British doctors vote to ease early abortion

In Britain, doctors have voted in favor of giving women quicker access to abortions in early pregnancy. Medics attending the British Medical Association (BMA) conference voted by 67 percent to 33 percent in favor of removing the need for two doctors' signatures to allow an abortion in the first trimester. The move effectively removes the need for women to meet pre-determined criteria that continuing with the pregnancy poses a risk to their medical or physical health. It will also allow them to access abortion services in the first three months of pregnancy as easily as other treatments. The motion said current laws should be amended so that "first trimester abortion would be available on the same basis of informed consent as other treatment and therefore without the need for two doctors' signatures." However, doctors rejected calls for midwives and nurses to be able to carry out first trimester abortions with suitable training. They also voted against relaxing laws on what is an "approved" place to carry out first trimester abortions. If doctors had voted in favor, it would have paved the way for abortions to be performed in places like GP surgeries. Liberal Democrat MP Dr. Evan Harris (Oxford West and Abingdon), who is a member of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee, proposed the motion. He asked the conference: "Why on earth should women seeking termination -- often distressed and anxious -- be faced with irrational barriers, perceived or real, or face potential delays leading to later abortion when first trimester abortion, and in particular early medical abortion in the first nine weeks, is known to be safer and easier? "We should ask ourselves why we as a country carry out terminations at a later stage on average than other European countries who use informed consent for the first trimester." Government figures published earlier this month showed that the number of abortions performed in England and Wales rose 3.9 percent in 2006 with women aged 19 recording the highest abortion rate at 35 per 1,000. A total of 89 percent of abortions were carried out under 13 weeks. More than two thirds (68 percent) were under 10 weeks. A total of 30 percent of all abortions were carried out by giving the woman tablets (medical abortion) -- up on the 24 percent figure for 2005.