A leading gynaecologist yesterday insisted that a pro-active programme of sexual education aimed at young teenagers, to include the use of pre- and postcoital contraception, should be introduced in Ireland to reduce the number of abortions, currently running at 6,000 annually.
Prof Walter Prendiville, a consultant gynaecologist at The Coombe women's hospital and the Adelaide and Meath Hospitals, Tallaght, suggested that this was the "real issue" for Ireland and as such should be considered by the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
A survey he conducted annually among fourth-year medical students showed that 97 per cent were in favour of abortion in certain circumstances. Only 12 per cent believed it could never be allowed, and only 1 per cent believed that there should be abortion on demand.
In cases of rape most members of the medical profession and the public, too, would be largely supportive of early termination, Prof Prendiville said. In rare cases of congenital abnormality such as anencephaly (where the roof of the skull is defective) women did not have the choice of termination but carried the foetus the full term even though life for the baby outside the womb was not viable.
In such cases, some women chose to hold the baby and grieve. Others would have chosen termination if that was available. Many in this category ended up travelling to Britain for abortions when the foetus was already well developed and did not have the benefit of after-care services as did their counterparts living in England.
Dr Prendiville asked the committee to consider the norm in the Netherlands and other north European countries (excluding Britain) where the rate of abortion was low as compared to the relatively high rate among Irish women.
The Netherlands model was particularly important because it took into account the reality of young people having sex. "In Ireland, unless the young are equipped educationally to deal with sex there will continue to be great suffering and the numbers of unwanted pregnancies will continue to rise." he said.
At the heart of the programme was extensive education in the use of contraceptives including interuterine devices and the post-coital "morning after" pill.
He stressed the importance of post-coital contraception in arresting the development of an embryo during what he called "the window of time" presented within the first few days after conception. The so-called morning-after pill was effective for up to 72 hours.
In Britain many women were taking post-coital medication in tablet form which was not yet available widely in Ireland. Rapid developments in pharmacology and technology meant that such "effective" devices would be rapidly available.
Many Irish women who travelled to England for abortions did so "for reasons of secrecy", suggested Senator Kathleen O'Meara (Labour) who wondered "what that says about our culture and our attitude to sexuality".
Senator Denis O'Donovan (FF) asked him how his thesis of ignorance on matters sexual among young people could be reconciled with the view that Ireland had one of the best-educated populations in Europe.
It was tragically the case, replied Prof Prendiville, that while the educated Irish knew how to earn money or were conversant with politics or music, there was a real dearth when it came to sexuality among young girls and boys, with consequent real suffering for all concerned.