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

[Empusa]

"the NHS was set up to deal with disease, not carelessness

So by that logic the NHS shouldn't treat smokers, drinkers or the obese?"

Or accidents. Say like car accidents etc.

The NHS was set up to look after people's health. Physical and mental.

[MrGin]

Another Guardian article here about the quality of counselling faith based groups offer.

"Women receiving advice from pregnancy counselling centres run by faith-based and anti-abortion organisations are subjected to scaremongering, emotive language and inaccurate information about abortion, according to an undercover investigation by a pro-choice charity....."

[Empusa]

"Surely abortion clinics are only pro-abortion to the same degree that all healthcare providers are pro-treatment that they can charge back to your commissioner? By that argument, the renal unit would have you on dialysis as soon as look at you, and the cardiac unit would have whipped your heart out before you knew what was what."

Quite.

[DaisyDaresYOU]

Alot of people are for this.Ive got really angry with some people saying good,rape victims should put the child up for adoption as its not the babies fault.Words fail me.I replyed with it's not a rape victims fault either

[bumbleymummy]

No need to be rude empusa. This discussion has been quite civil so far.

[marriedinwhite]

For as long as smoking and drinking is legal and taxed, yes the NHS has to deal with the consequences; obesity - I'm not so sure about or that a gastric band should be free of charge.

Vallhala - yes contraception should be a joint responsibility but it is usually women who have to face the consequences if they are not in a permanent and stable relationship, often alone, and for that reason it is women who need to take the most care. All contraception can fail and if a woman really doesn't want a child and isn't in a relationship that could support the failure of contraception then perhaps she should think twice about sex in the first place.

People make mistakes all the time but they also have to face the consequences of those mistakes and not continually expect others to pick up the pieces or pay their bills.

[aliceliddell]

You know women have become pregnant and had babies after hysterectomy? (implanted on eg outer wall of bladder, delivered by CS) Not sure where that leaves 'carelessness'

[Empusa]

Sorry for swearing. But it's true, they cannot function without payment, and payment is not the same as profit.

[bumbleymummy]

"an undercover investigation by a pro-choice charity....."

I'm sure that investigation wasn't at all biased either....

[marriedinwhite]

I have absolutely not objections to a rape victim chosing to abort a baby conceived as a result of a crime. I simply do not think abortion should be available free of charge as an alternative to responsible contraception.

[wonderstuff]

Emailed my MP (sure he'll be thrilled to hear from me again) Thanks for the link.

[Empusa]

married It isn't an alternative to contraception, it is a last resort.

[WilsonFrickett]

What Spoons said, and to married I would say that Spoons very clearly did face the consequences of a terrible thing that happened to her and thank God the NHS was there to support her in being able to move forward with her life. THAT is why I pay my taxes.

The very best of luck to you Spoons and I am sorry that you went through such a terrible experience.

[BooBooGlass]

Married in white? Yeah, I bet you were.

[Onemorning]

People make mistakes all the time but they also have to face the consequences of those mistakes and not continually expect others to pick up the pieces or pay their bills.

married, it's far cheaper to pay to abort an unwanted pregnancy than support said child through its life - child benefit, education and so on.

Have you never made a mistake, or are you perfect?

[Vallhala]

"All contraception can fail and if a woman really doesn't want a child and isn't in a relationship that could support the failure of contraception then perhaps she should think twice about sex in the first place."

What. The. Blazes?

Christ on a bike, you really did get married in white didn't you?

[DaisyDaresYOU]

I hate it when people who have never been raped spout thier stupid adoption talk.Would they want to force a baby on thier daughter if she was raped when shes already suffering.Sorry,just really makes me livid

[Vallhala]

Spoons, I can't imagine what you've had to deal with lovey but I hope so much that these are now far happier, safer times for you.

Boo - snap!

[GinAndWater]

Thanks for the link- have emailed my MP.

[BooBooGlass]

Marriedinwhite are you a man? Or if a woman do you have children? Do you truly not see what an unwanted pregnancy would do to a woman? WHy is it ok for rape victims to abort but not women who find themselves pregnant and don't want to be? Frankly, I'd lie and say I was raped. Awful. But what are you going to do? Thank god we (for now) live in a society where such things are widely thought of as absolute rubbish. You're living in the stone age. Women shouldn't be punished for daring to have sex you know.

[Empusa]

"Women shouldn't be punished for daring to have sex you know"

Yeah, what is with this type of thinking?

[banjaxedfilly]

Mitmoo, "family planning clinic" will do nicely unless you're trying to be provocative.

As Empusa noted earlier these clinics generally do more than abortions.

[pamplemousserose]

Signed, sealed delivered.< three and a half years to go and counting>

[banjaxedfilly]

"Abortion as a form of contraception" is a myth.

Right up there with flat screen tv's, she was wearing a short skirt and the immigrants are stealing our women and job's.