WUNRN
Via ASTRA
"Marie
Stopes International (MSI) is the UK's leading provider of sexual and
reproductive healthcare services. Our nationwide network of sexual health clinics
see over 100,000 men and women each year who come to us for information, advice
and professional care." http://www.mariestopes.org.uk/Home.aspx
London
- National newspapers this week (December 15th) have carried stories alleging
the up to 10,000 Polish women every year are accessing abortions in the UK at a
cost to the NHS of more than £10 million.
Marie Stopes International today (17th December0 confirmed its support for
Polish women who are forced to go to the extreme of travelling to the UK to
access safe abortion services.
“As is the case in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta and other EU states,
access to abortion is severely restricted in Poland,” said Liz Davies,
Marie Stopes International’s UK and European Director. “Little wonder that,
when faced with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, these women will go to any
lengths to end them, including travelling halfway across Europe. Any criticism should
lie with those states that restrict women’s access to safe abortion, not with
the women themselves.”
Ms Davies also criticised newspaper reports which implied that thousands of
Polish women travelled to the UK exclusively to access abortion.
“There are many, many thousands of Polish women living, working and paying
taxes in the UK. Inevitably some of these will fall pregnant and choose to
terminate and they are fully entitled to access services on the NHS.
“From the records maintained on abortion, it is impossible to estimate what
proportion of Polish women – if any – has entered the country under false
pretences with the express purpose of getting an NHS abortion. It is divisive
and unfair of the newspapers to make such claims.”
Marie Stopes International is the UK’s largest independent provider of abortion
services, seeing one third of the entire annual caseload in England and Wales.
The majority of the abortions MSI provides are carried out under under contract
to the NHS.
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