‘Are These Ill-Informed Myths?’

at

From top (left to right) Dr Bela Ganatra and Dr Ronald Johnson, of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research in the World Health Organisation and Dr Abigail Aiken, Assistant Professor at LBJ School of Public Affairs, Texas; Dr Johnson, and Sinn Fein Senator Paul Gavan

This afternoon.

At a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

Representatives of the World Health Organisation Dr Abigail Aiken, Assistant Professor at LBJ School of Public Affairs, Texas; and Dr Ronald Johnson and Dr Bela Ganatra, from the Department of Reproductive Health and Research in the World Health Organisation, fielded questions from members of the committee.

At one point…

Paul Gavan: “I just want to get rid of a couple of myths that have been spun on one particular side of the debate. Could someone from the panel, please, tell me what are the risks associated with abortion? Does it, for example, result in higher risk of breast cancer? Does it result in a higher risk of mental health problems? Or are these ill-informed myths?…”

Ronald Johnson: “…As far as we know and this is in the guidelines, there are no known risks for breast cancer, for future reproduction, for mental health, no greater for women who have abortion than normal…than the general population.”

Meanwhile…

Dr Rhona Mahony, Master at National Maternity Hospital, Holles St and Professor Fergal Malone, Master at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital are due to start taking questions shortly.

Watch live here

Sponsored Link

25 thoughts on “‘Are These Ill-Informed Myths?’

    1. Daisy Chainsaw

      Stroppy and cross because actual medical experts who deal with actual real women and their healthcare needs are providing real facts in relation to abortion.

      A novena ain’t going to cut it today!

  1. newsjustin

    The breast cancer “link” always sounded dodgy to me.

    The WHO representatives also confirmed that abortion does increase the risk of deadness in unborn humans by 10000%. *

    * They didn’t tbf

    1. Daisy Chainsaw

      Well of course they didn’t because, according to antichoice groups who peddle breast cancer and mental health myths, not all abortions are successful and babies are left crying and dying all over the place. Some even grow up into antichoice campaigners.

      1. newsjustin

        Of course. Increasing the risk, even by 10000% doesn’t mean abortions are 100% successful. Some of the slippery little chancers are bound to slip through and insist on living.

          1. newsjustin

            It was a ballpark figure. My point (only in response to your abortion survivor query) is that you can increase a probability hugely and still not arrive at certainty.

          2. Daisy Chainsaw

            What do you base that “ballpark figure” on… other than picking figures out of orifices? Any legitimate statistics

            That’s the problems with antis who make stuff up and blatantly lie. Can’t trust them, can’t believe them… But (as much as I’d like to), can’t ignore the lies either.

          3. newsjustin

            You got me Daisy. The hilariously rounded 10000% figure was totes made up.

            I don’t know how much abortion increases the risk of deadness by.

  2. phil

    If your are religious , and are worried about about getting an abortion, just remember, ask for forgiveness on your deathbed , and all will be grand…

    1. newsjustin

      Strictly speaking, that would only work (if you’re talking about an actual deathbed confession) if you were genuinely sorry for having done it.

  3. Yep

    I had a couple of older pro-life people at the door last night.

    The pamphlet was awful and I disagree with their position but genuinely lovely people. Just throwing it out there.

    Not everyone with a different opinion is a monster. Ye know…

    1. bad@memes

      Yeah but…
      I find them to be 10,000% MORE likely to be uneducated / educated badly / bad at educating etc

      – And that’s why I have a big dog.
      (His name is Roger.
      Roger The Dog… )

      (Geddit?)

      1. Yep

        She did hand me a mini-prayer from the hidden stack at the elbow crease once she became comfortable…

        Maybe buried the lead a little but they were still really nice people.

  4. Peter Dempsey

    If you don’t like abortion then do the following:
    1) Don’t have an abortion
    2) Vote to retain the 8th.

    1. newsjustin

      And if you do like abortion:

      1) Vote to repeal the 8th amendment
      2) Name your first unaborted child Johnny Aborto

      1. scottser

        There it is. The post that finally shows you up as a bit of a willy. I used to like your reasonable tone and always had some respect for challenging the orthodoxy on here but I always suspected you had this in you.
        Or maybe this is the crap you used to post at the indo.
        Ah well.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie