Stop and consider all your options
A significant number of these women may have made hasty decisions without availing of counselling or may suffer post-abortion syndrome, severe and long-lasting grief experienced by many women who have lost a baby in this way.
We should never forget the intense human dilemma a crisis pregnancy is for each individual woman. Many believe they have strong reasons for abortion: she may believe she is too young; she may be still at school, have just started college or her first job; she would like children in the future but does not feel ready now; she may believe that she has enough children already; she may have just returned to the workforce; the father is not her husband or partner; the pregnancy may be a result of sexual violence; she will have to give up work to care for the baby; she will be caught in a poverty trap while she rears her child...
All these are strong reasons but they are not right reasons. No woman ever wants an abortion but many avail of it out of concern for parents and family or because of lack of partner support.
Life is a voluntary organisation and a registered charity offering counselling, care and support to women during pregnancy and after birth, and counselling to women after abortion. Life counsellors strive to understand the reasons women choose abortions and sympathise deeply with women who feel they have no other option.
Telephone counselling is available every day on the national helpline on 1850 281 281 from 9am to 9pm.
Anne Kennedy
Life
29/30 Dame Street
Dublin 2.
Website: www.life.ie
Email: life@life.ie
