Confirmation that more than 9,300 calls were made to the HSE’s My Options helpline in the first eight months of this year has been described as alarming and tragic by the Pro Life Campaign.
Commenting on the news that the numbers included 244 calls from women who had passed the 12-week limit for a medical abortion, spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign, Eilís Mulroy said it was clear that virtually nothing is being done in terms of actively promoting life affirming alternatives or meaningful supports for women in crisis:
“These numbers bear out the assessment provided by the Pro Life Campaign prior to the referendum, particularly with respect to the absurd claim that abortion once introduced would be ‘safe, legal and rare.’
“Even if we allow for the fact that at least some of the recorded calls may have been repeat or follow up calls, the numbers remain profoundly shocking.
“If 6000 of the 9,300 callers went on to have an abortion, this would equate to, on average, about 25 abortions every day of the eight month period that we have information on.
“This is a horrific outcome by any measure in terms of the loss of unborn human life and the damage being done to vulnerable woman.
“We also must ensure that these latest numbers are not used as grounds to call for either expansion of access or the normalisation of abortion.
“Instead they should be used to highlight the absolute failure to promote and provide realistic alternatives to abortion,” Ms Mulroy concluded.
ENDS