To feel uneasy about comment from the Marie Stopes nurse?

[BoopBoopBeDoop]

NC’d for this, but want to preface by saying that I am passionately pro-choice and this is not in any way intended to kick off any kind of abortion rights debate.

Had a call with a Marie Stopes nurse this morning as a pre-cursor to a medical termination, which I’m having for reasons I’ll not go into. All pretty standard stuff, mostly going through my medical history and some safeguarding questions. However towards the end of the conversation when she was talking me through the whole process, she said “having an abortion is safer than continuing the pregnancy”.

Now I know that technically that’s just a fact, because pregnancy and childbirth is actually a pretty dangerous thing to go through, but even so I found it jarring… like, why say that? To put me off continuing the pregnancy in case I was about to change my mind? How is that a helpful detail to include in that particular conversation?

I don’t know, maybe I’m just seeing subtext where there is none but it made me uncomfortable for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. AIBU?

I would take it as her way of saying the procedure is safe. Safer, in fact, than the alternative.

Was it during the discussion of the risks?

I think it's a good point that wouldn't have occurred to me. I think most women probably worry about the risks involved when they are thinking about a termination but not many think about the risks of a pregnancy.

Well she was correct.
I would assume it was just meant to reassure you.
I honestly don't see any issues with this

She was just trying to reassure you that the procedure is safe, in case you were worrying. She is correct. Maybe it just got lost in translation - she was not putting you off changing your mind.

As others have said perhaps it's a legal thing. Where I am from TOP is only allowed if continuing the pregnancy would potentially be more dangerous to the mother, but it's more a loophole as of course it always would be more dangerous, because birth is dangerous. It's an odd thing to point out, I agree, but there does seem to be a box ticking element in health care where certain things have to be stated. You could ask, though, if it's left you feeling unsettled. Take care.

I'm not sure what you think her motive would be? Why would she want to put you off the pregnancy?

I'd have honestly found it reassuring, I'd not thought of it in those terms before and it's a good point to remember I think

when she was talking me through the whole process, she said “having an abortion is safer than continuing the pregnancy”.

It sounds like she was reassuring you that it’s a safe process having outlined the details of the procedure.

I'm not sure what you think her motive would be? Why would she want to put you off the pregnancy?

Suggesting that clinics push women into having abortions for (the clinic’s) financial gain is a common anti choice tactic.

Like others, I suspect it wasn't meant to persuade, but to try to contextualise the risk.

Pregnancy risk is normal and accepted.

^this