More contraception the answer to repeat abortions?

The other day, Mark Pritchard MP received a written answer from Dawn Primarolo to his question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in England had more than (a) four, (b) five, (c) six and (d) seven abortions by the end of 2006.
Here is the answer from Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo. There is a follow-up article in the Telegraph and a piece on the BBC website. The article in the Daily Mail gives most in the way of analysis of the figures: 1,300 women have had at least FIVE abortions.

In response to these appalling figures, the Department for Health obsessively sticks to the party line of "more and better contraception." They say:
"Women who have undergone abortion are at risk of future unintended pregnancies, and represent an important group with unmet contraceptive needs.

Future contraception should be discussed, and supplies offered, before a woman is discharged following abortion."
As if women are not already offered contraceptive advice when they present for an abortion! Pregnant young woman are hectored with contraceptive advice the moment they find their way anywhere near the health service. I have come across several disturbing cases recently which could quite properly be described as bullying in which women who have no desire to use contraceptives are hectored by the doctor or practice nurse for being "irresponsible." We also know that groups offering help to women in crisis pregnancies report that the majority are already using one or more forms of contraception. Whatever is at the root of this heartbreaking story, it is not "unmet contraceptive needs."

Labour MP Chris McCaffery said:
"The simple equation is that poor contraception services equal more rates of abortion, including repeat ones."
No, the simple equation is that more contraceptive services leads to more abortions, (and more STIs) because of the encouragement of irresponsible sexual activity. The "typical use" failure rate (i.e. rate of unintended pregnancies per year) of 8% for the Pill and 15% for the condom is quoted by sources sympathetic to the promotion of contraception. See for example, the table at Contraceptive Information Resource. That tells you all you really need to know about why promoting "risk free" contraceptive sex leads to abortion as a stopgap.

Our very own FPA gives figures for "Contraceptive methods with user failure" - but they give the figures for when they are "used according to instructions" i.e. when there is no user failure. The use of these completely unrealistic figures helps to explain why young women are fooled into a false sense of security.

The more interesting question is why the Department of Health doggedly persists in its current utterly discredited policy. Apparently, they are going to spend another £26.8 million of our money in 2008-2009 on the same approach.

I thought it was an appropriate day to write about this as we meditate on the Passion and Death of Christ offered up for our sins. Those include our sins of omission for failing to give adequate witness to the truth of the teaching of Humanae Vitae. Please remember in your prayers all those who have had an abortion, those who have co-operated by encouragement or by silence, and those who are in a crisis pregnancy now.

Popular posts from this blog

1962 Missal pdf online

The Church Music Association of America and Jeffrey Tucker of the New Liturgical Movement have made available the 1962 Missal online in pdf format (72Mb). The file is hosted at Musica Sacra , the website of the CMAA, thanks to a generous gift from Fr Robert Skeris While you are at it, take a look at the articles clarifying the rules for music at Low Mass and music at High Mass .
Read more

Plenary indulgences not impossible

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec
Read more

Request for Novena to Blessed Pius IX

Image
A priest friend of mine is ill in hospital. He has a special devotion to Blessed Pius IX. Could I ask you, of your charity, to say a Novena for his speedy recovery. Novena In Honour of Blessed Pius IX Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX, who consecrated the Universal Church to you. (Our Father...) O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you Immaculate. (Hail Mary...) Saint Joseph, spouse of the most pure Virgin Mary, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you the Patron of the Universal Church. (Glory be...) Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Mary, our Hope, and Saint Joseph hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX , granting to us through his merits and intercessions the graces which we ardently desire: that the glory of God be revealed through Father's illness. (Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be
Read more

Saint Gabriel

Image
The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai
Read more

God bless America!

Image
I wish you all a very happy Fourth of July over there in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I thought I was a bit late but then realised that it is still early evening for you. I hope you had an enjoyable day. For the video this year, here is Kate Smith IN 1938 introducing the new composition "God Bless America."
Read more