Nearly 500 Women Obtained Abortion Pills At Home Via Local Services In 2023: Doctors For Life Reacts
After the revelation that almost 500 women received abortion pills at home through a local service in 2023, Doctors for Life have issued a statement calling for an increase in the availability and affordability of contraception locally.
“Legal protection of the human foetus reflects the scientific truth that the human foetus is alive and therefore fully merits safeguarding,” the 0rganisation insisted.
This reaction comes after it was unveiled yesterday that in 2023, 491 pregnant women in Malta utilised telemedicine services to access abortion pills, marking a 16% rise from the preceding year’s statistics.
Doctors for Life said the data clearly showed that “abortion is already in Malta and more people are opting to terminate their pregnancy in their own homes.”
“Terminating a pregnancy using abortion pills at home is considered safe up to 12 weeks of pregnancy by authoritative medical organisations, including the World Health Organisation,” the organisation said.
“Women in Malta should not be considered criminal for accessing abortion care services that are legal in all other EU states, and yet we continue to see cases in Malta of vulnerable women being summoned in front of courts for terminating their own pregnancy,” it continued.
The Pro-life organisation rebutted this statement, saying that “abortions taking place before the 12th week of pregnancy involve a foetus that is a rapidly developing human being,” adding that “development starts in earnest after fertilisation and by week 12, the unborn child is fully developed.”
The organisation then said that due to the “scientific truth” that the fetus is alive, it merits full legal protection.
“This also highlights the need to increase the availability and affordability of contraception locally, including the introduction of contraceptives on the government formulary,” Doctors for Life stressed.
The organisation went on to emphasise the importance of socioeconomic support that can be accessed by the women who end up falling pregnant without wanting to keep the baby so that “ending an unborn human life is avoided” – “The assistance is available,” Doctors for Life stressed.
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