Contraception answer to killing helpless foetus
Pointing to a beautiful image of a foetus in the womb, the anti-abortion team leader Dr. Shehan Williams strongly defended the right to life of that “innocent little, helpless and voiceless” being with the potential of becoming like all those in the room that day.
“Contraception is the answer to abortion,” he said, stressing that abortion is about human rights and this is why the sanctity of life needs to be given consideration.
Allowing the woman to make the choice of abortion is a male chauvinist way of washing the hands off the issue and getting the woman to do the dirty work and not taking responsibility for not using a condom. “We allow life to be destroyed but we are not ready to take the responsibility,” said Dr. Williams.
“How can we teach our children about murder if we allow a foetus throbbing with life to be killed,” he asked, adding that there is evidence of a silent scream from the foetus when the vacuum goes in and takes its life. What of the sanctity of life? As human beings, we need to protect human kind.
Countering the argument that his team was against sex, Dr. Williams was quick to point out that they are not against love. “We don’t ‘condemn’ it, but say ‘condom’ it,” he said, drawing much laughter.
Abortion will lead to selections, leaving only the Usain Bolts (the Jamaican sprinter considered the fastest man) of this world alive or members of a super race, said Dr. Williams citing the Nuremburg Trials (held to bring Nazi war criminals to justice for crimes against humanity). “Do we want to go down that path?”
He added that the law is simplistic and the legal framework can be manipulated. Any decision on abortion should be built-up on common values, ideals and rights.
Dr. Jayan Mendis pointing out that they were not talking about a few percent of foetal abnormalities or women with certain medical conditions who have been told not to conceive, said that just because contraception use could not be promoted, the answer should not lie in killing off normal foetuses.
In Sri Lanka, he said, there is a claim that there are 650 abortions a day. Are all these abortions performed on foetuses with anencephaly or congenital heart disease? They are performed on well-formed normal foetuses.
A foetus is a living, complete human being. This is why abortion is wrong. Foetuses can feel pain, Dr. Mendis reiterated, asking why the decision to terminate should be left only to the mother. What about the father? Then it should be the decision of both.
He was adamant that abortion, also called foetal homicide or foeticide, will reduce people’s respect for life and abortion should not be made a substitute for contraception.
“It’s immoral to kill the unborn child for convenience,” he said, quoting the Hippocratic Oath which all doctors swear by that “nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion”.
Dr. Sajeewana Amerasinghe, meanwhile, pointed out that induced abortion causes depression in a woman and can lead to an increased suicide risk. Abortion is associated with mental health issues.
Citing the case of India, he said that for every legal abortion there were 10 illegal abortions. Sexselective abortions of female foetuses became worse in both India and Nepal. Quoting studies in Sri Lanka, he said that contraceptive use was only 16.3% among women undergoing unsafe abortions, while 29% had repeat abortions.
He argued that an improvement in the women’s educational level was the most important factor and not the legal status of abortion.
“The way to reduce illegal abortion is to improve sex education, increase contraceptive knowledge and availability, promote adoption and empower single mothers by reducing stigma, promoting their continuation of education and also providing flexible working hours and financial support,” added Dr. Amerasinghe.