RCOG Guidelines Want All Medics to Deny Abortion Has Serious Risks

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has launched a consultation on their proposed guidelines for the care of women requesting induced abortion. You can view it here or if you have trouble with this link paste this into your browser: http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/TheCareOfWomenRequestingInducedAbortion_PeerReviewDraft_Jan2011.pdf

Amongst many little gems of information, this document says the following:
Women should be informed that induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer.
Women should be informed that there are no proven associations between induced abortion and subsequent ectopic pregnancy, placenta praevia or infertility.
Women should be informed that induced abortion is associated with a small increase in risk of subsequent preterm birth, which increases with the number of abortions.
Women should be informed that most women who have abortions do not experience adverse psychological sequelae.


I invite you to have a look around many pro-life sites offering the testimonies of women who have had abortions to discern for yourself how true any of that is. See here and here to start with and why not have a look here while you are about it.

And have I read this wrongly or could the RCOG be suggesting that it is ok to use abortion "medicines" at gestations for which they are unlicensed?
P66: "* The dose of mifepristone (200 mg) recommended for medical abortion at all gestations is unlicensed. Similarly, misoprostol is unlicensed for induction of abortion at any gestation and via all routes of administration, nor is it licensed for cervical preparation. Women undergoing medical abortion or cervical preparation should be informed of this but reassured that these regimens are evidence-based, safe, and widely used."

Lastly, a heart-rendingly tragic comment:
"RECOMMENDATION 64 Feticide should be performed before medical abortion after 21 weeks and 6 days gestation to ensure that there is no risk of a live birth.
(and then from: Evidence supporting recommendation 64)
Inducing fetal death before medical abortion may have beneficial emotional, ethical and legal consequences. The RCOG guidance on Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality (published in 2010) clearly explains the legal situation around late stage abortions (chapter 2)7. Where a decision to abort a pregnancy after 21 weeks and 6 days is taken, feticide should be routinely offered."





Please read the guidelines, they will provide you with lots of information about current abortion practise. But also please ask all your friend who are Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and healthcare professionals to respond to them. The closing date for submissions is February 18th.

Clare McCullough