New Zealand: No abortion changes until ‘well into next year’

No abortion changes until 'well into next year'

2 November 2017
Craig McCulloch, Political Reporter

Any overhaul of the country's abortion laws won't happen until well into next year - at the very earliest, the Labour Party says.

During a Newshub election debate, Jacinda Ardern promised to remove abortion from the Crimes Act if she became prime minister.

However, the policy does not appear in the Labour Party's 100-day plan.

Justice Minister Andrew Little said the government remained committed to modernising the law.

Continued at source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/342899/no-abortion-changes-until-well-into-next-year


New Zealand: Antiquated abortion law a $20 million ‘box ticking exercise’

Antiquated abortion law a $20 million ‘box ticking exercise’
Monday 10th July 2017
The decriminalisation of abortion in New Zealand will save the taxpayer millions, a leading doctor says.

The Government has forked out more than $20 million since 2012 paying specialist doctors to sign off on abortions.

But one specialist has called the process “cruel”, and says a 40-year-old law necessitating the exercise needs to change.

Under the Crimes Act, it is illegal for a woman to have an abortion in New Zealand unless it has been approved by two highly-paid specialist doctors, called certifying consultants.

Continued at source: The Wireless: http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/antiquated-abortion-law-a-20-million-box-ticking-exercise


New Zealand: Hundreds of Kiwi women told their abortions were ‘not justified’

Hundreds of Kiwi women told their abortions were 'not justified'

In 2016, 252 "not justified abortion" certificates were issued to pregnant women.
by Henry Cooke
March 13, 2017

Hundreds of "not justified abortion" certificates were handed out to pregnant Kiwi women in 2016.

Even as the overall abortion rate has trended down since 2010, the number of women told their abortion would not be "justified" has remained steady.

Abortion is technically a crime in New Zealand. Two certified medical practitioners must deem the abortion medically necessary or justified for it to be legal, but in practice the law is routinely subverted by both doctors and patients.

Continued at source: Stuff.co: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90390584/hundreds-of-kiwi-women-told-their-abortions-were-not-justified


China’s lack of sex education is putting millions of young people at risk

By James Griffiths, Nanlin Fang and Serenitie Wang, CNN
Wed November 30, 2016

Lack of formal sex education is linked to a spike in HIV infections
New apps hope to fill the gap and promote safe sex

(CNN)When Xiao Niao was in high school, her teacher gathered all the girls in her class and told them if they were raped they should take the morning after pill.

That was the limit of her formal sex education. For millions of young Chinese people, it's more than they ever got.

As China marks World AIDS Day Thursday, the effects of that missing knowledge is more evident than ever, with growing numbers of HIV infections and staggeringly high abortion rates.

[continued at link]
Source: CNN.com