Resources
- It is variously estimated that between one in ten and one in fifteen Irish women of reproductive age have had an abortion. This makes it the most common gynaecological procedure Irish women undergo.
- Women who are at particular risk from the lack of provision of abortion services in Ireland are those women whose ability to travel is compromised, e.g. those too unwell to travel, adolescents, those with no or low incomes, those with small children, asylum seekers, those who have experienced a sexual assault and women with disabilities.
- Restriction of access to abortion services is known to increase the risk of suicide and lead to unnecessary complications depending on available alternative routes of access to abortion.
- Irish women have later abortions, and consequently more complications, than the average woman in England and Wales due in large part to difficulties accessing money and information.
- General practitioners have been found to support a broadly pro-choice position and are usually the first medical professional a woman will consult in the situation of crisis pregnancy. International best practice is for early abortions before 9 weeks to be medical abortions taking place in a community based setting.
Doctors for Choice Submissions
2009 DFC and BPAS submission to the European Court of Human Rights on the ABC case: ABC_brief_BPAS_and_DFC
January 2013 Oireachtas hearing Submission: Oireachtas hearing submission Doctors For Choice Jan2013
May 2013 Opening Statement to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health & Children Public Hearings on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy (Heads of) Bill 2013 by Dr Peadar O’Grady Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist: Dr-Peadar-O-Grady-consultant-child–adolescent-psychiatrist
May 2013 DFC Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health & Children Public Hearings on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy (Heads of) Bill: Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
October 2013 DFC submission to the Convention on the Constitution: SubmissiontotheConventionontheConstitution
May 2014 DFC Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee for Ireland’s Review under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights: DFC_Submission_UNHRC_ICCPR_Final_June2014
WHO Guide to Safe Abortion
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/70914/1/9789241548434_eng.pdf
Country by Country Abortion Rights
World Abortion Policies 2013 wall chart provides up-to-date and objective information on abortion policies, i.e., legal grounds on which abortion is permitted, for each of the 193 Member States and three non-Member States of the United Nations. The wall chart also includes information on national estimates of abortion rate (where available), fertility rate, maternal mortality ratio, levels of contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning, and government support for family planning, as well as regional estimates of unsafe abortion rates.
Center for Reproductive Rights – The World’s Abortion Rights 2014
http://worldabortionlaws.com/map/
Guardian interactive Women’s Rights Country by Country
Media Articles
Below is a selection of some of the articles written by members of Doctors for Choice. To keep up to date with both articles by DFC and also those relating to the issue of reproductive rights in Ireland follow us on facebook and/or twitter.
Irish Times:
Guardian.co.uk:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/18/pregnant-suicidal-victim-ireland-abortion-law
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/07/pregnant-women-ireland-abortion-ban-suicide?CMP=twt_gu
CosmoUK article:
Dr. Mark Murphy in the Irish Independent:
Irish Times: Irish abortion controversy makes headlines abroad
New Stateman:
Letter to Editor: Savita Halappanavar inquest verdict
The Irish Times (24/04/2013)
GP-based care must be central to abortion law
The Irish Times (25/02/2013)
Abortion should be part of “best practice” in medicine
Irish Medical Times (24/09/2010)
Doctors for Choice welcome ABC judgement
WSM (16/12/2010)
Video/Radio
Mary Favier on BBC Heart & Soul’s “After Savita” Broadcast again Mon & Tues on BBC world service.
Dr. Peadar O’Grady speaking on the 29.04.2013
One thing to Remember
Video from the Irish Family Planning Association
Video Letter to Parliamentary Assembly
Dr. Peadar O’Grady speaking on Repeal the 8th
Doctors for Choice Ireland 