The Abortion Rights Campaign calls on the government to tackle refusal of care and instutitional obstruction so that abortion can be accessed locally across the country.
“The refusal to provide care is the single biggest barrier to accessing abortion in Ireland.” says spokesperson JoAnne Neary. “In huge swathes of the country, people still have to make long and difficult journeys to access reproductive healthcare – exactly what we voted against on May 25, 2018”.
Research conducted by the Abortion Rights Campaign indicates that refusal to provide is a substantial barrier to patient-centred care. One participant outlined the practical barriers in accessing care when so few doctors provide:
“My GP refused to carry out the abortion or refer me to another doctor, which delayed my abortion by two weeks. I found out quite early on, and had to drag a pregnancy on for an excruciatingly long two extra weeks without any need, simply because my GP did not want to prescribe the pills.”
The Abortion Rights Campaign demands that the refusal to provide is tackled with meaningful action, not the lip-service various governments have paid to abortion rights since the repeal of the 8th Amendment more than three years ago.
—ENDS—
Notes:
The Abortion Rights Campaign will be launching the results of research into people’s experiences accessing abortion in Ireland on 22nd September 2021 at 11am.
The Abortion Rights Campaign will be holding a demonstration at the Dáil to mark the 10th Annual March for Choice on Saturday 25th Septmber at 2pm.
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