The Canadian Model

The Abortion Rights Coalition in Canada has a lot of great resources on its Web site, including on issues like [warning, following link is to a pdf] "How to Establish a Pro-Choice Group on Campus" and [another pdf -- this one a lovely colour poster] "How to Think About the Fetus",  but one piece that's particularly relevant is "The Case for Repealing Anti-Abortion Laws" by Joyce Arthur. We recommend giving it a read.

Among other things, it provides really useful information to counter the claim that decriminalisation means sky-rocketing abortion rates. To quote Arthur's paper:

Canada's abortion rate compares favourably to western Europe’s rate of 12, the lowest abortion rate in the world. In contrast, the American rate is 20, and U.S. women must navigate through a thicket of abortion restrictions. (The global average rate is 29 per 1,000 women, with the highest number of abortions occurring in countries where it's illegal, and in countries with poor access to contraception.) Canada’s abortion rates increased after the old law was thrown out in 1988, but that was due to better access and less stigma. Rates began to decline in 1998, and have declined steadily every year since.

(New Zealand's rate as of 2009 is 19.2)

Anyway, please read...and do send feedback. This blog is moderated, so comments may take a while to appear. To get quicker action, email us at safeandlegal[at]gmail.com

Thanks for your understanding.