Abortion service in ‘desperate situation’

Press, 12 October 1985, Page 1

Abortion service in ‘desperate situation’

Attempted suicides and self-abortions are measures being taken by women in Canterbury because of the “desperate situation” of the abortion service in Christchurch, said concerned groups yesterday. Members of an abortion support group, including people from the Abortion Law Reform Association (A.L.R.A.N.Z.), the Health Alternatives for Women (T.H.A.W.) and the Family Planning Association said yesterday that any woman facing an unwanted pregnancy might not be able to get’ an abortion’> in Christ-’ church. , v ’ A spokeswoman for T.H.A.W., Ms Christine Bird, said that there had been at least 20 women who had had to go to Auckland for an abortion in recent months. Four went to Australia, she said. Ms Fiona O’Cock, of A.L.R.A.N.Z., said that she had heard of at least three women, aged 16 and under, who had had to continue their pregnancies because of the lack of surgeons in Christchurch to perform abortions. “The climate is there for people to try to do selfabortions. Women who are desperate will try anything,” she said. Ms Bird said that one doctor had told her of two women who had attempted suicide because they could not get an abortion. Five had tried to perform their own abortions. Ms O’Cock said that if women wanted to prepare themselves for facing an abortion, they should have at least $6OO in the bank to get to Auckland, or $l5OO and a passport to get to Australia. Since the doctor performing abortions at Christchurch Women’s Hospital had left last month, there had been as few as seven abortions being performed a week in Christchurch.

The group gave warnings to women about contraception. Mrs Peggy Malpress. of the Family Planning Association, said that men could no longer assume that )!? women on the Pill were contraceptively safe. All sorts of things could interfere with; that, including vomiting and diarrhoea. . “People seem to run out of contraceptives about this time of year with exams and Christmas; they must make sure they are protected,” she said. “I don’t accept the excuse any longer that men don't like condoms. They are readily available and a good form of contraception,” she said. “The diaphragm is absolutely useless if it is kept at the bedside table. Spermicides should be used with the I.U.D. (intra-uterine device) in mid-cycle,” she said. Last year, however, 72 per cent of unwanted pregnancies came from women who had had sexual intercourse without contracepI tion. Post-coital contraception, too, was a measure not often known about, she said. The “morning-after pill” could be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse to prevent egg Implantation, and I.U.D.S could be fitted after inter-

course, which would also prevent implantation. Since the absence of the doctor performing the terminations, Dr Cathy Stone, four persons were being trained to do the service. The chairman of the Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr Tom Grigg, said earlier this week : that these persons would nbt be employed until they had been trained properly. “It is now not very far off,” he said. - , t However, trying to get on ; the abortion waiting Ust in Christchurch was very difficult, the group said yestera?hey said that any woman could get a pregnancy test as sobn as 10 days after intercourse. A woman who waited until the last minute, up to 10 weeks in some cases, to try to get an abortion would have great difficulty. The woman had to go to two certifying consultants before being considered for the weekly list, which was very small at the moment. By the time she got oh to a list, either in Christchurch or in Auckland, she could be just under the safety limit of 12 weeks before getting an abortion. This, for young women, was dangerous, they said. The number of Canterbury women going to the Auckland Medical Aid Trust Hospital for abortions had increased dramatically since the difficulties in finding surgeons to perform the operation in Christchurch. The assistant administrator of the hospital, Mrs Lorna Wynne, said that 36 women from Canterbury were on the books for abortions between September 23 and October 23. At the moment the hospital was considering extending its hours from three to four days a week, be cause the waiting time wai

nearing three weeks, which was too long, she said. Ms Bird said that T.H.A.W. had heard that doctors and nursing staff at Christchurch Women’s Hospital were getting "increasingly worried at the desperate situation and the effect that it may have, on women’s health;”, ‘ “T.H.A.W. wonders if doctors and staff are getting the support and proper representation from their senior medical administrative staff," she said. She said that the travel fund for women in desperate financial situations who had to go to Auckland was still available. This fund, if the situation in Christchurch continued, would need boosting from more donations, said Ms Bird. :