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(Correspondence) Abortion: Is it time for doctors to get off the fence?

John Bart

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ — Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
I was present at the death of a woman whose uterus had been torn open and infected by a coat hanger. Anything is better than that: she died through poverty and ignorance, and her whole family suffered. . . .Medical ethics are an extension of personal ethics, not an abstract entity with a special name. I believe what I believe, and he believes what he believes. Sim should not force his opinions upon others. That is what the Nazis did. . . . We are not on the fence, Dr. Sim. We are exercising our free will and not interfering with that of others. We believe that women are capable of decisions without an avuncular physician’s approval. We think that freedom from unwanted pregnancy is a cornerstone of feminine freedom. Without that, society is male dominated, unequal and the poorer for it. Please do not equate abortion with euthanasia. The two are not synonymous. Please do not equate your opinion with moral rectitude either. Anything is better than that.

Bart J. (Correspondence) Abortion: Is it time for doctors to get off the fence? Can Med Assoc J. 1988;139(4):1085.

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

Brian A Shamess

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.

(News) Dr. Robbie Mahood: Pro-choice physician says doctors have a duty to speak out

Patrick Sullivan

Extract
While physicians opposed to abortion have responded with articles . . . most doctors from the pro-choice side have remained quiet. Dr. Robbie Mahood is an exception. . . . “I certainly don’t support abortion as a method of birth control”. Has the abortion issue creat- ed divisions in the medical profession? “Certainly there is disagreement within the profession about this, but this probably reflects the division within the general population”, Mahood said. “I would guess that there is a pro-choice majority [among physicians].”

Sullivan P. Dr. Robbie Mahood: Pro-choice physician says doctors have a duty to speak out. Can Med Assoc J. 1988;138(8):734. Available from:

Abortion: it is time for doctors to get off the fence

Myre Sim

Extract
When Germany occupied Holland during the Second World War, it declared that it would introduce its Nuremberg Laws. They allowed for the sterilization and liquidation of the “unfit” and other acts that were later declared crimes against humanity. . . .Dutch physicians declared that they had to accept the fact they were living in an occupied country during wartime and were, therefore, bound by certain laws, but they reaffirmed their responsibility to respect all human life. They would not yield on the issue. . . . Dutch doctors preserved their ethical code. . . .[a] medical procedure [that] involves the destruction of human life. . . strikes at the roots of medical ethics: respect for human life. I consider abortion on demand the precursor of euthanasia on demand. . . Are doctors to wait to see which way things are going before they decide which path to follow, or should they take a lead in restoring honour to the profession?

Sim M. Abortion: it is time for doctors to get off the fence. Can Med Assoc J. 1988 Apr 15;138(8):742-743.

(News) New committee will review CMA’s abortion policy, board decides

Lucian Blair

Extract
The CMA will establish an ad hoc committee to review the association’s abortion policy in the wake of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Jan. 28 ruling that over- turned Criminal Code restrictions on abortion.

Blair L. (News) New committee will review CMA’s abortion policy, board decides. Can Med Assoc J. 1988;138(7):643.