LONDON, October 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A consortium of pro-choice organisations today called for sweeping reforms to the 1967 Abortion Act on the second day of Marie Stopes International (MSI)'s Global Safe Abortion Conference.
Delegates at the conference, which is being held in association with campaigning group Abortion Rights, were told that the forthcoming Human Tissue and Embryology Bill, which is being introduced in the next parliament, is likely to attract amendments from both sides of the abortion divide.
Representatives from the Voice for Choice consortium of 13 organisations, including MSI, BPAS, Abortion Rights, Brook and the fpa, outlined its key campaigning objectives.
- Abortion to be available solely at the request of the pregnant woman within existing time limits
- Abortion to be subject to the same statutory regulations as other medical services
- Suitably trained nurse practitioners to be allowed to provide early medical and surgical abortions, in both NHS and non-NHS sectors
- The law in Northern Ireland to be brought into line with the rest of the UK
A new national survey commissioned by Abortion Rights and carried out by NOP confirms that the campaign has broad public support. Over 8 out of 10 respondents (83%) support women's right to choose an abortion, whilst over half (52%) support the principle that either one doctor or no doctors at all should sanction abortion.
"Public support for removing the need for doctors to sanction abortion mirrors recent findings from a MSI survey of general practitioners, where 52% agreed to the principle of abortion at the request of the woman concerned," said /Dr Kate Worsley, Head of Marie Stopes International's Medical Development Team.
"This change would bring Britain into line with many of her European neighbours - where abortion on request is available - and is long overdue."
"Forty years ago we were on the eve of a vote which would transform women's lives," said Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights. "The 1967 Act ended decades of dangerous backstreet abortions and save the lives and health of thousands of women in Britain.
"Forty years of safe legal abortion in Great Britain is something to celebrate and the majority of the British public feels that the legislation is now out of date. We are confident that positive legislative reform will happen soon."
Also speaking at the briefing were Emily Thornberry MP, Vice-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Choice and Sexual Health Group; Audrey Simpson, Director of the Family Planning Association of Northern Ireland; and Dr Kate Paterson, Consultant Gynaecologist, St Mary's Hospital, London.
For more information please contact: Marie Stopes International, Tony Kerridge, +44(0)7748-948037, Diana Thomas, +44(0)7771-681265; Abortion Rights, Anne Quesney, +44(0)7909-974101, Mara Clarke, +44(0)7913-353530
