3 Day Wait Saves Lives
Women should not be rushed
The 3-day wait was promised to voters as a safeguard during the campaign to repeal the 8th.
We are told abortion isn’t a decision that is made lightly. So why do a majority of TDs support a Sinn Féin bill to SCRAP the 3-day wait – even though Ireland’s abortion rates have soared, with 65,000 abortions since 2019.
We know from the Department of Health that more than 10,000 women so far did not return for an abortion after the 3-day wait.
Isn't it always better to have fewer abortions?
The government held an Abortion Review but didn’t speak to ONE woman who had changed her mind during the 3-day wait. That’s pretty shocking, given that 10,000 women didn’t return after that time to think.
We’re sharing the REAL-LIFE stories of two women who sought abortion, Esme and Róisín, so that you can read what they have to say.
PLUS more than 100 doctors and healthcare professionals have said there is “no medical basis” for scrapping the 3-day wait, and added that “women deserve better than being deprived of the time to think.”
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ESME’s Story
Esme* discovered she was pregnant at an extraordinarily difficult time in her life, and says “the option of abortion was suggested and encouraged". It’s important to understand that many women seeking abortion feel panicked, afraid – and sometimes coerced or pressured.
The 3-day wait was my saving grace.
“At this time there was a three day wait which was a saving grace in my experience. I was so traumatized and did not know what to do. Deep within I knew I had the resolve and strength to continue with the pregnancy,” she says.
“I cannot imagine life without my baby. I believe that abolishing the three-day breathing space is unacceptable - and that any woman needs time to adjudicate, reflect and contemplate before making a decision that could be detrimental.”
“If the waiting period remains abolished this will be catastrophic for almost every woman [facing abortion],” she added.
RÓISÍN’s Story
Róisín* says that when she went to her doctor she was not told about the 3-day wait - and now lives with the upset that the time to think was taken away from her.
“I was denied the 3-day wait
“I literally walked in, and I did go to sit down but I didn’t sit down. He said “I might as well give you a glass of water while we’re in the middle of doing this”, so he gave me a glass of water and a tablet, and told me to take the first tablet as we were talking.”
“There was no wait, there were no three days. It wasn’t like when you go into a doctor and you’re talking about something in general, and it’s like, “OK, are you sure that this is what you want to do? Do you realise the aftermath of it? There was no feeling, no emotion.”
“If he had said to me “look, there’s a rule here, we need to wait for three days, this is your consultation, now we need to wait it out” there’s a possibility I wouldn’t have gone through with it.”
“I was suicidal after it as well,” she says. “But the aftermath of the abortion… People don't realise what you see. “You see a baby after growing. It's tiny, tiny little baby..”
“People need at least three days.
At least.”
3 days gives time to think
In July, Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher said the 3-day wait “was introduced to bring more people on to the side of supporting a
referendum" which led to abortion being legalised in Ireland.
It would be appalling if political promises made to pass the referendum were now broken and safeguards removed. Since 2019, Irish abortion numbers have soared.
That’s 65,584 abortions in just 7.5 years. Abortion in Ireland is definitely NOT ‘rare’ as was also promised in the referendum.
Perhaps they had time to think. Perhaps they found support. Isn’t that a very good reason to KEEP the 3-day wait.
Abortion numbers are soaring, keep the 3 day wait
Close to 11,000 abortions a year take place in Ireland. But in 2024 alone, some 2,200 women who went to a GP for a first abortion appointment did not return after the 3-day wait.
Other countries also have a waiting period before abortion: Belgium requires a wait of 6 days, Italy 7 days, and Germany 3 days.
TDs must listen to women and doctors
Abortion always involves a woman and an unborn baby. Yet TDs seeking to scrap the 3-day wait never mention the unborn child - and the review they rely on didn’t talk to ONE woman who changed her mind in the 3-day wait.
Why not? And why aren’t the TDs talking to the 100+ doctors and
healthcare professionals who urged that the 3-day wait be KEPT?*
Those medics said there is “no medical basis” for scrapping the 3-day wait, and added that “women deserve better than being deprived of the time to think,” The women whose stories we share agree: with one saying the 3-day wait was her “saving grace”.
*https://www.irishtimes.com/opi...
TDs contributions in the Dáil
"You haven't spoken to women" who did not have an abortion after the 3-day wait.
The ICGP were seriously challenged by TDs at the Oireachtas Health Committee today with Peadar Tóibín, CAROL NOLAN, and Sarah O'Reilly uncovering that they failed to speak to women OR to ballot their members before supporting the removal of the 3-day wait. Also Fine Gael TD Peter Roche said said he would never support the bill, and that the scrapping of the three day safeguard would be a betrayal of the public view. Another FG TD Colm Burke, said there were 14 European countries which have a waiting period.
Source: VideoParliamentIreland
Kerry TD MICHAEL CAHILL asks a very important question of the Irish College of GPs — the answer was disappointing.
“The question for why we are seeing abortions on this scale is an important question … Before making any changes that are going to realistically lead to wider abortion, there needs to be a genuine examination of what support pregnant women should have available and what needs to be improved in that context. Would the Irish College of GPs support an independent assessment of the outcomes and needs around unplanned pregnancy before making decisions on changing legislation on the 3-day wait?”
“I’m not familiar with the two cases”
The silence is deafening: Aontú leader PEADAR TÓIBÍN met with looks of confusion and silence from the Irish College of GPs as he references two cases of coerced abortions which have been brought before the courts in Ireland.
“We did not consult with them about that”
SHOCKING moment Irish College of GPs medical director Dr Diarmuid Quinlan admits they did NOT consult with their members before advising the Oireachtas Health Committee to remove the three-day waiting period before an abortion.
“They are the evidence for the mandatory three day wait -- their children are alive today because of that.”
Dr Andrew O’Regan speaking to the Health Committee today, highlighting yet again the reality that the three-day wait SAVES LIVES.
#prolife #ireland #irish #threedaywait
“I am aware of medical colleagues, including those who are currently providing abortions, who are very much in favour of retaining the three-day wait.”
Dr. Andrew O’Regan today before the Oireachtas Health Committee.
Independent TD Carol Nolan heavily criticises the Oireachtas Health Committee for their refusal to speak to women who have benefited from the mandatory three-day wait.
#prolife #ireland #irish #threedaywait
Dr. Kirsten Fuller highlighting today for the Committee on Health how there will be a further rise in the already massive number of abortions in Ireland if the three day wait is gone.
#prolife #ireland #irish #threedaywait
Senator Sharon Keoghan asking a very important question of the Health Committee this week, highlighting both the drop in birth rates and rise in abortion numbers every year. Is this a reflection of a health society?
#prolife #ireland #irish #threedaywait
“Do you put any importance on the fact that the three day wait has saved lives?”
Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly getting to the heart of the issue at last weeks’ Oireachtas Committee hearings.
#prolife #lifeinstitute #ireland #irish #threedaywait
“You have come in here, showing no interest in doing detailed research about the reasons why 10,000 women did not go ahead with a second [abortion] appointment”
Senator Rónán Mullen hits the nail on the head here when speaking to the Health Committee. Why isn’t there research being done to find out why so many women did not return for the second abortion appointment after the three-day wait? Why, instead, is there a rush to remove the mandatory waiting period?
#prolife #lifeinstitute #ireland #irish #threedaywait
