To ask pro-choice MNers to email your MPs? <this is not a request to vote on anything>

[EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions]

There is an article here about the proposed amendments to the health and social care bill which will force women to undergo 'independent' counselling before being allowed to choose to terminate a pregnancy. The assumption is that BPAS and the like have a financial investment in encouraging women to terminate and as such their counselling is biased. The stated goal is to reduce the number of terminations per year by forcing women to delay between seeking and receiving termination, and having to undergo additional counselling (political bias unknown, though easily guessed at) prior to the termination. ND hopes that woman will change their minds during this enforced extended waiting period.

If you think this is a shit idea you can email your MP by clicking this link

This is not a request to vote on anything at all

Well done using, the most difficult part of that petition was the code at the bottom. I more or less understand why they do the words like that, but it took me seven refreshes before my code was accepted.

Done, and it's added to my twitter feed. Thanks for putting this on here.

I've spammed my twitter feed too.

HQ deleted the first thread for reasons unknown. It was a mistake - although the thread was reported. There is a ban on posting links to epetitions apparently.

And on Facebook. Cue mass defriending in 3... 2... 1...

For those having issues with the codes on petition sites, there is usually an option for it to read the code out to you. If you have speakers on your device it might be an easier option?

Done.

There is nothing wrong IMO with maximising the support and advice given to women considering abortion. This, however, smacks of pure political bias.

I have many friends who have been routinely given anti-depressants by GPs because counselling services are all but non-existant. More and more women are being diagnosed with depression but the support is not there- surely this is more pertinant to womens rights?

Why shouldn't women be offered independent counselling?Sounds like a great idea to me.Abortion is a huge step [I am not anti abortion btw]and before a woman decides to end that potential life she should have all possible help.If she then goes ahead with the termination she should be offered even more support afterwards.it must be horrible to have to go through it.I wont be emailing anyone.

'All possible help' does NOT include enforced delay. The decision is one for the woman and her doctor, not for Nadine sodding 'girls are responsible for child abuse' Dorries. There is already enough delay in the system caused by anti-abortion doctors pissing about and PCTs who know full well they can save money on abortion provision because no-one will protest about it.

(ND said 'if we teach girls to say 'no', there will be less child abuse'. Which tells you everything you need to know about her level of intelligence and suitability to define policy on anything, really, especially the provision of sexual health services.)

The full report which UsingMainlySpoons refers to is here:

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/02/abortion-pregnancy-counselling-found-wanting

I clicked through to the e-petition, but am not going to sign it. I don't think the wording is at all helpful. The Dept of Health cannot prevent "anti-choice and faith based organisations from offering advice to pregnant women considering abortion". As such, I'd expect this petition to be dismissed out of hand by the powers that be.

However - I'd sign a petition against allowing such groups to provide mandatory counselling and/or against this new requirement for so-called "independent" counselling.

Also, might a petition targeted more directly against the changes would be more helpful, rather than tackling the two doctor thing at the same time?

And women don't necessarily fall into a huge depression after an abortion - for many, it's a huge relief.

For the avoidance of doubt, not all infertile couples are against abortion. If anything, our own struggles have made me even more pro-choice.

Done. ND is poison and hates her own sex. Any amendment she wants to make is, by definition, not in my best interests. IMO, of course.

Any government dictated delay introduced to a woman's attempt to seek an abortion can only be seen as an attempt to violate her right to terminate a pregnancy.

I read news coverage on this issue yesterday and am frankly disgusted. Treating women like children who do not know their own minds and need guiding by the hand. A backwards step.

Excellent post, HalfTermHero.

Thanks for highlighting this v important issue

To be fairamosquito does have a point about the wording.

Have emailed my MP.

Sometimes I think this bloody country is going backwards.