There will be no second chance

There is grave concern among doctors across the specialities about the proposed legislation for termination of pregnancy in the case of threatened suicide on the part of the mother.

Many of us have practised, or are now practising, in jurisdictions where such legislation was the first step towards what has become abortion on demand. Attempts to revisit legislation and reduce the number of abortions by restricting the grounds on which termination of pregnancy may be performed, such as gestational age, have been fraught and largely fruitless.

Those who think there will be a second chance, whether by so-called sunset clause or otherwise, are naive.