Gibraltar For Yes Welcomes Support Of Professor Dame Lesley Regan
The Gibraltar For Yes campaign says it welcomes the support of Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Abortion Task Force.
A statement continued: “Dame Lesley, an eminent clinician and also a researcher in the field of miscarriage with several published books on the subject of childbirth and miscarriage.
“Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Abortion Task Force has written a letter to the Chronicle supporting once again the Gibraltar For Yes Campaign. Dame Lesley also visited Gibraltar last year and met with health professionals and held a public Q&A. In her letter she writes:
“Dear Sir,
Gibraltar has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, with the harshest punishment in the world. The problem with restrictive laws is that they do not prevent abortions, but instead force women to either endanger their health and wellbeing by accessing unsafe and illegal care or alternatively forcing them to travel abroad to find help.
As the Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Abortion Task force, I support this proposed new law, and I am confident in saying that the women in Gibraltar will be able to access safe, evidence based care. Abortions will be signed by two doctors and women will be able to access abortion within the twelve week limit. Doctors will have to declare that they believe the woman they are treating meets one of the grounds for care included in the Act.
Of course there will be occasional families who tragically have to face the trauma of their much wanted pregnancy being affected with a foetal abnormality who may need to access an abortion beyond the twelve week limit. The new law in Gibraltar will provide for this under very narrow circumstances. Without this provision, a woman who knows her baby will die will be forced to carry a pregnancy to term in the cruellest of circumstances. Such abnormalities are not routinely detected until after 12 weeks, so it is vital that women are able to access abortion care in these very sad cases. Not all women will choose to have an abortion in these circumstances, but all women should be able to choose this option for herself with the support of her doctor. The law will also allow for abortion care when a woman’s life might be in danger if she continues her pregnancy, for example as a result of infection, haemorrhage , or the need for life saving medical assistance that cannot be given whilst she is pregnant. This scenario is already legal under the current law- and in these circumstances, doctors must be able to save the woman’s life without fear of breaking the law.
I believe that we should trust our doctors and nurses and empower them with the reassurance they need to provide ethical, high quality care for women- after all, it is what they have been trained to do.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Dame Lesley Regan
Chair, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Abortion Task Force.”
