Reannon Tapp (pictured right), who features in the DVD “Reannon’s Journey” made by Christian charity Pregnancy Crisis Norfolk, was one of the main speakers at a seminar in the House of Commons on Tuesday October 14.
PCN director, Biddy Collyer, who was the another speaker, said: “Reannon spoke about her passion that women should be given all the information they need before making a decision on whether or not to have an abortion.”
The seminar was organised by CARE in conjunction with Angela Watkinson MP who has tabled an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill due to be debated in the House on October 22. The amendment is that women should be offered information and counselling.
“Reannon movingly described her experience of having a 16-week abortion and being unprepared for what she had to undergo,” said Biddy. “Her main concern is that women should be given the opportunity to explore their feelings with an independent agency such as Pregnancy Crisis before making their decision. She was not given details of such support until after she had her abortion. Reannon is currently setting up a website called “Silent No More” to provide a forum for women to share their abortion experience.”
Biddy Collyer (pictured right) spoke on the need for informed consent for abortion in the same way that it is mandatory for other medical interventions. “From my experience, women are often emotionally ill-equipped for the procedure, nor do they understand about post-abortion stress,” she said. “Good, non-judgmental counselling from someone outside the situation is essential to enable women to come to an informed decision about whether or not to continue the pregnancy.”
Dr Peter Saunders, from the Christian Medical Fellowship also spoke. He went through the other amendments that have been tabled, included extending the law to cover Northern Ireland. He also showed that current research is showing a stronger link between abortion and subsequently mental health problems and the need for medical institutions to recognise this in their recommendations.
In her summing up, Angela Watkinson, encouraged everyone who was concerned about the outcome of next week’s bill to lobby their MPs about the need for informed consent, to oppose the extension of the bill to Northern Ireland, and to vote against the amendment that proposes that only one doctor should sign the consent form.
You can contact PCN on 01603 616580.
