Ireland allowed mental health abortion exception 30 years ago

Ireland has protected the right to seek an abortion because of the risk of suicide since 1992

By Sandhya Raman

Posted December 7, 2023

While 18 U.S. states have essentially banned abortion for pregnant people facing a mental health crisis, Ireland, which had one of the strictest abortion laws in the European Union until 2018, has taken a different approach.

Ireland has protected the right to seek an abortion because of the risk of suicide since 1992. While more than two-thirds of U.S. states have enacted laws that include mental health among the medical reasons a woman can have an abortion, Ireland protected exceptions for risk of suicide long before the country voted in 2018 to repeal its amendment banning abortion.

Continued: https://rollcall.com/2023/12/07/07irelandsidebar/

07.12.2023

mental health and abortion

Sandhya Raman

suicide risk Irish law

USA – The loss of abortion access demands a day of collective mourning

One year into the reversal of Roe v. Wade, it is clear that forced birth takes lives

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
June 22, 2023

The one-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision — the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal protections on our Constitutionally guaranteed right to abortion access — arrives this Shabbat, on June 24.

Jews must mark this day as a time of collective mourning for all those whose lives were taken from them because the government stripped them of their right to abortion access.

Continued: https://forward.com/opinion/551585/dobbs-anniversary-collective-mourning-abortion-access/

22.06.2023

Commentary

abortion and suicide

abortion and yahrtzeit

National Council of Jewish Women

Orthodox Judaism and abortion

There is no link between abortion and women taking their own lives, study finds

There is no link between abortion and women taking their own lives, study finds
Data from over 520,000 women showed no positive correlation

Moya Lothian-McLean
Nov 22, 2019

Having an abortion does not increase women’s risk of suicide, a new study has found.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, links between abortion and suicide have been used by legislatures to push for stricter abortion law.

For example, US state South Dakota, has a provision within its abortion law that states physicians must warn women seeking terminations - in writing - about an increased risk of suicide if they go ahead with the procedure.

Continued: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/abortion-suicide-link-denmark-mental-health-a9213911.html

22.11.2019

abortion does not lead to suicide

Julia R. Steinberg

mental health and abortion

mental health consequences of abortion

Denmark

Global

Health

Anti-abortion activists harassing women at UK clinics during Lent

Anti-abortion activists harassing women at UK clinics during Lent
Clinic staff say protesters are calling women ‘murderers’ and giving out misleading leaflets

Simon Murphy
Mon 8 Apr 2019

Anti-abortion protesters are harassing vulnerable women at UK clinics as they ramp up demonstrations for Lent and are giving out leaflets suggesting that having a termination is harder to deal with than being raped, it has been claimed.

Hardline religious activists, some of whom are part of a so-called “40 Days for Life” campaign, have been targeting women in increasing numbers at 10 clinics across the country in the run-up to Easter, the Guardian has been told.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/08/anti-abortion-activists-harassing-women-at-uk-clinics-during-lent

Abortion ban in Northern Ireland likely to worsen mental health crisis

Abortion ban in Northern Ireland likely to worsen mental health crisis

June 20, 2018
Karen Galway and Sharon Mallon

Northern Ireland is one of only two regions in Europe where abortion effectively remains illegal (Malta being the other). This is a confirmed breach of human rights – one that threatens to deepen the mental health crisis of women in Northern Ireland.

Abortion is not allowed in Northern Ireland unless the life of the mother is in danger. There is no access to abortion in cases of rape or fatal foetal abnormality. Under the current law, woman have to declare suicidal intent in order for abortion to be permitted.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/abortion-ban-in-northern-ireland-likely-to-worsen-mental-health-crisis-98420

20.06.2018

Featured

Opinion

abortion and suicide

abortion in case of suicide

mental health and abortion

suicidal thoughts and abortion

Ireland: Suicidal women struggle to get second opinion when seeking an abortion

Suicidal women struggle to get second opinion when seeking an abortion
Expert teams are not always available when assessment needed

Eilish O'Regan
January 26 2018

Concerns have emerged at senior HSE levels about the failure to always secure a psychiatrist to give a second opinion in cases where a pregnant woman is seeking an abortion on the grounds she is suicidal.

An internal document said in some cases it has meant the two psychiatrists and obstetrician, who are required under law to make an assessment in such cases, cannot be found.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/suicidal-women-struggle-to-get-second-opinion-when-seeking-an-abortion-36532604.html

26.01.2018

Featured

News

abortion and suicide

abortion in case of suicide

College of Psychiatrists

Dr John Hillery

Dr Philip Crowley

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013

suicide risk Irish law

Ireland: Amnesty International welcomes Citizens’ Assembly report as road map for abortion reform

Amnesty International welcomes Citizens’ Assembly report as road map for abortion reform
29th June 2017

Amnesty International reiterates need for access on request at least in early pregnancy to ensure a human rights compliant abortion framework

Amnesty International today welcomed the recommendations put forward by the Citizens’ Assembly in the report written by its Chair, Justice Mary Laffoy. In April, members of the Citizens’ Assembly called for expansive reform of Ireland’s abortion laws. In addition to overwhelming backing for the removal of the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution, they voted by a two-thirds majority for access to abortion on request at least in early pregnancy, and by even greater majorities for later gestational limits in specific circumstances.

Continued at source: Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.ie/amnesty-international-welcomes-citizens-assembly-report-road-map-abortion-reform/

Ireland: ‘Abortions were denied to women at suicide risk’

‘Abortions were denied to women at suicide risk’

Harris pledges quick action on referendum
Ellen Coyne, Senior Ireland Reporter

June 20 2017, The Times

Two women who had attempted suicide more than once were turned down for abortions in Ireland, a support group has said.

Both women were immigrants who needed visas if they were going to travel to the UK for a legal termination. One of the pregnancies had been diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality.

Continued at source: The Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/abortions-refused-after-several-suicide-bids-xlxq0k8r7#

Ireland: As Oireachtas Committee meets for the first time, Amnesty International calls for access to abortion on request in early pregnancy.

As Oireachtas Committee meets for the first time, Amnesty International calls for access to abortion on request in early pregnancy.

20th June 2017

Amnesty International has reiterated its call for access to abortion on request in early pregnancy following a news report that two women who had attempted suicide were initially denied access to abortion services in Ireland before finally being deemed eligible. The cases outlined by the Abortion Support Network (ASN) and reported in The Times involved two immigrant women who did not have the required visas to travel to the UK. This report comes just one week after an adolescent girl was detained under mental health legislation rather than provided with an abortion under the suicide ground of the 2013 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.

Continued at source: Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.ie/distressing-cases-highlight-flaws-grounds-based-abortion-legislation/

20.06.2017

Featured

News

abortion and suicide

Abortion Support Network

Amnesty International

Citizens' Assembly

Colm O'Gorman

decriminalisation of abortion

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act

Ireland: Order detaining pregnant girl seeking abortion discharged

Order detaining pregnant girl seeking abortion discharged
June 12, 2017

An Order detaining a pregnant child under Section 25 of the Mental Health Act 2001 was discharged by a District Court judge on the grounds that the child no longer had a mental health disorder in accordance with section 3 of the Mental Health Act.

The Order detaining the child was made several days earlier on the evidence of a consultant psychiatrist who reported that the child had a mental health disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act. The consultant psychiatrist was of the opinion that while the child was at risk of self harm and suicide as a result of the pregnancy, this could be managed by treatment and that termination of the pregnancy was not the solution for all of the child’s problems at that stage.

The application to discharge the order was made on behalf of the guardian ad litem (GAL) for the child who was appointed by the District Court judge in the course of making the order for detention. The GAL visited the young girl on several occasions and reported to the different judge hearing the discharge application that she did not wish to be detained and was extremely upset.

Continued at source: Childcare Law Project: https://www.childlawproject.ie/publications/order-detaining-pregnant-girl-seeking-abortion-discharged/

12.06.2017