Pro Life Movement says news of eleven abortions through GHA marks 'sad day' for Gibraltar

The Pro Life Movement says the revelation of the decision by eleven women to undergo abortions through the GHA marks a "sad day" for Gibraltar.

This follows a report in the Chronicle which cited GHA data showing fifteen women have accessed the service since it was introduced in July, with eleven choosing to proceed to a termination.

In a statement, the Pro Life Movement says while the figure of eleven abortions may appear small, it fully expects these numbers to grow as time goes on if women are not offered better options than abortion.

Spokesperson, Patricia Parody, says in a meeting with the Minister for Health last July, the movement presented recommendations on "supporting women and families" and "mitigating the extreme nature" of the new law. She says they asked the Minister to ensure women "have all the details they need on alternatives to abortion".

The Chronicle article refers to GHA Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Chandrika Balachandar, as saying the GHA does not offer guidance, but a clear explanation of all the options open to women. It adds four of the fifteen women who accessed the service opted to proceed with their pregnancies.

The Pro Life Movement adds it is "extremely concerned that most of the abortions took place at home without sufficient medical supervision", saying it suggested to the Minister that the abortion pill should be medically supervised at all times, as there must be a "duty of care towards the woman seeking the abortion".

Of the eleven abortions carried out at the GHA, all took place at eight weeks or under, and all but one were medical abortions involving pills. The GHA's abortion care guide says the first tablet will be taken orally "whilst in clinic or hospital", with the woman able to go home after an hour. The second tablet, taken one to two days later, will see a "day case attendance" at the hospital, with it deemed "safe and acceptable" for the woman to leave two hours after the medicine is administered to "complete the abortion at home".

The Pro Life Movement encourages pregnant women and young families in need to contact its CareLink programme for practical help. It says though the figures appear small, they represent "eleven unborn lives", as well as "eleven women within our community who we want to support in every way".