Abortion is never necessary to save a mother's life

CANCER

Induced abortion has no role in the management of cancer of pregnancy. It improves neither outcome or treatment. It is rare, but occasionally a woman may have cancer and be pregnant at the same time. There is no evidence of an increased incidence of malignancy in pregnant women, nor evidence that pregnancy per se adversely affects the cancer.

Pregnant women with cancer are treated the same way as non-pregnant women with the same condition. If surgery is necessary, it is performed as in a non-pregnant woman. Chemotherapy may be given to a pregnant woman as indicated by therapeutic protocols.

A cancer specialist has stated (Irish Times, 29/6/1992) that "there is no evidence that pregnancy makes cancer worse. There is no evidence that termination of pregnancy makes cancer better. All the necessary treatment can be given under specialised management.

HEART DISEASE

The incidence of heart disease in pregnancy is extremely low - 558 cases of heart condition (both mild and severe) to 159,680 births in Holles Street Hospital between 1969 and 1990. Heart Disease With over 364,000 births between the three Dublin maternity hospitals, there were 6 deaths in pregnant patients with heart disease. PREGNANCY DID NOT CAUSE OR AGGRAVATE THESE CONDITIONS. Abortion would NOT have saved any of these mothers. (If you would like more information on this please contact us).

Numerous reports of heart surgery during pregnancy include successful correction of most types of congenital and acquired cardiac disease. Maternal mortality is dependent on the specific nature of the procedure being performed and is not increased in pregnancy. Successful pregnancy following heart transplantation has also been reported

MODERN MEDICINE

Ectopic pregnancy is where a pregnancy remains in the fallopian tube. It is extremely
rare in nature. Ectopic pregnancy is not an issue in the abortion debate. The removal of an ectopic pregnancy is not an abortion and has never been considered as such. Modern medicine has allowed
doctors to take the baby from The fallopian tube and place it in the womb. Pre-Eclamptic Toxaemia is a high blood pressure with general swelling and may lead to fits. This condition is now completely curable. It generally occurs in the second half of the pregnancy. When severe, an early delivery will always be induced which will save the life of the mother and her child.

In modern medicine, mothers do not die. Mothers are at risk only if they attend "prochoice" doctors. High blood pressure, kidney and heart diseases respond to treatment. To suggest abortion for high blood pressure, as "prochoice" doctors do, is like cutting off a foot for an in-growing toe-nail

NO NEED FOR ABORTION

As Obstetricians and gynecologists, we affirm that there is no medical circumstances justifying direct abortion, that is circumstances in which life of a mother may only be saved by directly terminating the life of her unborn child.

John Bonner, Prof. of Obstetrics & gynecology, TCD
Eamon O'Dwyer, Prof. of Obstetrics & gynecology, UCG
David Jenkins, Prof. of Obstetrics & gynecology, UCC
Kieran O'Driscoll, Prof. of Obstetrics & gynecology UCD
Julia Vaughan, Consultant Obstetrician & gynecologis

Abortion causes physical and mental ill-health to mothers.

Psychological impacts of abortion
Post Abortion Syndrome is now a widely recognised term and is somewhat similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

• Pre-occupation with the death of the unborn child
• Flashbacks of the abortion
• Nightmares related to the abortion
• Inability to remain in long-term relationships
• Uncontrollable hallucinations related to the abortion
• Fear, self-guilt, lack of self-esteem & self-confidence
• The Royal College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Joint Study on Attitudes to Abortion (Pulse, 17 November 1990) cited a survey performed over 14 years which found that women obtaining abortions were nearly two-times as likely to develop self-destructive behaviour, such as taking drug overdoses, as those who decided not abort. They also had a 10% increased chance of problems such as anxiety and neurosis

Physical complications of abortion

• Perforation/rupture of the uterus
• Pelvic infection & Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Miscarriage in later pregnancies
• Infertility
• Death - hundreds of women currently die from so-called safe, legal abortion. However, many deaths are not reported as being caused by abortion but other reasons such as 'blood poisoning' or 'gangrene of the ovaries'. Some clinics do not treat complications after patients are discharged and therefore subsequent deaths may not be recognised as following legal abortions. In 1989 two women were awarded sums of money by British Courts because of severe damage resulting from legal abortion (Daily Telegraph, 10 November 1989)