Private Abortion Clinic To Open In Northern Ireland.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

A Marie Stopes clinic offering private abortion is due to open in NI next week. This will be the first private abortion clinic on the island of Ireland and are offering abortion up to 9 weeks gestation.

Only the Alliance Party and Dawn Purvis of the PUP are in support of this. The rest of the political parties have refused to comment or are actively against it.

The location of the clinic is secret to protect those who work there. Is there anything that I can do to support the clinic and the women who use it?

Interesting question, not sure. If you are interested in supporting Irish women (republic & north) then the Abortion Support Network is one to look at.

www.abortionsupport.org.uk/

There you go.

This page has been created to demonstrate public support for the clinic:

www.facebook.com/pages/We-Fully-Support-the-Marie-Stopes-Clinic-in-Belfast/240689086056998

I think some kind of follow-up action is planned to show that the clinic is a welcome addition to NI. Already anti-choicers are trying to get it shut down :(

It's pretty telling that they have to keep the location secret so that 'pro-lifers' don't potentially harm the staff there to help women, le sigh.

[conused] I thought abortion was illigial in NI? How will this work?

Yeah, you can be prolife and still blow up pregnant women. Unfortunately in many cases the same clinics who provide abortions also provide women's health care checks and prenatal care and preg tests. Collateral damage I guess

It's legal in very restricted circumstances - if the woman's life is in danger or there's a good chance her health will be permanently damaged by the pregnancy. However, until now there have been no facilities to carry out abortions even in these legally allowed circumstances, so women have been forced to travel to England to get abortions. The opening of this clinic will allow women that fit the legal criteria, many of whom find the journey to England to be extremely difficult and stressful due to existing health problems, to get necessary abortions within their own country. It's a very positive step forward.

Oh wow, I assumed in those circumstances women were allowed them in normal hospitals despite being illegal for 'social' reasons. That's sad but yes, a step in the right direction

Wow that's brave, I live in the Republic and not to long ago needed abortion information, my gp apologised for not being able to help because he said that there were a lot of militant anti abortionists that will target the clinic and the staffs private homes and family members for even supplying information.

I was shocked that people wouldn't be arrested and charged for that sort of thing! Threatening and abusive behaviour and harrassment are illegal but it seems that religious pschyos are exempt It's terrorism.

I hope these people are kept safe, the threat they face from religous zealots can't be underestimated.

Bump - can't believe there has been so little about this issue on here. Opening of a Marie Stopes clinic is a major step forward - how do we now ensure that women in N Ireland have the same rights over their bodies as in the rest of the UK? It is an absolute disgrace that British women are being forced to pay to travel to mainland UK for a procedure which should be available to them at home. Please please support this clinic.

Am so infuriated at the so called pro-lifers who claim to speak for everyone in Northern Ireland when they say the clinic isn't wanted- I would bet its the same religious nut bags who oppose gay marriage and want to keep Northern Ireland living in the past !

SGM what is BUPAS? I can't seem to find it

Think she meant BPAS!

I posted a link upthread to an organisation that funds travel & abortions for women forced to travel to the mainland from ROI & NI. I volunteer with them so am biased but I really think they do great work, & they always need financial support as women always need help.

of course ginmakesitallok not everyone in the North of Ireland see themselves to be 'British women', they see themselves as 'Irish women' which adds an extra dimension of conflict to the argument

not a personal attach ginmakesitallok, just bumping the argument of the thread for visibility

Thanks Rilla!

"Wow that's brave, I live in the Republic and not to long ago needed abortion information, my gp apologised for not being able to help because he said that there were a lot of militant anti abortionists that will target the clinic and the staffs private homes and family members for even supplying information"

its not just vigilantes though, university staff in ROI who offer any sort of emotional or practical support to a student who comes to them telling them their intention to travel for an abortion, can loose their job!

This clinic is a great step, it is beyond cruel that women and girls are having to travel home on ferries full of piss-heads after a proceedure

That's shocking halloweeney. This thread has really opened my eyes to the discrimination in NI. It is dreadful.

they're allowed to offer emotional support afterwards Abigail, but they're in a really tricky situation if a student goes to her tutor in tears saying they'll have to miss a test because they're travelling to England, even if they are pro-life and want to support the girl. They cannot do anything that might be helping her in any way until after she's been

and I don't know if its still the same, but when I lived there any ads in the back of british womens magazines advertising womens health clinics in England were blacked out (I'm not old I'm not talking about ages ago)

why is that halloweeney? is it something to do with 'intention to procure an abortion'??

"even if they are pro-life and want to support the girl"
sorry meant pro-choice
(its easy to get it mixed up though when the "pro-live" people don't care about womens lives all that much! , its a bit of an oxymoron isn't it)

or is it something to do with their conditions of employment?

I don't know mummmsy, but its a regular problem for university staff (I know a few). I think any sort of help, even a listening ear, can be interpreted as helping to make it happen, or even encouraging it and "selling" it (as if a girl could be easily convinced to travel to england for an abortion if they were otherwise okay with continuing the pregnancy )

Its very tricky. The staff want to help the girls but I guess the best way to do that in the circumstances is to play by the rules before it happens so that they still work there and can support the girls when they get back???