What choice does 'pro-choice' really support

One solution might be to make it easier for women to maintain some sort of contact with their child following adoption. Although adoptive parents might not be thrilled by this prospect, if it can be done in a way that promotes the best interests of the child as well as the birth mother then it is something we ought to consider. This is especially so given research suggesting that many women end up regretting having an abortion.

There is considerable scope for non-government agencies to provide support to women by way of assistance or participation in these schemes.

The Catholic Church in Scotland has been very successful in doing this. Seeing the need to offer women real choices (including the choice to keep their babies), in 1997 the late Cardinal Thomas Winning set up a radical support initiative for pregnant women. This initiative is open to any woman, of any background, religion, race or class who wants help to keep her baby. Sometimes the help provided is simply a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes it consists of advice about housing or state benefit entitlements whilst at other times financial support is given.

If pro-choice advocates are really genuine in championing women’s rights then it is time they work at providing women with more options than just the choice to terminate.