Sir, _- In her original letter (July 3rd) Sandra McAvoy's main theme was crisis pregnancy, and the number of Irish women who go to Britain for termination of such pregnancy, followed by her asking what, in the context of prevention of pregnancy, and of teaching young people and adults about their sexuality, was the problem with "access to contraception and education on the use of contraception."
The tenor of what followed, in a series of questions, was about why women go directly to abortion clinics abroad. Do they do so, Dr McAvoy asked, because the crisis pregnancy counselling available here is provided by agencies which have anti-abortion philosophies, when what these women require is non-directive counselling?
Why has the Government been fudging the issue? Is it because the anti-choice movement has used the threat of a referendum to keep our eyes off the real issue?
Yet the alleged anti-choice does give a choice: between choosing to preserve life or to destroy it. So in my reply (July 9th), my interpretation was in no way "a strange assumption" about what sex education involves, as inferred in her letter (July 13th). Rather did it follow on from the general drift of her argument.
I am happy that Dr McAvoy and I are of one mind on the issue of teaching young people respect for their bodies. It is, of course, logical that respect cannot grow from sexual ignorance, but how we educate our children in this matter, is of vital importance for the future moral health of society. - Yours, etc.,
Vera Hughes, Moate, Co Westmeath.