Media Release 16 January 2022
The Abortion Legislation Act, designed by the Prime Minister. has no provision for mandatory waiting periods for abortion. Right to Life believes that the government of Jacinda Ardern is totally opposed to mandatory waiting periods for abortion, believing that abortion does not entail the killing of an innocent human being and that abortion is just a health service. Women should not delay in terminating the life of their child and where possible complete the abortion with one visit to their GP or abortion facility.
Right to Life believes that more than 1,000 unborn babies could be saved in New Zealand every year and their mothers from a lifetime of grief, regret and depression if the law required a three day waiting period after the first consultation before an unborn child was killed. This would give women more time to consider alternatives and the help that is available in the community to help her and her child.
Information provided by the Irish government in 2021 in response to a Parliamentary question revealed that 8,057 women in Ireland had sought an abortion in 2020. The statistics reveal that there were 6,577 abortions in Ireland in 2020. This means that 1,480 women did not proceed with their planned abortion.
Eilis Mulroy of the Pro- Life Campaign in Ireland said: “This information indicates that there are a sizeable proportion of women who change their mind between the first consultation when discussing abortion with their GP and actually going through with the abortion.”
Right to Life recognises that the mandatory three day waiting period may not be the only factor in a woman changing her mind, it is certainly the most significant factor.
Further research in Ireland reveals that the mandatory waiting period that requires women to make two physical visits to an abortionist lead to a reduction in the overall abortion rate for residents of 8.9%.
Right to Life believes that there is an increasing need to provide this legal protection for women and their precious unborn. In 2020 there were 4774 early medical abortions up to 9 weeks gestation, many of these women would have commenced the abortion immediately having made a decision, perhaps received counselling and taken the lethal drug Mifepristone to kill their baby all on the same day. Women deserve better than this.
The following countries have a mandatory waiting period, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy. There are 26 states in the United States that require a mandatory waiting period for an abortion. Right to Life is committed to continue campaigning for a mandatory waiting period which is in the best interest of women and their precious unborn.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life N.Z. Inc.
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