Illegal Abortions: China's latest export?

AS readers will know, ACB doesn't shy away from covering contentious topics, and when it comes to the contentious topics it's difficult to find many bigger than that of Abortion.

The China Connection?

Over the last couple of decades China has been a cause of concern for Western anti-abortion. Abortion is not only legal in China, but  it is comparatively commonplace.

For the most part, the debate over China and abortions has remained confined to China's borders. with interested parties holding that abortions are often forced on women as part of the One-Child-Policy, that ease of access and a lack of checks and balances means that are often used as a method of sex selection and, over all, that far to many women have them each year for their liking.

However, if a soon to be released report proves true, it would appear that the issue of China and abortions could soon take on more international overtones; with Chinese companies and overseas Chinese standing accused of facilitating illegal abortions abroad.

The Report?

According to a report assembled by investigative journalists working for the BBC; Britain's state owned broadcaster, and to be formerly released on 25 November (UK time), Overseas Chinese have been found to be distributing both traditional Chinese medicine, and modern Chinese made drugs, to facilitate illegal abortions in the UK.

Journalists report that, after following up claims made on the Internet, they were able to contact Overseas Chinese working in a traditional medicine clinic who sold them abortion inducing herbs for $US80, and who further offered to put them in touch with a Chinese company that could supply them with Mifepristone: a modern abortion drug that can only be purchased in the UK with permission from a doctor or other authorized health professional, for $US200.

Although the scope of the problem is not yet fully understood, doctors interviewed by the journalists stated that they knew about the black market trade in Chinese abortion herbs, and that they regularly came across women experiencing side effects from them.

Wider Implications?

Although this is not the first time that Overseas Chinese have been implicated in illegal trades in other countries, this latest discover has proven worrisome to some China watchers. Not only because abortion is such a controversial issue, but also because anxiety over China and its influences are currently running high in a number of  countries; most notably the US.

As such, China watchers have voiced concern that if Overseas Chinese are providing abortion herbs and drugs in the UK, where else might they be providing them, and what impact might this, or even the suspicion of this, have on Overseas Chinese communities?

Among these concern is that links between Chinese medicine and Chinese clinics and abortion might be used make them scapegoats for other fears, with foreign legislators seeking to impose tighter regulations and restrictions on the industry in order to divert attention away from other Sino-overseas issues; such as the toy import market, where tighter regulation is required but is opposed by lobby groups because of the impact that it would have on profits.

There are also concerns that Chinese clinics might be targeted by foreign radical groups who believe that they are supplying abortion herbs or drugs. Although they are not so common now, there have numerous recorded incidents of businesses and individuals involved in abortions being threatened, as well as numerous acts of terrorism revolving around various anti-abortion groups.

Irony

Ironically, the report's findings come despite the fact that Britain has both liberal abortion laws and strong public support for open access to abortion. In most cases, abortions in Britain are free, and can be obtained with only minimal consultation.

According to the report, two of the main forces behind the illegal abortions trade in Britain are a lack of trust of medical professionals by young people seeking abortions, and illegal immigration.

Trust?

Although Britain has strong confidentiality laws, there exists is a level of distrust; particularly amongst young people, due to privacy concerns.

This distrust is partially due to the UK medical system. Rather than having drop in medical centers, it is traditional in the UK for entire families to sign up to, and stay with, a single doctor whom will treat every member of a family for many years, until such time as the doctor retires or said member of the family moves too far away to be covered by their clinic. Thus creating a situation where a woman might find herself asking for an abortion from a doctor who also treats her parents, siblings and potentially grandparents, too, and whom may have done so for many years.

Leading to fears, even unfounded fears, that the doctor might break confidentiality out of feelings of loyalty to other members of the family, or might accidentally give away the fact that they have had an abortion.

While Britain does have specialist abortion clinics, they are not always as accessible as in countries such as the US or China. Especially in areas outside of big cities. There are very few rural abortion clinics in the UK. Those seeking legal abortions from such areas must often travel in order to do so.

By contrast, illegal Chinese abortion herbs can be purchased through the mail.

Illegal Migration?

As a developed country with many established ethnic communities originating from it's days as a colonial power, Britain has a known problem with illegal immigrants seeking access to greater freedoms and better socio-economic prospects.

Members of such groups are often unwilling to turn to the medical profession if they wish to have an abortion for fear that they will be incarcerated or deported. As such, they may attempt illegal abortions.

Even legal immigrants can harbor fears that a legal abortion might reveal an illegal spouse or partner to immigration authorities.

Cost?

While the UK has universal health care that offers free abortions to both citizens and foreign residents, under certain circumstances non-UK citizens may be required to pay some or all of an abortion. Costs can range from $US1,000 to $US3,000. Significantly more than the cost of a successful illegal-abortion. Cost factors can be further compounded if the person seeking the abortion is an illegal immigrant.

The Numbers

In Britain a woman can have an abortion up to 24 week. Later abortions are legal if the womans physical or mental health would be jeopardized by a birth or a continuation or pregnancy, or if the unborn child is found to suffer from a highly deter mental medical condition.

Up to 24 weeks woman requires only the signatures of two suitable medical professionals, or one suitable medical professional in a time critical situation.

Abortions may be performed for almost any reason, including that not having one would bring for socio-economic hardships on siblings. Gender selective abortions remain illegal under any circumstances and current public feeling in the UK means that they are likely to remain so.

According to official statistics from the UK Department of Health, residents of England and Wales had a total of 193,700 legal during 2006 while 7,400 non-residents had abortions in England or Wales.   17% of tese abortions were for residents of Northern Ireland and 68% where for residents southern Ireland. Both of which have much stricter abortion laws than England and Wales.

89% of abortions were carried out under 13 weeks, of which 68% were at under 10 weeks.

Figures for Scotland are recorded separately.

Note

ACB holds no official blog position or abortion or the abortion debate and reserves the right to "redirect" any comments or discussions if ACB feels that they are straying off topic.

tags: abortion  china  law  legal  illegal  backstreet  back street  

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