Category: Journal Correspondence

(Correspondence) “Pro-abortion” versus “pro-choice”

Brian A Shamess

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
Although he may feel uncomfortable about being involved in abortions, the term “pro-abortion” is accurate. The term “pro-choice”, medically speaking, refers to a choice between killing a fetus and allowing it to live. The fetus is distinct in every way from the mother. . . . This is a medical fact. Therefore, doctors who perform abortions and the staff of abortion clinics are “pro-abortion”. Certainly they are “pro-choice” as well, in that they will allow a woman to choose between killing and granting life to the unborn child. . .

Shamess BA. (Correspondence) “Pro-abortion” versus “pro-choice”. Can Med Assoc J. 1988 May 15;138(10):890.

(Correspondence) Newfoundland has no legal abortion services

Louis A Aubé

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
Dr. Carl Robbins finds the fact that abortions are not available in his province “disgraceful, bordering on the unethical” (Can Med Assoc J 1986; 135: 910). He must be a young man, because it wasn’t long ago that it was disgraceful for a doctor to do abortions – besides which, it was a crime. As for Dr. Robbins’ call to ethics, I wonder what he is using for the basis of his code. Certainly not the Judeo-Christian formula. It must be the new “situation ethics”, which as applied to our general conduct is producing frightening results.

Aubé LA. (Correspondence) Newfoundland has no legal abortion services. Can Med Assoc J. 1987;136(4):324.

(Correspondence) Abortion: an issue that won’t go away

Ernest A Johnson

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
I have, as I am sure do many doctors, a framed version of the Hippocratic Oath prominently and proudly displayed in my waiting room. . . I had a very busy general medical and surgical practice, and during that time it was understandably considered ethical to do a truly therapeutic abortion when this very occasional truly medical necessity arose. . . .Times have changed, but there are some things that cannot change if we are to retain our self-respect as professionals.

Johnson EA. (Correspondence) Abortion: an issue that won’t go away. Can Med Assoc J. 1986 Nov 15;135(10):1062-1064.

(Correspondence) “The Silent Scream”: setting the record straight

Carlos Del Campo

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
A newsbrief in CMAJ 1985;132:1301) criticizing the videotape “The Silent Scream” failed to report the opinion of a highly qualified expert. Dr. Ian Donald, the original developer of diagnostic ultrasonography, former Regius professor of obstetrics at the University of Glasgow and honorary research consultant at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, spent 4 years filming fetal activity at various stages of gestation. Donald, in a sworn affidavit, wrote: “I have now studied Dr. Nathanson’s video-tape film entitled ‘The Silent Scream’ not less than four times and affirm that I am of the opinion that the fetal activities depicted by ultrasound real- time scanning in this film are not faked [or] the result of artefact intentional or otherwise”.

Campo CD. (Correspondence) “The Silent Scream”: setting the record straight. Can Med Assoc J. 1985 Sep 15;133(6):556-557.

(Correspondence) “The Silent Scream”: setting the record straight

J Kohari

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
No doubt several Ottawa gynecologists were shocked by the stark reality of the ultrasound images of abortion shown in “The Silent Scream”. The film can be called propaganda, but since there is no proof that it is a fake it is called a documentary. The gynecologists never questioned the reality of the procedure, so why do they label it dishonest?

Kohari J. (Correspondence) “The Silent Scream”: setting the record straight. Can Med Assoc J. 1985 Sep 15;133(6):557.

(Correspondence) The tragedy of abortion

Luis Huaypaya

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
Cook and Howe (Can Med Assoc J 1984; 131: 539) state that “a possible tragedy was avoided” by recommending an abortion to a pregnant woman with schizophrenia. What constitutes a tragedy may be considered from different perspectives, and I would like to suggest an alternative view. It can be considered a tragedy that many well-intentioned health professionals believe that suppressing a life is an appropriate way of preventing human suffering. . . that many childless couples have to wait years to adopt while thousands of potentially adoptable children . . . are prevented from being born . . .

Huaypaya L. (Correspondence) The tragedy of abortion. Can Med Assoc J. 1985 Jan 15;132(2):93-96.

(Correspondence) Abortion denied – outcome of mothers and babies

Carlos Del Campo

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
The Aberdeen study examined the cases of 300 women applying for abortions, of which 60% were approved; approximately 120 women were denied abortion. This number would constitute only 1.9% of the 6323 cases in my survey. Furthermore, if they had been included the results would remain statistically unchanged. . . Dr. Watters states that I was “very selective in examining the work done in Czechoslovakia” and cites the work of Matejcek and colleagues.3 I direct Dr. Watters’ attention to reference 11 in my survey, in which this work is cited. This was Dr. Matejcek and colleagues’ original publication on the same group of patients; furthermore, they published a more recent follow-up study, in which their original findings remained basically unchanged. To base a therapeutic approach toward women with unwanted pregnancies on the evidence quoted by Dr. Watters and to ignore the massive evidence presented in my survey would be unacceptable.

Campo CD. (Correspondence) Abortion denied – outcome of mothers and babies. Can Med Assoc J. 1984 Sep 15;131(6):546-548.

(Correspondence) Abortion denied – outcome of mothers and babies

Wendell W Watters

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
Apparently Dr. Carlos Del Campo (Can Med Assoc J 1984; 130: 361, 362, 366) consulted only a small portion of the literature in concluding that it shows “no evidence that a continued unwanted pregnancy will endanger the mother’s mental health”. He ignored the Aberdeen study, . . .Dr. Del Campo was very selective in examining the work done in Czechoslovakia. . . the conclusion to be drawn from these studies is that termination of an unwanted pregnancy is likely to be beneficial to a woman’s mental health if it is her choice to exercise this option, whereas mandatory motherhood is likely to be harmful to her mental health. This conclusion is consistent with my clinical experience of 20 years in working with couples and families, as it is with that of many other family psychiatrists.

Watters WW. (Correspondence) Abortion denied – outcome of mothers and babies. Can Med Assoc J. 1984 May 15;130(10):1264, 1266.

(Correspondence) The CMA abortion survey

PG Coffey

Extract
The CMA should have asked prolife physicians “Do you believe that the threat to a woman’s life should be the only indication for abortion?” In my experience most pro-life advocates believe not that there is absolutely no indication for abortion, but that abortion is indicated only in serious circumstances.

Coffey PG. (Correspondence) The CMA abortion survey. Can Med Assoc J. 1983 Dec 15;129(12):1260.

(Correspondence) The CMA abortion survey

Donovan Brown

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
I am saddened and a little shocked to find that nearly 50% of the medical profession in Canada would terminate pregnancy at the wishes of the patient. We are supposed to be a profession, but what do we profess to do?

Brown D. (Correspondence) The CMA abortion survey. Can Med Assoc J. 1983;129(12):1260.