Press Article16/03/2010

Government dismisses abortion ads

The Government has dismissed controversial adverts claiming Polish women could come to the UK for free abortions.

The posters, created in the style of Mastercard adverts, were reportedly produced by SROM, a feminist group.

Polish women who are not resident in the UK would currently be expected to pay for a termination unless it was an emergency.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said there was no provision for people to come to the UK to access NHS treatment.

The advert, however, stated: "Abortion in a public clinic - 0 zloty."

It went on: "Relief after a procedure carried out in decent conditions - priceless."

But Tony Kerridge from Marie Stopes said that women from Poland, where abortion is illegal, could have been driven to find a way around the rules.

Marie Stopes helps thousands of Irish women each year who pay to have terminations privately in the UK.

According to ONS figures, only 30 Polish women took this course of action in 2008.

Mr Kerridge said: "We see several thousand Irish women who pay for the service on an annual basis and there is a huge disparity with that number of 30 that came from Poland.

"Something interesting is going on. What it really speaks to in the case of Ireland and Poland is that when a woman is pregnant and doesn't want to be she will go to any length to end that pregnancy, and potentially get involved with something that's not quite above board."

Copyright © Press Association 2010


 

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