Monday, June 02, 2008

Limited

A follow up to this: made myself angry this morning, as I knew I would, by finally listening to the Woman's Hour podcast on reducing the abortion time limits. Nadine Dorries again arguing for reduction of the upper limits, whereas the gynaecologists and obstetricians - the medical professionals who have studied the science - are arguing against it. To reiterate: the scientists, the trained professionals on one side; and a woman who argues "I believe" constantly, not the science folks. Unsurprising, but always worth noting that science not on her side.

NOTE: I realise I did not explain this fully, because I had been expecting to link to the article on the Woman's Hour website, but I couldn't find it. Essentially, the issue I have with Dorries here is that she was arguing for the science, the medicine, the psychological studies, yet she could not find an obstetrician to argue on her side, whereas every official body argues in fact against her. It wasn't about "saving the innocent babies" but about science - and she's wrong. Again.

2 comments:

Praguetory said...

I don't know in what way you think this is a scientific question. It's a question that balances rights, duties and the tone of our society.

GGA said...

When someone - a layperson, like this MP - is arguing that there are scientific and medical reasons for reducing the limits, reasons which are thoroughly rejected by the Royal College of Gynaecologists & Obstetricians, then we're talking about scientific & medical reasons. I'm arguing on her terms. If we're talking about rights, and duties and the tone of our society - which she wasn't - then that's a different part of the debate.