Oh My GOD! Channel 4, tue 11.05pm. Why

[charlieplus3]

Everyone has there reasons for abortion but OMG why show it on TV.

I feel really shocked at this!

Thats next Tue by the way 20th

Haven't heard about it charlie. What is it?

I am not watching it. Will have to avoid it like the plague.
I do believe it'se every womens choice but i still don't want it shown on t.v.

Exactly my thoughts Nutcracker. I feel realy sad now just knowing its going to be on. Apparently they are also showing different ages of feotuses that have been aborted and kept in jars.

Somethings are just not meant to be shown on tv, and a live abortion is definatley one of them.

God i feel tearful now, silly me, hormones and pnd

message withdrawn

Agree, and I usually think she talks through her arse. Won't be watching however, they apparently show a 21 week abortion and I am just 22 weeks, would be too horrific.

oh, read an article by the producer/director in the paper last week. She had an abortion when she was younger and now has a young child and she says her very "pro choice" views have changed since she became a mother. Whilst she is still pro choice she now says she understands the views of the anti abortion lobby (or words to that effect).

I for one will NOT be watching.

same as everyone else, it is not a viewing spectacular... not for TV at all...
gross
I am doubtful it will be shown TBH...? Or am I deluded?

hmmm, i'm not sure on this...will be upsetting, but it is upsetting (and i'm v pro choice)...you can choose not to watch, but i'm not sure its a bad thing per se...oliveoil, have you read naomi wolf misconceptions: i thought it was brilliant (even if disturbing read whilst pregnant which is when i read it...but then i would always rather have more information however unpalatable than less)...

Sorry to but in...I think it would be horrific to see the programme and thus am undecided as to whether or not will watch, however could it be suggested that if the realities of what actually happen during an abortion are graphically shown it may encourage young teenage girls for example to take a more responsible attitude to sex and potential pregancies and thus avoid finding themselves where they can then request an abortion and regret it in years to come.

Hmmm...I can see there is a lot of strong feeling out there, and I really don't want to upset anyone, but I can see the argument that it is difficult to be truly "pro-choice" without knowing what abortion involves?

The woman who made this documentary is the duaghter of Mr & Mrs Stopes apparently!!

I am very anti abortion but I really can't see people watching this and being swayed one way or the other - if you are pregnant and want to get rid of it you must have a certain idea of what the foetus looks like and what is going to happen!!

i'm with you on that dinosaur

Hopefully this thread wont get into a big for or against debate as i believe it is a very personal thing and distressing for any woman whatever the circumstances.

But apart from maybe the teenage aspect what is the real benifits of showing this?

that is sick ... am pro choice ... but will not be watching!!! i am disgusted.

The benefits in showing this programme as I see it are to provoke debate and thus hopefully reduce the gestational time that an abortion can be performed at and also to review current law that allows abortions to be performed so late for spurious reasons e.g the recent cleft-palate case.

One of the points in the naimi article was to reduce the limit from 24 weeks to 12, I think, I agree reducing the limit as medical intervention can save babies from way younger than this now.

I agree with reducing the limit to 12 weeks for abortions where the principal or only reason is because the mother wants one. But what about situations where the 20 week scan reveals anomalies that are incompatible with life?

the reason as i see it is that there is a value in really understanding (graphically) what abortion involves. like i said i am pro choice and i'm going to stick my neck out here and divulge that in my early twenties i had a termination. it was not something i did lightly, but felt that it was absolutely the right decision. however, when i fell pregnant with my ds in my thirties i (like naomi wolf talks about in the article below) felt incredibly differently about the fetus growing inside me...although it would have made my decision as a young woman harder, i'm not sure it wouldn't be a good thing for me to have had my eyes wide open to what i was doing...i dont' think it would have changed my decision, but i think if you are going to do something so huge, it's important to really understand what is happening. you don't have to watch. i don't know if i will. i hope i'm brave enough to. but i don't condemn the film maker or channel 4 for showing it...its important i think...feeling particularly vulnerable about this post so go easy people.

Holy sh*t! Are they really showing a 21wk abortion??? I will NOT be watching this. But if it can show how horrifying an abortion (at this late stage) can be then perhaps some good will come of it.

Every situation is different however I do struggle to understand that given the ease with which numerous methods contraception are so easily and freely available why so many women are experiencing a situation whereby they are pregnant and do not want to continue with it. Please do not think of me as being judgemental Sophable I am not what you did was right for you at the time. However I cannot understand why I having had my far share of fun and frollicks especially at University managed to not get pregnant whilst too many women do. Addressing this issue might save a lot of people a lot of heartache.

weirdly, thanks smurf for posting...feeling particularly shit for having trusted complete strangers with this information, i guess mn isn't the place to talk about that, i just thought that i ought to put my money where my mouth was and actually share the reasons why i think this kind of program is important (not entertaining in any way). i feel awful

Sophable, I am so utterly sorry if I have upset you. Point I was making was that abortion generally happens as a result of lack of or failed contraception and surely if we addressed that fundamental issue then the number of people who find themselves in what I can only imagine is an awful dilema would be reduced. Apologies for all the heartache this has caused.

Sophable you have made very valid points as has Smurf. Please dont feel awful as i will feel awful for starting this thread

no, you haven't upset me smurfs, you've made me feel a bit less of a pariah that has said something unmentionable on mn. i meant the thanks for posting: wasn't being sarcastic. just feel as if i've committed a cardinal boo-boo by admitting to what i have