Abortion Bill (Press, 7 December 1989)
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Summary: Abortion Bill (Press, 7 December 1989)
In a letter dated 7 December 1989, K. Orr expresses concern regarding the implications of providing condoms to children under 16. Orr references a warning from a United States Public Health Service taskforce led by Surgeon-General C. Everett Koop, which indicated that the A.I.D.S. virus can penetrate latex condoms. The letter asserts that such measures could potentially increase the risk of A.I.D.S. and other sexually transmitted diseases among youth. Orr argues that contraception might lead to a rise in abortions, citing data from the Abortion Supervisory Committee that shows no increase in the abortion rates for girls under 16 from 1985 to 1989, with a total of 207 abortions in 1988. However, for women over 16, there was a significant rise—over 40 per cent—in abortion numbers, reaching a total of 9,837. The author concludes that the only truly safe sex is abstinence until marriage, promoting chastity as the best protection for the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of children. Orr describes the proposed legislation as a form of dictatorship by Parliament that undermines the rights of concerned parents.
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