The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill 2007-8
Briefings from the Christian Medical Fellowship
Background
There is growing evidence that some women after abortion suffer serious physical, psychiatric, psycho-social and spiritual consequences. Many regret what they did and say they would have made a different decision had they been aware of all the facts. Counselling in the NHS and the (often subcontracted) private sector is cursory and one-sided.
As for any medical procedure, consent should be fully informed, the more so as abortion is always a procedure with a 50% mortality – the more vulnerable of the two patients before the doctor always dies.
CMF policy
Women contemplating abortion require information, support and the 'space' necessary to make a fully informed decision about abortion, free from coercion or pressure. For the protection primarily of such women and their foetuses, but also of health professionals, CMF supports a 'Charter for Informed Consent' which includes:
Access to independent counselling. Those providing the counselling must be independent of the authorisation of the abortion procedure, and independent of its provision. Currently, most counsellors have a financial interest as well as an ideological one in the abortion going ahead.
A cooling off period. CMF supports a mandatory one week 'cooling off period' between counselling and the authorisation of abortion. This concept is enshrined in law where major financial decisions are to be taken, and having an abortion is an enormously significant event for the woman.
NB. By contrast, the strategy of the pro-choice movement is to prevent doctors with ethical concerns even from seeing patients considering abortion.
Resources
- CMF File 35 - Consequences of abortion
- Christian crisis pregnancy counselling centres: CAREconfidential describe themselves as 'a safe place to talk it through' and offer free confidential help for those facing an unplanned pregnancy: 'a calm space, a listening ear, accurate information and time to think through the decision-making process'. www.careconfidential.com
