Sir, - The Minister for Health, Mr Michael Noonan TD, has said (April 22nd) we must make efforts to reduce our abortion rate, now at least nine per cent of the live birth rate and I agree with him. Abortion can never be the preferred end to any pregnancy. The Conference of the Irish Medical Organisation adopted a motion rejecting pre natal genetic testing (amniocentesis) on the grounds that it was discriminatory and construed a threat to the life of the unborn patient (The Irish Times, April 22nd).
We know that many women go to Northern Ireland and Great Britain for amniocentesis. We know that many older women, in particular, go to Great Britain for abortions often because of exaggerated expectations of having a handicapped child. Most of these women do not have amniocentesis first and abortions are carried out because of lack of information and discussion on the real risk of maternal age. Washing our collective medical hands of this serious situation will do nothing to reduce our abortion rate. (Yes, we do have an Irish abortion rate. Abortions are carried out for us by doctors in England,)
If amniocentesis is available in Ireland at least counselling can take place with those who normally are the woman's medical advisors. The IMO members apparently also decided a doctor, need no longer refer a patient to a colleague if he or she has ethical problems with discussing an issue with the patient, even though such, referral is recommended by The Medical Council.
Doctors who have decided not to discuss issues such as contraception or abortion with patients nor to refer these patients to colleagues should make their views publicly known to their patients, for example, by a statement on display in their waiting rooms. Otherwise Minister Noonan may forget trying to reduce the abortion rate because women, reading of the motions passed at the IMO conference, will think we have all decided not to discuss these issues and head straight for England having carried out a home pregnancy test. - Yours, etc.,
Seanad Eireann,
Baile Atha Cliath 2.