Sir, - Nora Bennis (Leader!) of the National Party maintains that abortion exploits women and causes anguish to thousands of women. What she fails to mention is that Irish women in increasing numbers are continuing to travel to Britain for abortions, and there has been an increase of nine per cent in the last year.
The main cause of anguish to Irish women is the fact that Irish women are being forced to travel to another jurisdiction for a medical procedure. The real traumas for Irish women are the extra travel and accommodation expenses, as well as the lack of post-abortion check-ups available to them.
Nora Bennis argues that Post-Abortion Women's Syndrome is one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. However, medical data (rather than anti-abortion propaganda) find that the majority of women have no regrets on the decision they make.
The abortion debate in Ireland has always been put in terms of a moral question, rather than a medical one. Yet women all over the world have always made choices over their fertility and whether and when to become a mother, if it is illegal or not. The World Health Organisation figures find that 300,000 women a year die from back street abortions.
The only choice for the government is to legislate now for abortion facilities in Ireland. Abortion is already a reality in Ireland. Those who want to deny Irish women the right to choose and to do so in their own country, should recognise this reality. Failure to act will lead to another X or C case. - Yours, etc., Joan Gallagher, Secretary Pro-Choice Campaign,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.