BuzzLightBeer 'The women of northern ireland have about the same number of abortions to scale as the women of Britan. The women of Ireland have only slightly less. What they do have though is later, costlier, harder and more traumatic abortions. Its not really about stopping women getting them anymore, its about punishing them by making it as difficult as possible'
Absolutely. I could not agree more with this statement. I (as a woman living in the ROI) know several women who have had abortions. As you said, it is much more difficult, traumatic, and indeed costly. Having an abortion is traumatic enough, never mind having to travel to another country, to a city where you most likely do not know anyone/have no support system. It exacerbates the pain and trauma of having an abortion, and serves only to isolate women/prevent them from seeking advice, as it is so stigmatised here.
I am not for one second implying that most Irish people are extreme Pro-Lifers, but the generally held 'public' view is that abortion is wrong (am trying to explain this as best as I can, essentially, what I mean is that although many Irish people are pro-choice, it is still not discussed publicly/most women I know who have had abortions would not discuss it with anyone outside of their immediate family/friend circle for fear of condemnation). One has only to witness the 'Youth Defence' crews on Grafton/Henry/O'Connell Streets, and their aggressive tactics to really see this.
Apologies - went off on a complete tangent there. As an Irish citizen, I am very passionate (perhaps soapbox-y, for which I do not apologise)with regards to the rights of Irish women to have access to abortion. I am actively involved in campaigning for this.