Are illegal abortions in Hong Kong related to ‘class problem’?


Are illegal abortions in Hong Kong related to ‘class problem’?

High costs for private hospitals and stretched public health services blamed for women turning to black market or mainland to seek help over unwanted pregnancies

Saturday, 02 September, 2017

Increasing numbers of Hong Kong women are risking their lives by seeking illegal abortions at makeshift clinics in the city or on the mainland, an issue which a local lawmaker has condemned as a huge “class problem”.

Speaking to City Weekend after two women were jailed for carrying out illegal abortions in Hong Kong, Shiu Ka-chun, who represents the social welfare sector in the Legislative Council, said Hong Kong’s overburdened public hospitals meant not all pregnant women could get an abortion even if they were eligible. This forced them to resort to dangerous means out of desperation, he added.

Continued at source: South China Morning Post: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2109340/are-illegal-abortions-hong-kong-related-class


Hong Kong: Jail for elderly abortion clinic operators

Jail for elderly abortion clinic operators
Phoebe Ng
22 Aug 2017

Two elderly women were sentenced yesterday to jail terms of 10 and 17 months for operating an illegal abortion clinic.

Lo Wun-yi, 65, a Chinese medicine practitioner, and unemployed Li Shuk- fan, 75, were convicted of two counts of conspiracy to use an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage.

Though sympathetic to their "traumatic and difficult" background, deputy High Court Judge Andrew Bruce, said the defendants' conduct amounted to "gross medical negligence."

Continued at source: The Standard: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=186535&sid=4