A chara, – Data from the Irish Family Planning Association has been quoted on a number of occasions in your paper, most recently in Letters (July 5th) stating that “2.5 per cent of clients continued their pregnancies”.
However, surely the “12 clients [who] made no further contact after their initial appointment” are far more likely than not to have also continued their pregnancy and it is disingenuous to simply disregard them.
If this supposition were correct, then the true proportion of women who changed their mind after the first consultation would be doubled to 5 per cent.
Indeed, figures from Aontú quoted previously (“Leo Varadkar says he would like to see fewer abortions in Ireland”, Home News, June 19th) suggest it is even higher.
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With more than 8,000 abortions performed last year, 5 per cent would equate to more than 400 pregnancies continued following an initial consultation, the intended purpose of which is to provide an opportunity for information, discussion and reflection.
As the Taoiseach said in a recent interview, “it’s not a small number”.
If we are to bring clarity to the debate around the value of the three-day waiting period, then we need to start with clarity around the statistics and the data we have to date. – Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – Once again, we have correspondence to your paper regarding abortion. This time with reference to the three-day waiting period (Letters, July 5th).
Discussion about abortion is really a discussion about the control of fertility. Women won’t be needing abortion facilities if they don’t get pregnant in the first place. Certainly not to the extent of 8,000 Irish abortions a year.
Free contraception for women aged 17-26, as from last January, is very much welcomed. As would be the involvement of men in the contraception process.
Control of fertility and women’s health rights involve both sexes, men and women. – Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN KELLEHER,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
