Lord Moylan’s Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill, which received its First Reading in the UK House of Lords on Tuesday, is a welcome attempt to bring greater transparency to the issue of abortion complications.
The Bill would require the Secretary of State to publish an annual report on complications arising from abortions in England, including overall complication rates, rates by age, abortion method and gestation, as well as complications arising from parts of an unborn baby remaining in the mother’s womb after an abortion.
Abortion is not ‘healthcare’ as its supporters claim. As well as ending the lives of unborn babies, it can also place some women at great risk. Full and honest reporting of complications – whether physical or psychological, minor or serious – is the very least that women deserve.
If abortion providers and campaigners are confident that current practices are as safe as they claim, there should be no objection to publishing the evidence. Transparency and accountability should not be controversial.
It will be interesting to see how abortion supporters respond to this latest proposal. Meanwhile, in Ireland, similar open and transparent reporting should also be demanded.