Abortion opposed

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 5

Abortion opposed

(.X.Z. Press Association) . j HAMILTON. Feb. 5. '< Many Danish doctors are against their country’s j abortion laws but feel it i is foolish to' fight against « political pressure and risk i losing their practices, t according to a New Zea- i land-born gynaecologist. Dr J. M. Harry, now a part- ' time gynaecologist at Toko- ' roa Hospital, said in an inter- , 1 view that he was forced to ’ 1 give up his practice in Dentnark alter 13 years because of the "abortion on demand" laws. He refused to perform abortions because of his | Christian convictions—he is. a Lutheran. "In Denmark, the law 1 gives me the right to refuse to perform abortions, but my i Medical. Union wants us to declare whether we would do this operation or not,” he said. “This is a polite way of saving that consultant jobs will probably not be given to people of my persuasion. 1 have been trained to become a consultant, but have seen the political writing on the wall.” Danes were now seeing the after-effects of the abortion | policy, said Dr Harry. “Instead of using contraception, l

people are gradually using abortion on demand’ (free). “This is serious for young girls, as many of than suffer in the future,” he saia. “They either do not become pregnant. or deliver too early; and the operation can result in brain damage.” Dr Harry said that in Norway, 1600 doctors had declared that they did not want to perform abortions on demand.