With some delay, a link to a post on Mahablog about a global comparative study on abortion. It contains some interesting figures, though admittedly the only one that really surprised me was the prevalence of abortion -- 31 abortions per 100 live births globally.

Other main points: abortion rate is very similar in countries where it is legal and where it is illegal; the main difference between the two situations is the mortality rate for women who have abortions; and abortion rates go down when access to contraception goes up. Also, lowest rates of abortion globally are in Western Europe, where abortion is legal (and usually free) almost everywhere[1]. Yeah, I did say there weren't many big surprises: but it's nice to have the numbers on a global scale.


[1] Not legal in Ireland, for example, but available by travelling to the UK. I think there is a similar situation between German Laender (someone stole the Umlaut from my keyboard in Vista. I'll find it later.)

17-year-old seeking abortion challenges HSE

The girl has been placed in care of the Health Service since February ("as a result of a childcare court order"). The fetus she's carrying has a condition that will cause it to live only days, if at all, after birth. She can't have an abortion in Ireland, because nobody can; and the Health Service is preventing her from travelling to England to get one, which is what Irish women do -- asking the police to stop her if she should attempt leaving Ireland.

In a previous referendum brought about by a test case, the Constitution was amended to protect "the freedom to travel". But this young woman is in the care of the HSE. For the moment, nobody has heard the HSE's argument for keeping her here.

On the bright side, the case is getting a fair amount of publicity. This is probably a very good thing.

Update, 3pm: What is really surprising (to me anyway), and probably an even better thing, is that all the tabloids are sympathetic to the girl seeking abortion. (Just been down to the newsagent's. Yep, they all have it as the lead story, and all the titles express varying degrees of sympathy to the girl's situation.) Things do change.

Not exactly news, but very interesting reading and food for thought. An article from Sep 2000 on "pro-lifers" getting abortions (for themselves or their daughters), all in quotes from medical providers. Found through a chain of links starting from Pandagon

"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion"

"The sister of a Dutch bishop in Limburg once visited the abortion clinic in Beek where I used to work in the seventies. After entering the full waiting room she said to me, 'My dear Lord, what are all those young girls doing here?' 'Same as you', I replied. 'Dirty little dames,' she said." (Physician, The Netherlands)

(In fairness, this is not really typical. Most of the stories make me sad rather than amused, or even angry.)

But then there is also:

"I never dreamed, in my wildest nightmares, that there would ever be a situation where I personally would choose such an act. Of course, we would each like to think that our reasons for a termination are the exception to the rule. But the bottom line is that you people spend your lives, reputations, careers and energy fighting for, maintaining, and providing an option that I needed, while I spent my energy lambasting you. Yet you still allowed me to make use of your services even though I had been one of your enemies. You treated us as kindly and warmly as you did all of your patients and never once pointed an 'I told you so' finger in our direction. I got the impression that you cared equally about each woman in the facility and what each woman was going through, regardless of her reasons for choosing the procedure. I have never met a group of purely non-judgmental people like yourselves."