EGA STAYS OK abortion off." pill LATE abortion b Ilkely to be the anti-abortionists next target. They talk about the foedus's right to life in emotional language.
This B the story of one late we leave it to you to judge the effects If the HOTELA concerned had been forced to go through with her pregnancy.
Anita Bennett spoke to Harriet.
sunlicht smiling and talking about he Harriet sat in the afternoon arl. She is 25 I've finished my apprenticesh:
nd now it's just beginning to tal She b a serene and friendly person, totally without a trace resentment or depression in Which comes as a surprise when you learn that she was a victim of medical bungling Something which led to her having a late termination, months pregnant.
Ironically she fell pregnant in February 1975, the launching time of the infamous James White Abortion Amendment Hill.
*You know 1 felt terrible on the Jeft permanent piguientation on my skin. It happens to lots of women - they should all be we bed been off the pill for 5 months when I made love for the last time with the man I had been going with for 6 years, I must have been that last nigh that E conceived.
*1 went Tor months without an relationships. Then I began to Tee and was sick every morming. boobs got bigger.
*My periods continued normally for the same length of time. After four months 1 went to see my Gr who had training in gynaccolony By this time I was living at home and planning to leave the country.
"Well. least уви те пос pregnant, he told me. "Take some & BERY of her dark of these pills for your lumny." mother waste see way. She didnt I didn't feel any bigger. even look pregnant when she was seven months along. *And periods are no indication either. A friend of mine continued to have her periods even when she was pregnant with twins. It was quite a shockl *I took the pills that the GP gave me. I asked him again if he was sure I wasn't pregnant?
Off i went for another month By that time I was feeling alright, but still not putting on any weight. Then I went to a Harley Street gynaecologist. In a very clipped tone he said to me: Young lady, you are five and a half months pregnant, Good luck to you. 'He didn't believe my story about continuing periods. through my GP.
helpful.
TIC WAS charged Relieved to showvery nice can't tell you. my parents.
June He said couldn't get rid of it now and he told me to book in at the ante-natal clinic *I felt desperate, desperate. And synecologist. He had always been so DOESES Harriet's voice warmed as she spoke about her final gynaecologist, someone she had known previously. She didn't want to ask him, because going on holiday for two weeks. So she went to four or five gynaccologists over the next week.
"They all said they couldn'! do it I don't know whether it was because of their consciences or hecause of the law. There is one man who will do anything if you pay, he would have E1000 -TOT whole *I couldn't tell anyone, not my parents nor my oid boyfriend. It was all over. Finally, when I couldn't get anyone cise this nice man told me to stop worrying, that he would get me a late abortion on the NHS as soon as he came back from holiday.
At this time I was just beginning •I went into a regular gynae ward and was told not to say anything to the otber women. They didn't ask *There was a strict little sister who treated me like a slut until she learned what bad happened. Then she was • was in bospital for three woeks because there was some infection But I felt so relieved scraightaway, 1 Of course, 1 feel badly about it sometimes, but there was no way that I could have raised a baby under those circumstances, *Mayhe now it's different, but then I would have had to depend on • The National Abortion Campaige national conference ls on 9 and 10 at Meadows Coramunity Centre, Queens Walk, Nottingham Detuils from NAC. 374 Grays Inn Rd, Loadon WC1. Tel: 01-278 0153.
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