Thursday, July 20, 2006

Potential common ground. Would you come aboard?

HT: Birth Story

Amnesty International Getting Cold Feet over Abortion Support, New Zealand Branch Clarifies:
"A small majority thought AI should take a position calling for legal, safe and accessible abortion...." Another vote showed that "A large majority thought AI should take a position calling for access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion."

Aside from just improving women's health overall, it was improved treatment of abortion complications that was behind the massive fall in maternal mortality during the middle of the 20th Century. Though I'd of course want to see increased access to treatment for all health issues, especially obstetric issues.

In the US, one area we could potentially find common ground on is alerting women (not just women who've recently had abortions) to the risk of ectopic pregnancy. A PSA on the risks, symptoms, and need to seek immediate medical care would help many women, not just those who've had abortions. And the PSAs would raise awareness so that the women who are most at risk for undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy -- women who have just undergone abortion procedures -- will have internalized the idea that these symptoms are an emergency.

So here's the trial balloon. Is that something that the people here in this blog could get behind? PSAs to alert women to the risks of undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, including a warning that women who've just undergone induced abortion are at highest risk (Just as women who are using tampons are at highest risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome), and telling women to seek care immediately, even if the abortion facility is reassuring them that all is well? Because it's that last bit that's the killer. Women who have been alarmed by their symptoms have called the clinic and have been reassured that their symptoms were normal, and have died as a result.

Please post what your stand is on abortion, and where you stand on the idea of a common ground ectopic pregnancy awareness campaign.

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