The Mos Basic Right Ofali

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by narrowing the time limit, or by strengthening the so-called "conscience clause' Although these, and other attempts to reverse the 1967 Act have been made by Tory MPs, the political representatives of the capitalist class, the extent of abortion rights does not directly reflect the needs of the capitalists.

In the period of the post war boom, when there was a labour shortage, abortion remained illegal in Britain.

At present when there is high unemployment, abortion restriction might be seen as a way of reducing the number of women seeking employment by pressuring them into becoming mothers.

Motherhood

lowever, a more important actor won• seem to be th general ideological view, espoused by the Tories, that a woman's traditional and proper role in society is that of motherhood, and that abortion is an unnatural rejection of that role.

Nevertheless the anti-abortion camp is not homogenous.

It . comprises Roman Catholics, moralists and opponents of women's rights of all kinds.

The attacks on women's rights to fertility control do not end with legislative changes. The NHS cuts affect abortion and contraceptive facilities no less than gynaecology. and health care in general.

Abortion waiting lists are growing monthly, but services continue to be cut rather than expanded. Yet, policy decisions are made in an arbitrary and illogical way.

The expansion of services to institute day care abortion clinics would in fact work out cheaper, as well as being easier for most women, than an overnight stay in hospital.

Yet, despite campaigns, few such clinics have been set up. Meanwhile the growth of private medicine, and its pilfering of NHS resources weakens the state service further.

This grim picture is rendered more horrifying by constant abuses. Sterilisation during abortion or after childbirth, without the woman's consent, or after she has signed a consent form under duress, is not uncommon.

Women from the ethnic minorities are especially prey to this, just as they have been singled out for testing' new drugs and birth control techniques • such as Depo Provera.

On the other hand, there is a singular lack of information especially for young women, about the availability of abortion and abortion methods. Information about contraceptives is not much better.

The problems do not end when women do use contraceptives or manage to get an abortion. The types of contraceptives available and the abortion methods used are limited, not • totally safe, and insufficiently tested before being made widely available.

This is equally true of drugs administered to women during pregnancy.

Many, though not all, feminists see this as a result of male control of research and the health professions-men who use their position to exploit women and allow inadequate care. While it is true that men predominate in these, as in most other professions, the most important reason why research into and practice of fertility control does not meet women's needs, is because most research is carried out by drug companies on the basis of profitability.

Most contraceptive research focuses heavily on hormones, drugs and invasive devices such as hormone released IUDs, prostaglandins, injectable progestogens • and anti-pregnancy vaccines.

There is relatively little research on safer and cheaper mechanical and barrier methods, contraceptives which act locally rather than svstematically or methods which require no mechanical intervention whatsoever.

These methods include the cervical cap, diaphragm, contraceptive sponge, ovulation method and thermal sperm control. Not only are these methods safer, but they tend not to require professiona medical care. They are therefore cheaper but don't offer the chance of. high profits for drug companies.

Instead the Pill remains the most common means of contraception in this country, despite the fact that it is known to produce side effects and is potentially very harmful for some women.

This bias in the, pharmaceutical industry is reflected in contraceptive research outside the industry. In 1976, out of $70 million spent worldwide on contraceptive research,, only $50,000 was spent on barrier method research.

Safe birth control methods do not receive priority by those who control research spending, while potentially dangerous methods attract the majority of work for positive legislation tr funds. force AHAs to provide abortior The development and heavy and contraceptive services. advertising of new products which are deleterious to inant concern with campaigning women's health, extends over legislation, to a SAIPT beyond contraceptives to other extent ignores the need for areas. Deodorant Tampons are action to stop NAs cuts, and to the latest death-risk, which have been found to be connected services. with potentially fatal toxic shock.

Vaginal deodorants, introduced some years ago, have must be the immediate focus for since been withdrawn due to an action, with the perspective of active feminist campaign to alert fighting for the nationalisation women to their health risks. of private medical resources and the drug companies, which exploit the NHS.

tion of AHA accountability to Equally, many women are consumers of the health services prescribed a whole range of is vital. drugs-tranquilisers, anti-depressants, etc. in response to inadequacy of NHS services turn anxiety, frustration and othei to voluntary and self help alter'disorders' which often result natives and have on a limited from bad housing, lack of child basis set up women's health care facilities pue such groups. problems.

Understandable frustration does not take up the fight to at being forced to stay at home make the state provide adequate unwillingly, or working in an services to meet women's needs. unsatisfactory job are only too In the long term it is vital to often diagnosed as illness'. transform AHAs into elected part or a ganying pool of cone bodies, accountable to workers and consumers in the health sumers for drug companies' service and sensitive to the products.

It is estimated that 67% of logical as well as other patients. psychoactive drugs are given to women and each year one- easily effected, for they conflict third of the women over the age with government committment of 30 receive prescriptions for tranquilisers, stimulants or antidepressants.

Capitalist society's failure to meet the needs of women becomes the source of profit for capitalist drug companies. GPs faced with a barrage of drug company adverts are urged to prescribe one brand rather than another. The psychoactive drug market, like the contraceptive market, is big business.

Clearly the present situation affecting women's health and the inadequate birth control methods in particular, demand immediate attention.

If Stewart does go ahead with an anti-abortion Bill, it will require no less a campaign than the anti-Corrie action, to defeat it. Indeed it stands a better chance of surviving than Corrie's, since limited clause Bills are more likely to find favour with MPs.

The National Abortion Campaign is already planning a. campaign against the expected Bill, and despite NAC's limitations, resulting from its broad based nature, and its inadequate orientation towards the labour movement, it remains the main focus for campaigners against abortion restriction.

NAC recognises the to the reduction -indeed destruction-of the NHS.

It also conflicts with the Nevertheless, NAC's predom- traditional role of the medical nonfaarina, dantron prolesson: uociors, anu more so, consultants, are not bound to take account of the preferences and views of their fight for extension of existing patients, neither are they willing to lose their control over them.

The daily erosion of The struggle for a woman's abortion and contraceptive right to choose on fertility services by cuts and closures control has already led to campaigns for abortion clinios to which women can refer themselves, by-passing their GP.

Predictably, this has been strongly resisted by most GPs.

In many ways it seems At the same time the ques incredible that in the 'enlightened' '80s women should still not have the right to decide for themselves whether or not to Feminists who recognise the have children, and should be unable to control their fertility safely and effectively.

Reactionary ideas about the extent of women's rights which While understandable, this are part of the whole sexist ideology about women's place in society seek to justify women's oppression.

The fight for a woman's right to choose about birth control, including abortion, is a fight not only against Tory cuts and capitalist control of the expressed needs of gynaeco- drugs industry, but also a particularly sharp confrontation These changes will not be with sexist ideology. Clearly neither fight has been won yet.

Masses oppose Corrie anti-abortion Bill POSITIVE LEGISLATION LONDON MARCH 14 1981 Details and registration from

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Class conscious workers will have been affronted by the abysmal, crawling performance of the WRP at the movement means continual declining sales of the Newsline. By September 1980 the organisation was losing £10,000 per heroes, Saddam Hussein and Khomeini, were at war with one another over territorial rights.