Buffer zones around abortion clinics

Those who have read any of my previous blog posts will know that I strongly feel that women should be able to make their own decision on whether or not to have an abortion. This is why I'm becoming more and more worried that nothing is being done about implementing buffer zones around abortion clinics.

I completely understand that 'pro-life' supporters are entitled to their decision and completely accept that. However, I don't think the law should allow them to intimidate vulnerable women, trying to force them to agree.

Both staff and patients in abortion clinics are being put in danger every single day by aggressive protesters. Even if they do nothing to physically hurt a woman, they're presence is enough to frighten her out of her decision to have an abortion.

All too often protesters film women entering clinics and post these videos online. How on earth is this legal? The police have absolutely no power to stop this because outside a clinic is a public area, although the Home Office is insisting that they do.

When a fire drill went off in an abortion clinic, many women refused to leave the building because they were too scared of the protesters. If this isn't a sign that we need buffer zones, I don't know what is.

Recently, an unnamed abortion clinic had to close due to protesters. We can't just stand here and watch womens' healthcare clinics shut down.

The protesters may describe themselves as 'pro-life' but they blatantly don't care about the life or wellbeing of women.

And that's just unforgivable.


Have a beautiful day x

Letter to my MP

I'm sure I'm not the only one that was very upset with the outcome of the vote on the taxing of sanitary products last week. Scrolling down the list of MPs voting for the tax to remain, I wasn't the least bit surprised to see my MPs name. So I thought I'd send him a little note...

Dear XXXXXXX XXXXX,

I write to you regarding your decision to vote for the tax on sanitary products to remain. Last year I attended XXXX school, which you have visited many times, and this year have started studying at the University of Southampton, reading a Masters in Biochemistry. In the future I plan to take a PhD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology- so your decision is of great interest to me. I was very disappointed to see that your name is on the list of MPs that voted against the abolition of the tax. I would be fascinated to hear your reasoning behind backing this sexist tax- and I’m sure I’m one of many. Try as I might, I am completely unable to see any valid reason for keeping the tax.

I personally feel your vote is an appalling decision. Not only does it show your lack of ability to comprehend basic equality but it drills into young girls, who already feel vulnerable during puberty, that periods are shameful. You are actively helping to destroy their self- confidence and tell them that they should have fewer rights than boys. Ironically, you are meant to be representing the XXXXX community, but have shown that you blatantly disregard the views of half the constituency. XXXXX chose you to make decisions in our best interests and you have failed to do this. You’ve made it very clear that you view women as second-class citizens.

Your views go against everything I, and quite frankly this great country, stand for. I’m sure that at the next election there will be an increase in the turnout of females which I view as excellent, although I expect few will vote for members of your party who have unashamedly told us our views mean nothing and have trampled over our basic rights.

Next time you visit sixth formers in secondary schools around XXXXX in an attempt to gain voters, please don’t be shocked if you are constantly questioned on your decision- especially by females. That is assuming that you won’t be putting forward a vote to end female education in XXXXX.

In my GCSE and A-level Economics studies, we learnt the difference between a luxury (elastic) item and a necessary (inelastic) item. If the price of a product increases from an original value to a higher value and if the quantity demanded of the product falls a smaller distance than the change in price, then the said product is inelastic. Should you wish to draw a demand curve for sanitary products, you will find the diagram shows a very inelastic good. I find it concerning that those in charge of our country lack common sense and are unable to grasp basic economics, which is easily comprehended by students in secondary school.

I look forward to hearing your response on your reasoning behind your decision and how you feel this enriches the XXXXX community.

Regards,

The girl in the green cardigan

If you feel strongly in the same way that I do, make sure your voice is heard. You can always send letters anonymously or as a group if you're feeling shy.

Have a beautiful day x

Young people deserve a bit more credit

Recently I've been out in a wheelchair and realised the huge divide between peoples' reactions. You hear a lot in the news about my generation committing crimes, being antisocial, permanently drinking and causing havoc in general. I was fully expecting a few stares and whispers.

However, from young people there was none of that. They made eye contact, smiled and apologised for being in the way even if they weren't. I actually felt like a human being and not a freak show.

Parallel to that, those of my parents' and grandparents' generation avoided eye contact, stared when they thought I wasn't looking and positioned themselves in shops so my sister struggled to push me through aisles. In her true style, she just drove straight towards them.

The only person who approached me was a lady also in a wheelchair, who was lovely but seemed to be struggling with the exact same situation as me.

So for those people who believe young people aren't empathetic and don't care about others, I'm afraid in general you're wrong. I know not everyone of my age is lovely but I believe the same could be said for any age. What I have witnessed in the last few days is teenagers being sensitive and compassionate, not just towards me but to others in chairs and on crutches. Youth crime rates are actually falling, but those under 25 are most often blamed. One in four teenagers don't even drink alcohol but teenagers are always the ones being portrayed as running round drunk in the news. 

It seems all the blame is put on my generation.

Ironically, by the people treating me like a circus act today.


Have a beautiful day x

Abortion education in the UK

In the UK there is a serious, widespread problem with abortion education in schools and colleges. The only education on abortion I received was a one sided pro-choice lecture when in year twelve.

Quite frankly, it was too little and years too late.

And I’m not the only one.

Whilst researching my EPQ on abortion I was horrified to find that my school wasn't the only one with poor abortion education.

The current law in Britain allows academies to opt out of teaching sex education, as my school did.

This needs to stop. 


Have a beautiful day x

Can genetic diseases be passed from children to their parents?

The scientist inside of me was trying to break out, so here's the article I wrote for the school science magazine this year. You could even count it as revision...

Traditionally, it is thought that genetic diseases are passed from parents to children as offspring receive half of each of their parent’s DNA. However, recent studies have shown that some diseases are transmitted from a child to their mother.

When a foetus is developing in the womb, cells are constantly exchanged from the foetus to the mother via the placenta. For most women, these cells are removed by the immune system shortly after the birth of the baby. In a small proportion of women these cells stay in the body for decades and are incorporated into tissues such as in the brain and skin, in a process called microchimerism.

Mothers who had a low genetic risk of rheumatoid arthritis, where joints become swollen and painful, but went onto develop the condition were found to be likely to show microchimerism. There are two theories to suggest how foetal cells cause arthritis in the mother…

1) The maternal immune system reacts to the foetal cells in an attempt to remove them from the body. As the cells are part of the woman’s tissues the body begins to attack itself, this causes inflammation in the joints.

2) Foetal cells that are stowed in the body attack the mother’s immune system, causing inflammation and joint pain.

For women with an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system turns against itself, the development of arthritis from a microchimerism was common. This is because the mother’s body is unable to protect itself from the foetal cells carrying the disease inherited from the father.

Other diseases that microchimerism is thought to cause are:

·       Type 1 diabetes- where the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin so the blood sugar levels stay constantly high.

·       Scleroderma- a disease of the connective tissue causing hardening of skin and blood vessels.

·       Primary biliary cirrhosis- a liver disease where bile ducts become damaged and the build-up of bile in the liver causes scarring.

It is currently thought that only a small percentage of genetic diseases are caused by microchimerism and that foetal cells have many benefits, such as repairing damage in the mother’s heart during pregnancy. Lots more research is needed to find out exactly what’s happening and why.


Have a beautiful day x
 

References:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26408-fetuss-arthritis-genes-can-affect-the-mother.html#.VMaeyy6YjsQ

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Primary-biliary-cirrhosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.sclerodermasociety.co.uk/

Why hasn't Ireland changed its law?

If someone was dying and the doctors knew exactly how to save them, the medication was FDA approved and the sufferer wanted the treatment- you would expect the patient to survive. However, the recent article in the Telegraph reminded me that, the abortion law in Ireland means this sometimes isn’t the case.

For one of my A-levels I took an Extended Project Qualification and chose the topic “Is abortion a moral or molecular issue?” Although I came to the conclusion that it is a mainly moral and emotional decision, the biggest shock during my research was how many women have to have an unsafe abortion because they are illegal in the country they live in. 68000 women die annually after having an unsafe abortion…how can we stand here and watch this happen?

Irish law states that an abortion is legal if the Mother’s life is in danger, but after the death of Savita Halappanavar we know even then doctors refuse to carry out terminations. In Savita’s case, there was no chance of her baby surviving at all.

A report published by Amnesty International says: “Ireland’s abortion regime violates the fundamental human rights of women and girls, including their rights to life, health, equality, non-discrimination, privacy, information and freedom from torture and other ill-treatment.”

I couldn’t agree more.

I don’t understand why a country feels they should be able to force a women into carrying a child. And why they should have the right to tell a women what she should do with her own body, when the decision isn’t affecting the health or safety of others? The choice, which should be a basic human right, is taken away from her.

Irish women often have to travel to England for an abortion, or purchase abortion pills on the internet. If caught, they could be imprisoned for up to fourteen years. To me it seems ridiculous that women and girls trying to make an exceptionally difficult decision about their own life are thought of as criminals.

So if believing in freedom’s a crime, lock me up. Then throw away the key.

Have a beautiful day x