Workers Solidarity Movement

It was reported 27th October that yet another woman has been arrested and charged for having an illegal abortion through use of pills obtained online in northern Ireland. It is believed that the woman sought medical help after taking the pills and so we can only assume that she was reported to the police by staff at the hospital.

The scapegoating of women and the scaremongering surrounding the very safe abortion pills continues however. In this report the BBC - who are obviously acting as the henchman of the misogynist state - took the opportunity to spread dangerous misinformation about the so-called Abortion Pill (which in reality is two pills, namely mifepristone and misoprostol).

Among the lies aired out  was the shocking statement by a Doctor at QUB’s School of Pharmacy that “a number of women will actually require a blood transfusion" after taking the pills.

In contrast to his opinion, studies conducted by international organisations such as the World Health Organisation and Gynuity have found that the use of misoprostol for abortion is very safe, especially when taken early on in the pregnancy. According to the WHO taking the pills is safer than taking aspirin or viagra.

Of all the statements heard tonight the most insulting was that Stormont’s top priority is the care of women.

Caring for women doesn’t mean arresting someone for making a decision over their body; it doesn’t mean putting them through the torment of interviews over their very personal choices and circumstances and then charging them with a potential sentence of life imprisonment.

What kind of “care” means that we export 2 women from the north everyday to receive a care that they are denied at home – despite paying for the NHS.

One woman being targeted by the state over an abortion is one too many.

Our bodies are not democracies - or even faux democracies such as Stormont - where old men get to make all of our decisions for us because we’re too irrational to hold that capacity. Our bodies are dictatorships and we’re the ones in charge.

The thing about banning abortion is that it doesn’t stop them from taking place; they just make them unsafe. Through mifepristone and misoprostol we have a way to ensure that every single person the state fails is able to have a safe abortion and what we have seen here is an attempt to endanger women’s lives even further.

The state does not care about us, and it never will.

Solidarity and sisterhood are indispensable; we must look after one and other because if we don’t no one else will.

If you need an abortion please visit www.womenhelp.org for an online consultation. If you are nervous and would like advice please get in touch with the Abortion Support Network on www.asn.org.uk. Don’t forget you can always get in touch with the lovely folks over at Need Abortion Ireland – their textline is 0894902517 (00353 894 902 517 from the North).

#TrustWomen #NotACriminal
(originalyy publihsed October 27th)