New abortion legislation ‘not working’

Press, 21 May 1979, Page 6

New abortion legislation ‘not working’

The Abortion Supervisory Committee’s report to Parliament was challenged yesterday by the Sisters Overseas Service in Christchurch.

The report was evidence that the new legislation was not working, said an S.O.S. representative, Ms Lyn Peach.

An assertion by the committee that abortion numbers had fallen was misleading, since it applied only to women who had “been through the obstacle course of the law,” she said. Lots of women were still seeking abortions. Since January, 1978, the S.O.S. in Christchurch had sent more than 900 women to Australia for abortions.

Ms Peach said that the S.O.S. “strongly challenged” the claim that most of the abortions were performed when the duration of pregnancy had been 12 weeks or less. According to the experience of women who consulted the S.O.S. and then went through the New Zealand system, this was not correct, she said. A lot of women who went to the Christchurch Women’s Hospital had their pregnancies terminated by the Prostaglandin method because the pregnancy had exceeded 12 weeks. In most cases, that length

iof time was caused by syst' ' Item delays. Appointment!-, with operating consultant!* ? were often difficult to ob<“' tain, and wrong diagnosil • was often another reason fot ’j an abortion's being delaved. .♦< Also, at the Christchurch ? Women’s Hospital, stery-, ilisation operations were *• usually done separately andZ’ were not simultaneous with.-.' an abortion, Ms Peach said. Although the Abortion ■’ Supervisory Committee had , said that the law was work* ing consistently throughout New Zealand, approval rates . ranging from 39 per cent to * 100 per cent “demonstrate \ that it is not,” Ms Peach *< said. Figures provided by . ‘ the committee were “piecedS meal and inconclusive.*- 7 ■ Some areas, such as SoutW>‘ land, were not mentioned. -■! “We think the public hgg~ i the right to a full break*' ■' down of all the figures,” shg said. Many medical consultants - had expressed dissatisfaction ' with the legislation. “We have never been apt» proached by the supervisory ‘ committee, let alone had ouf •: figures analysed by them,’’ Ms Peach said in explaining * 1 the committee’s assertion ■ that figures of how many •: women had gone to Austrai 1 lia for abortions were not • capable of satisfactory ' analysis.