Abortion —40% favour woman’s choice

Press, 19 August 1977, Page 4

Abortion —40% favour woman’s choice

Surveys on abortion legislation. conducted in the Fendalton and St Albans electorates, show that about 40 per cent of people surveved favour a woman, and a doctor of her choice, making the decision to have an abortion. The surveys were conducted by Coaction, a group set up to co-ordinate opposition to the report of the Rovalj Commission on contraception, sterilisation, and abortion. The Fendalton electorate was divided into 200 areas. 16 of which were sampled in the survey. St Albans was divided into 102 areas, and randomly chosen areas were surveyed. People aged 16 or over were asked to answer a question indicating who should make the abortion decision. Over 30 per cent were divided between the panels recommended bv the commission, and a woman’s own choice. The results in Fendalton, with St Albans results in brackets, were: No abortions at all. 8.4 per cent (9.05): a panel of two' doctors and a non-voting soc-i

■ ial worker, 9.9 per cent (8.07);, . a panel of two doctors, 5.8, per cent (4.65): a woman and a doctor of her choice. 44.1 1 per cent (46.7); the woman I concerned, 16.4 per cent ; . (20.78) “did not know.” 3.0 , per cent (9.54); declined to answer, 12.4 per cent (1.21). i In a further development. 1 ' ■ the New Zealand Psycho-I i logical Society has said that, ■ it opposes a State-approved. I parcel system for abortion. 1 Psychologists have been adivised to decline to take part: : in such procedures and to noth . accept appointment t<f panels.': I The national vice-president 1 ' ; of the New Zealand Psycho- | I, logical Society (Dr G.i< ■ Vaughan) said yesterday that, members of Parliament were;: • told this last month when the ' society advised them of the I serious consequences envis- : . aged for professional psv- < I chologists if legislation based ' ■ on the commission’s report ' , was enacted. About half the members ' had replied to the society’s J i advice, most appearing top have fully appreciated the ■ society’s concern, said Dr” i Vaughan. p •» The society thought that it I:

, was a “grave oversight” that the Royal Commission had totally failed to liaise with professional bodies to determine, whether its recommendations were professionally acceptable or practicable. The Psychological Society also opposed State-approved compulsory counselling and the panel system for abor,tions, said Dr Vaughan. The society believed that the State had a role to play in abortion counselling to i the extent that appropriate | State agencies could provide a wide range of information ion abortion which could be presented to a woman in counselling. Counselling facilities should be provided where termination of pregnancy took place because they were an integral part of a team approach providing health care for women with tin wanted p.egnancies. The counselling principle should also recognise that once a woman has been fully informed it is a woman’s right to make her own decision and accept the responsibility for it. Dr Vaughan I said.