Whilst the era of botched, amateur
terminations is gone, official
barriers in Northern Ireland and
unofficial barriers for some women
in Scotland, mean many still face
the decision of whether to continue
with an unwanted pregnancy,
procure an abortion illegally –
at greater personal risk – or get
together the substantial funds and
emotional grit required to travel
away from home to access one
safely.
So will equality of access be any
better over the next 50 years?
Current developments suggest not:
devolution of powers over abortion,
powerful anti-abortion lobbies in
Northern Ireland and Scotland, and
mixed beliefs at the top of politics
suggests that divergence, rather
than convergence, will be the tale
of decades to come.
An amendment to the Scotland
Bill means Holyrood will be able
to legislate on abortion rights and
whilst Nicola Sturgeon has made it
clear that she has no intentions to
change the law, not all of her SNP
colleagues will agree – notably
ex-health secretary, Alex Neil,
has in the past been reported as
favouring a reduction in the 24
weeks time limit.
Political sentiment can change,
particularly when key voters are at
stake. A healthy slice of SNP gains
came from Roman Catholics, once
a reliable bastion of support for
Labour. In light of new Holyrood
powers the Catholic Church in
Scotland is now mobilising around
the abortion issue: recently a letter
was read out in Scottish Catholic
churches urging parishioners to
join a political party and bring to
the upcoming Scottish elections
“the benefits of insight [their]
Christian faith gives”.
Source: Department of Health,
Abortion Statistics, England andWales: 2015
Percentage of abortions, gestation weeks, 2015
80%
3–9 weeks
11%
10–12
weeks
7%
13–19
weeks
2%
20 weeks
and over
Marital status of women who had abortions
in 2015
24%
single
no partner
16%
married/civil
partnership
3%
single
not stated
2%
separated
1%
divorced
54%
single
with partner
Only time will tell how much
pressure the church and its flock
will exert on abortion legislation
but it is safe to say that the Catholic
vote remains an important one in
Scotland, and the anti-abortion
lobby is alive and well north of the
border.
Unwanted pregnancies happen to
women all over the world – from
the favelas of Brazil, to the affluent
high rises of Hong Kong; from the
villages of Scotland to the market
towns of middle England. Need
does not disappear as geography
changes but the personal costs do
– whether it be health, financial or
social.
Should we accept this variation
within the borders of the UK,
or should women living here be
accorded the dignity of safe and
equal access wherever they live?
Let’s hope it doesn’t take until 2067
to get a positive answer to that.
5 May 2016
Ö
The above information is
reprinted with kind permission
from
The Telegraph
. Please visit
for further
information.
© Telegraph Media Group
Limited 2016
