Returning abortion to the back streets

GETTING rid of the evil of backstreet abortions was one of the reasons given for legalising abortion in 1967. Exaggerated figures were given for secret abortions without medical supervision. Those actual figures, as much as they could be gathered, appear as peanuts beside the very high rate of abortions now. Abortion worldwide has now overtaken disastrous wars, disease, famine, cancers, suicide, accidents and absolutely everything else put together as the biggest killer of human life.

But instead of looking steadily at frightening statistics like these, the latest mania to seize the Welsh government is to return abortion to the back streets – and even be proud of it. The justification is that women who live in remote places – or the vulnerable – might not be able to return to the clinic for a second abortion pill to finish the job off.

Home abortions would take place in ‘front streets’ and the famous ‘back streets’ alike. And without medical supervision. Exactly the reason given for legalising induced abortion in the first place!

These sad curmudgeons, by their gung-ho enthusiasm for the unmentionable, don’t want you to be proud of what is inside you – the possibilities, the challenges, despite, perhaps, poor circumstances.

They’d prefer, it seems, for you to go through all that, rather than themselves seriously tackling your poor circumstances. Rather than you stepping out that day when perfect strangers will smile at you and your little one, filled with that new-baby joy that brings such hope into a bad world.

Or, courtesy of this callous administration, you can go secretly back to your poor back street and do something else that probably won’t make you happy at all. All on your own, just hoping there won’t be complications.