Scotland: Abortion services can handle treatment plan for N Ireland patients, MSPs told

Abortion services can handle treatment plan for N Ireland patients, MSPs told

October 31 2017

Abortion services will be able to treat women from Northern Ireland without a detrimental impact on patients in Scotland, MSPs have been told.

Public health minister Aileen Campbell said she was confident services had the capacity to cope with a change that will allow Scottish NHS boards to offer free abortion services to Northern Irish women.

The Scottish G overnment estimates that between 20 and 150 women will travel to Scotland each year from Northern Ireland to access abortion services, at a cost of between £17,000 and £98,000.

Continued at source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/abortion-services-can-handle-treatment-plan-for-n-ireland-patients-msps-told-36277245.html


Ireland: Majority would support abortion on demand, says Amnesty poll

Majority would support abortion on demand, says Amnesty poll
Red C Poll finds 85% of people support abortion choice if pregnancy is result of rape

Oct 31, 2017
Kitty Holland

A majority of people would support abortion on demand, a poll commissioned by Amnesty International and published on Wednesday has found.

The Red C Poll of 1,000 adults, conducted by telephone between October 16th and 19th, found that 60 per cent of people believe women should have abortion on demand, either outright or within gestational limits.

Its findings, said executive director of Amnesty International Ireland Colm O’Gorman, show the public strongly support “women making their own decisions about their pregnancies”.

Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/majority-would-support-abortion-on-demand-says-amnesty-poll-1.3275762


USA: The Murderer Who Started a Movement

The Murderer Who Started a Movement
Michael Frederick Griffin’s killing of Dr. David Gunn ignited a war on abortion providers. He could soon be a free man.

By Dahlia Lithwick
Oct. 31, 2017

Dr. David Gunn was 47 years old when he was gunned down in 1993 during an abortion protest outside his clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Today we think of this as the first targeted killing of an abortion doctor in America—the murder that led to passage of the FACE Act, which made it a federal crime to block access to clinics. It also established the battle lines in an ever more violent and nihilistic war against abortion providers, one that has led to the murders of nearly a dozen more people in the decades since.

Michael Frederick Griffin reportedly shouted “Don’t kill any more babies” just before putting three bullets in Gunn’s back. While the doctor bled to death, Griffin calmly surrendered to the police, saying, “I just shot someone.” Those attending the protest with Griffin showed no alarm at the shooting, a witness told the Washington Post’s William Booth: “It looked like they were just happy.”

Continued at source: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/10/michael-frederick-griffin-killed-an-abortion-doctor-he-could-soon-be-a-free-man.html


Scotland becomes first UK nation to approve home-based medical abortion

Scotland becomes first UK nation to approve home-based medical abortion
The Pharmaceutical Journal
30 OCT 2017

Scotland has become the first nation in the UK to allow women to complete medical abortion procedures at home.

Medical abortions are induced by a combination of two medicines: mifepristone and misoprostol.

Mifepristone, which blocks the action of progesterone and triggers uterine contractions, is taken first. This is followed by misoprostol, which triggers further uterine contractions and completes the abortion process.

Continued at source: http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news-in-brief/scotland-becomes-first-uk-nation-to-approve-home-based-medical-abortion/20203818.article


Ireland: ‘Death threat’ to abortion committee member

‘Death threat’ to abortion committee member

Monday, October 30, 2017
By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
Irish Examiner Political Correspondent

An Oireachtas abortion committee member received an apparent death threat two weeks ago, describing her as a “baby killer” who would be “put in hell where you belong R.I.P.”.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger confirmed the correspondence as committee colleagues said they have been inundated with abusive pro-choice and pro-life emails and letters, framed pictures of Judas, and religious figurines since their work began.

Speaking individually to the Irish Examiner, politicians said they have each received hundreds of items of correspondence from the public since their first public meetings in September.

Continued at source: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/death-threat-to-abortion-committee-member-461904.html


US abortion doctor says ‘I’m not going to live in fear’

US abortion doctor says 'I'm not going to live in fear'

30 October 2017
By Annie Flury, UGC and Social News team

Like many women, Colleen Krajewski finds first dates a bit awkward but until recently she had the additional pressure of trying to dodge the question of what she does for a living.

"Once you tell a guy you're an abortion doctor, that's usually it," said Dr Krajewski, a gynaecologist in Pennsylvania, US.

"There was one guy who was being very forward at the end of a date and I told him I had to work the next day. "He was surprised and asked who for. I told him what I did and he instantly said, 'I'm a Catholic' and backed off."

Continued at source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41525400


Poland against UN standards on abortion and capital punishment

Poland against UN standards on abortion and capital punishment
Oct 30, 2017

The ongoing battle around fundamental reproductive rights in Poland becomes even more fierce. Government’s attempts to criminalize abortions and make one of the toughest anti-abortion laws even stricter are expressed in its statement delivered to the Human Rights Committee.

Polish non-governmental organizations are deeply concerned about the official remarks to the General Comment No 36 on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerning the right to life. The General Comments refers to various aspects related to the right to life – from abortion and euthanasia to suicide to capital punishment and genocide. It clarifies how States that have ratified the Covenant are supposed to protect this right. Only two paragraphs – out of 22 pages – pertain to abortion by imposing the duty to provide access to abortion in case of rape, incest and fetal impairment. The document also underlines that “any legal restriction on the ability of women to seek abortion must not, inter alia, jeopardize their life or subject them to physical or mental pain or suffering which violates article 7”.

Continued at source: http://en.federa.org.pl/poland-against-un-standards-on-abortion-and-capital-punishment/


Scotland: Home abortion pills permission from government could be challenged in courts

Home abortion pills permission from government could be challenged in courts
Sun 29 Oct 2017
By Eno Adeogun

The Scottish Government could face a legal challenge over its controversial decision to allow women to take abortion pills at home.

While pro-choice campaigners welcomed the move, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland fiercely opposed the policy change and is reportedly consulting lawyers.

Continued at source: https://www.premier.org.uk/News/Home-abortion-pills-permission-from-government-could-be-challenged-in-courts


Tampon tax is going to fund an awful UK anti-abortion org

Tampon tax is going to fund an awful UK anti-abortion org
‘Our own money being used to fund our discrimination’

29 October 2017
TextCharlie Brinkhurst-Cuff

There has been an outcry from feminists all over the UK after it was confirmed that anti-abortion charity Life will get £250,000 cash from the UK's tampon tax.

Tampon tax is used to refer to the fact that feminine hygiene products aren't given tax exemption status, meaning women pay a 5 percent tax on them.

Products that are regarded as “basic necessity” and given exemption status include edible sugar flowers, alcoholic jellies and exotic meats including crocodile and kangaroo.

Continued at source: http://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/37898/1/tampon-tax-is-going-to-fund-an-awful-uk-anti-abortion-org


Kenya: Marie Stopes speaks out amid storm on abortion, contraception

Marie Stopes speaks out amid storm on abortion, contraception

Sunday October 29 2017
By ELVIS ONDIEKI

Reproductive health services provider Marie Stopes has defended itself following uproar on its provision of abortion services.

The organisation’s social media accounts are replete with messages that require no Einstein to decode on provision of abortion services as an option to Kenyan women.

Even on its website, the message is clear. On the “what we do” section, it says it helps “women to have children by choice, not chance”.

Continued at source: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/NGO-speaks-out-amid-storm-on-abortion--contraceptives-/1056-4160326-qhq7r3/index.html