Pamphlet

Press, 7 June 1982, Page 12

Pamphlet

Sir—Lest R. P. Dalziell mislead readers, here are authoritative statements on the risk of infertility and miscarriage after an abortion. Royal Commission on Abortion, Sterilisation and Contraception (1977): “no definitive conclusions have been reached.” Lindahl (1955): “five women out of 1132 complained of infertility within five years of an abortion.” Potts, Diggory and Peel (1977): "If the cervix is never dilated beyond Hmm diameter this complication is unlikely to occur. (It) normally responds well to the use of the Shirodkar suture . . . early abortions are without risk, of long-term cervical damage." They also state that the risk of sterility following an abortion is about the same as following childbirth. In summary, it is untrue that there is a serious risk of infertility following a properlyperformed early abortion — Yours, etc., ALAN WILKINSON. June 4, 1982.

Sir,—For Alan Wilkinson to state as a fact that the availability of contraceptives will reduce the “need for abortion” is to surrender the critical faculty for wishful thinking. To imagine that to extend the availability of contraceptives will reverse the trend availability has already established is novel, but hardly sensible. It is at the very least likely that such an extension will exacerbate an already bad situation, and lead as a consequence to even more experimentation, promiscuity, and due to failure or improper use of the contraceptives. to even more unwanted pregnancies, disease and abortions. Mr Wilkinson came into a spectacular collision with the laws of logic, when, after accepting as axiomatic his own views on contraception, he attributed to Mr Orr the responsibility for unwanted pregnancies. and abortions since Mr Orr may (or may not) hold contrary views.-'Yours, etc., J. V. PIERSON. June 4, 1982.