User:CesFranCa11/OLES2129/Anti-Abortion Movement

I chose to edit the Anti-Abortion Movement page which required editing as of January 2019. It not only piqued my interest but was a recent flag for editing.

Two sections that I found interesting that “needed expansion” were the Ireland section and the UK section. I found a reliable source; an article from the British Sociology Association - a reliable association with published work not containing original research from the authors allowing me to write objectively to edit the page.

To the UK section I added

The Anti-Abortion Act of 1967 had significant effect in Britain (excluding Northern Ireland). Rather than overturning the existing law, the act state that if at least two doctors deemed the reasons for abortion in alignment with the Act, it could legally be performed. This still meant that the punishment for women who obtained abortions contrary to the act were faced with potential life imprisonment. Doctors too could be prosecuted if they were found administering abortions without reasonable cause. To this day, there are many clinics in the UK that anti-abortion activists routinely stand outside; their goal being to discourage the women entering from having their abortions. This is through two processes known as “prayer vigils” which are sometimes whispered quietly and other times said aloud to actively dissuade, and “pavement counseling” where activists approach entering women to persuade them to continue with their pregnancies. This is a practice held in low regard by women who seek abortions and the organisations providing the service as it has been known to cause anxiety and distress.

To the Ireland section I added

Despite the 1967 Abortion Act which was a significant landmark for women in the UK, it did not apply to Northern Ireland. These women either had to travel to the mainland to receive medication or face criminal charges for purchasing abortion pills illegally.