Sir, - On a point of historical accuracy, the United Kingdom did not "provide abortion facilities" because of back-street abortions, as Muredach Doherty claims (July 11th). By 1967, when the British Abortion Act was passed, deaths in women from illegal abortions were no longer a factor. They had fallen dramatically over the previous decade, partly through the introduction of antibiotics.
The overwhelming ground-swell of parliamentary support for legal abortion in certain circumstances arose in certain circumstances arose after the thalidomide scandals: women carrying a child affected by thalidomide were seeking abortions in Sweden and there was much sympathy for the plight of these mothers. Thalidomide drove forward abortion legislation for grave cases: the interpretation of the law then gradually liberalised.
In the 1980s, I interviewed victims of thalidomide who had been born, and had grown up, and despite their disabilities (no arms, sometimes no legs), they all said they were glad to have been born, Asked what had helped them most, they answered "money". By which I take it that handicapped people prefer to be born, but to be given financial help. - Yours etc.,
Mary Kenny, Reform Club, Pall Mall, London.