Cruel abortion laws criminalise women

I NOTE from Jon Vale’s piece (News, November 7) that another non-expert, Jim Shannon, is expounding his views on abortion.

He says that terminations can destroy young women, but gives no proper evidence that this is the case.

No one can deny that the decision to terminate a pregnancy is a serious one that carries with it all sorts of attendant problems.

I would argue that the real damage is done by the criminalisation of women seeking abortion in this jurisdiction, together with rabid anti-choice groups who harangue women seeking advice and support.

Another issue is the dearth of proper support and medical advice because of the climate of legal uncertainty, making it difficult for doctors and other agencies.

In the past, backstreet abortionists did huge physical and psychological damage by plying their illegal trade. Now women can illegally obtain abortion pills online, which is just as dangerous.

I look forward to a time when Northern Ireland leaves the Dark Ages behind and starts to provide laws and legal services suitable for the 21st century.

Surely, the needs of women here are no different from those in the rest of the UK, so why all this uninformed clap-trap?

No one can force a woman to terminate a pregnancy, but it is all to easy to force her into a corner by preventing her taking this decision.

It is this that does the most damage.

DAVID FULLERTON Belfast