MEDIA RELEASE

21 March 2009                                               Abortion Law Reform Association of NZ

Abortion Opponents Spreading Dangerous Misinformation

Opponents of Family Planning’s proposal to provide medical abortions in its clinics must be called to account for the dangerous misinformation they are spreading about the method, Dr Margaret Sparrow, the President of Alranz said today.

“Among the irresponsible and quite untrue claims are that medical abortion is unsafe, it has not been properly researched, the process takes a week and fails in 20 per cent of cases,” Dr Sparrow said. “Anti-abortion groups have every right to express their point of view but not to deliberately misinform women.”

“Medical abortion has now been used worldwide for over 20 years and the method has been available in New Zealand since 2001,” she said. “Its increased availability will not increase the numbers of abortion but will ease access to abortion services for women living outside the main centres.”

In choosing between a medical and surgical abortion the following points are pertinent:

Advantages of medical abortion:

The woman feels more in control – it is less invasive, more private

It feels more natural, like a miscarriage

It is a first choice method very early in pregnancy

There is no surgical risk of damage to the cervix or perforation of the uterus

The method is not dependent on surgical skill or operating facilities (except to treat the few with complications)

There are no anaesthetic risks

There is cramping pain but many women liken this to strong period pains

It is successful in the majority (over 95 per cent) of cases

Preferable for women who are afraid of surgery

The method has been used worldwide since its introduction in France in 1988

Advantages of surgical abortion:

It is over more quickly (in the majority of women medical abortion takes two to six hours and occasionally longer)

There is less cramping

There is less worry about sudden and heavy bleeding (this can occur in less than one per cent of medical abortions)

Surgical procedures are well established

Excellent safety record for experienced operators

Less visits involved (according to New Zealand law the two lots of tablets for a medical abortion must be taken in a licensed facility)

Time can be scheduled to suit

First choice method after nine weeks gestation

“Both methods are very safe under medical supervision” Dr Sparrow said. “And both should be an option for all New Zealand women.”

ENDS

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