Election
2004 Vote for Equality - Home
> Issues > Abortion - Reproductive
Rights
Women
Don't Need Legislated "Informed Consent" on Abortion
Candidates
Should Focus on Improving Abortion Access
PRO
CHOICE Action Network
Press Release
June
2, 2004
VANCOUVER
— Canada's pro-choice community today denounced MP Rob Merrifield's
recent proposal for third party "informed consent" counseling
for women who have abortions.
"Women seeking
abortions already receive adequate informed consent from their doctors
or from trained counselors at abortion clinics," said Joyce Arthur,
spokesperson for the Pro-Choice Action Network. "Women aren't
stupid, they don't need to be told twice, or be force-fed anti-abortion
propaganda disguised as informed consent."
Arthur said, "It's
an insult to professional healthcare workers to declare that a third
party needs to step in and do their job for them, especially when
this requirement singles out abortion and no other medical service."
Arthur noted that doctors are governed by professional codes of ethics
such as that of the Canadian Medical Association (www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/3293/la_id/1.htm).
This code contains informed consent guidelines that cover all medical
services and treatments.
In addition, Arthur
confirmed that abortion clinic counselors already provide women with
complete, accurate, and unbiased information on all pregnancy options,
as well as information on birth control, sexually transmitted diseases,
the side effects and possible complications of abortion, as well as
other necessary or requested information. "Obviously, no extra
regulation is required for abortion," she said. "Legislating
informed consent would simply impede women's access to this required
health service."
"Merrifield
has let his anti-choice ideology trump his common sense. Forcing anti-abortion
policies into an election campaign is political suicide," said
Arthur. "Look at how Stephen Harper and other Conservative MP's
immediately distanced themselves and their party from Merrifield's
comments."
"What candidates
should be discussing instead during this election campaign is how
to improve and streamline access to abortion." Arthur noted there
are four provinces still flouting the Canada Health Act by refusing
to fully fund abortions in clinics. Also, fewer than one in five hospitals
in Canada even perform abortions. "We want MP's from all parties
to put pressure on provinces to obey the law and fund required health
services like abortion, and to help their women constituents by ensuring
abortion services are available at local hospitals."
Source: Pro
Choice Action Network
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