Mass Fetus Find Stokes Thai Abortion Debate

[webfact]

Mass fetus find stokes Thai abortion debate

by Amelie Bottollier-Depois

BANGKOK, January 11, 2011 (AFP) - Nitancha, 17, ended her five-month pregnancy herself, causing severe bleeding. In a Buddhist nation where abortion is illegal and pregnant teens are stigmatised, the young Thai saw no other option.

Rejected by the baby's father and frightened at the idea of talking to her family, she sought a solution on the Internet, where suggestions ranged from throwing herself down the stairs to illegal clinics and abortion pills.

After saving for several months to scrape together 5,300 baht (175 dollars), Nitancha -- who was 16 at the time -- last year used a drug against stomach ulcers, because a possible side effect was to cause miscarriage.

It had the desired result -- accompanied by a lot of blood in the toilet of her new boyfriend's house, and an emergency trip to hospital.

"I only knew that I had to get rid of the baby. I was about to go to college. I was a high school senior. I had to have a future," said Nitancha, whose name has been changed at her request.

Since the discovery in a temple in Bangkok in November of more than 2,000 fetuses from illegal abortion clinics, the sensitive issue has shot up the national agenda.

Police are raiding suspected clinics, the government has suggested banning sex with girls under 20, and lawmakers have proposed relaxing legislation that only allows abortion in cases of rape or when the pregnancy is thought to pose a danger to the mother's physical or mental health.

But whatever the consequence of this new awareness, it will come too late for Nitancha, who is far from being an isolated case.

The discovered fetuses, which had been taken to the temple for cremation, were only the "tip of the iceberg", said Professor Kamheang Chaturachinda, president of the Women's Health and Reproductive Rights Foundation of Thailand.

According to this former president of the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 300,000 to 400,000 Thai women undergo abortions performed by untrained people in unhygienic conditions each year.

About 12 to 15 percent of them are teenagers.

In comparison, France -- which has a similar population of 65 million inhabitants and where abortion is legal -- has just over 200,000 abortions a year.

Abortions in back-street clinics pose a risk of complications, including infertility and death.

"When women go to illegal clinics, often afterwards they feel severe pain from infections, because the mission was not completed," said Montri Pekanan, director of the Family Planning Association of Thailand.

He supports the "principle" of a relaxation of the law, while wanting a strict framework to ensure women's safety.

Jaded Chouwilai, manager of the Friends of Women Foundation, a counselling group, also called for protection for women who "have no choice" when they take such a decision.

But there is little or no hope of changing the law in a society where abortion is seen as a "sin," say the two activists.

"It is related to religion. Buddhism does not say anything about abortion but says killing is forbidden. People are strongly against abortion," said Montri.

The government, gearing up for an election that is expected this year, has no intention of changing the abortion laws.

"To propose a new law, it needs the consensus of society," said Tares Krassanairawiwong, a senior official at Thailand's health ministry. "At the end of the day, I would say we will follow the way the society chooses to go."

Even if abortion was legalised, it might not put an end to operations in back-street clinics, said Professor Kamheang.

"The problem is healthcare providers do not want to carry out abortion for personal and religious reasons," he said.

Women's rights groups say that, while waiting for society to change, Thailand needs to develop comprehensive sex education programmes.

Nitancha, who had merely been counting the days of her cycle to avoid pregnancy, has her own message for other teenagers: "There are many ways to protect yourself, like using condoms, but if you know that you are a fun-loving girl who is not ready to be a mother, you'd better use birth control pills."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-11

Related topic:

Unwanted pregnancies

Current System Unfair To Pregnant Thai Students

Follow this link:

[TAWP]

The backside of making abortion illegal is the inevitable suffering of the mothers and children [to be/aborted late].

[Thai at Heart]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

[gotlost]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

In the mean time the girls from the village have to go to Bangkok to have an abortion so they may return as if nothing was wrong.

[Gers1873]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

In the mean time the girls from the village have to go to Bangkok to have an abortion so they may return as if nothing was wrong.

In the USofA this is one of the most polarizing topics in the public forum. People have died for a particular stance. Do not expect the debate to be quiet!!!

My own 2 cents --- you will never stop the practice of abortion. Better then to provide a safe environment for the women concerned. This needs to be combined with education in schools that 'abortion' is NOT a form of contraception. Sex education - not ignorance - for all.

[asiawatcher]

The debate will always continue but it is far better to have clinics who are reputable than risk the life of the mother, not just the taking of the life within. It is the lesser of the two evils. If you have ever aborted or knows someone who has, it leave a huge scar! It is not the solution but is an answer at present.

[Gers1873]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

In the mean time the girls from the village have to go to Bangkok to have an abortion so they may return as if nothing was wrong.

Double posting - very sorry :jap:

Edited January 11, 2011 by Gers1873

[hardy1943]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

In the mean time the girls from the village have to go to Bangkok to have an abortion so they may return as if nothing was wrong.

In the USofA this is one of the most polarizing topics in the public forum. People have died for a particular stance. Do not expect the debate to be quiet!!!

My own 2 cents --- you will never stop the practice of abortion. Better then to provide a safe environment for the women concerned. This needs to be combined with education in schools that 'abortion' is NOT a form of contraception. Sex education - not ignorance - for all.

I agree.You have an abortion issue in every country in the world and where illegal it only for the poor. The well healed will travel to a nice country where it is legal and come back as a virgin and the poor will try a coat hanger or some back alley and put their lives in danger.

Edited January 11, 2011 by hardy1943

[Kernow86]

I can sympathise with the Buddhist philosophy but many are suffering. Provide the service in a clean safe environment and start educating everybody early.

[tjrd12]

Abortion is good for a society...it keeps the unwanted from being born...also it should be free, as why add a potential welfare recipient??

[Screws]

http://www.pda.or.th/eng/fp.asp

[jayjay0]

Debate :

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.

3. deliberation; consideration.

Obviously this is the type of Thai debate where the "pooyai" tells us what is going to happen.

In the mean time the girls from the village have to go to Bangkok to have an abortion so they may return as if nothing was wrong.

In the USofA this is one of the most polarizing topics in the public forum. People have died for a particular stance. Do not expect the debate to be quiet!!!

My own 2 cents --- you will never stop the practice of abortion. Better then to provide a safe environment for the women concerned. This needs to be combined with education in schools that 'abortion' is NOT a form of contraception. Sex education - not ignorance - for all.

In the US of A they have a lot of Christian religious fanatics. Here in Thailand the Buddhist are a little more sedate.

Actually more Christian than some of the so called Christian's in the good old US of A.

[zakk9]

In a country where rape is seen as a God given right by many men and with teenage girls who mostly dare not accuse the perpetrator in fear for her own life, abortion should have been an obvious right. I regularly visit (and support financially) a couple of teenage mothers upcountry, some of those who do not want to solve their economic problems in a hotel bed in Pattaya. The standard of living for them and their children is below what most people would believe possible in Thailand. The only thing that is certain is that their sons and daughters will have no more chances of succeeding than themselves, unless they get advice and support. Unfortunately, the Thai society chooses to mostly ignore these kids. For some reason, this is a side of Thailand that is not on the menu of TAT... unseen Thailand anyone?

[Darwinite1]

I've been thinking about this topic a lot of late....is it not possible to have a baby 'drop off' location for unwanted pregnancies?

You are probably going to say this is naive, but they do it in many countries around the world. If a woman/young girl finds herself in a situation where she cannot keep the baby for whatever reason, instead of risking all the alternatives, she is able to just drop the baby off at a safe location and the relevant authorities take care of the baby and it is put up for adoption without any recourse for the mother legally speaking. Given there is usually a clinic or hospital or wat (at least one of these) in each populated area, couldn't they come up with a scheme to use these as drop off locations? As for how the system copes financially with all the additional babies and the other administrative issues, I've not thought that far, but it's a start in the right direction yes?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_hatch