Redwineandbrie: Abortion and how Ireland forgot it was a democracy.
A wonderful piece buy Jennifer Dalton on how Ireland has
This country has the nerve to call itself a republic and a democracy and yet sees fit to ignore:
A Supreme Court Ruling
Two Referendum
A European Court of Human Rights Ruling
It is very important that if you have a cervix you should be getting a smear test.
Detection has gotten better and better over the year with abnormal and pre cancerous cells being successfully treated but the first step is getting tested and it’s free.
http://www.cervicalcheck.ie/
Freephone information line: 1800 45 45 55
Women aged 45-plus are less likely to have regular smear tests than younger women. That’s accoprding to the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), which launched the 2013 Pearl of Wisdom Campaign which highlights European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
The Week runs from 20th to 26th January. It is aimed at promoting awareness of cervical cancer and encouraging women aged 25 to 60 to avail of free smear tests through CervicalCheck, the National Cervical Screening Programme.
Speaking at today’s launch, Dr. Caitriona Henchion, Medical Director with the IFPA, said the Association is putting a particular focus on women in the 45-plus age-bracket this year, as they are least likely to go for regular smears.
“The biggest risk factor for developing cervical cancer is not having had a smear test,” said Dr. Henchion. “In Ireland, all women between 25 and 60 can avail of regular free smear tests through CervicalCheck. However, statistics show lower proportions of women aged 45-plus are attending screening than of women in younger age-groups: attendance amongst those aged 45 to 60 is around 60 per cent, whereas the overall attendance figure is at 82 per cent. Attendance is highest amongst the youngest age-groups, and decreases gradually with increasing age.
“There are a number of reasons why women become less inclined to have regular smear tests as they get older. Some women are less likely to attend for smears once they stop having children, and women in this age-group also visit their doctor less frequently, so GPs and nurses have fewer opportunities to remind them about the importance of regular smears. However, cervical cancer can still be a major health risk for women at this stage of their lives. And the best way to prevent cervical cancer is to participate in regular screening. That’s a message we will be highlighting throughout the coming week.”
The Pearl of Wisdom is the international emblem of cervical cancer prevention and, as part of its activities this week, the IFPA will be distributing over 22,000 Pearl of Wisdom badges and information leaflets to women across the country through 200 participating pharmacists, Family Resource Centres, occupational health nurses and other health promotion networks.
Broadcaster Maura Derrane, who was present at today’s launch, spoke about the effectiveness of the Pearl of Wisdom emblem in raising awareness of cervical cancer.
“The Pearl of Wisdom campaign has been a great success at raising awareness of the very real dangers of cervical cancer,” she said. “However, it seems that, the older women get, the less likely they are to attend a screening. This needs to change.
“This week, I urge all women who haven’t had a smear test in the last three years to do so now. It’s free, it only takes a few minutes, and it could save your life.”
Each year, approximately 300 women in Ireland are newly diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 90 lives are lost. The average age of diagnosis is 45. According to the IFPA, regular cervical screening can stop cervical cancer before it starts.
Since CervicalCheck – the National Cervical Screening Programme – was launched in 2008, it has provided free smear tests to an average of 1,000 women per day, and some 830,000 women have had at least one free test under the programme.
Also commenting today, Dr. Philip Davies, Director General of the European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA), said: “Looking at cervical cancer prevention across Europe, Ireland certainly ranks amongst the best. One of the most important aspects of a screening programme is making sure that all women aged 25 to 60 years are regularly taking part. In the first four years of CervicalCheck, almost 70 per cent of these women have been screened, and this is quite an achievement.”
Key Facts on Cervical CancerOne of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer is not having had a smear test.
Regular cervical screening stops cervical cancer before it starts.
All women aged between 25 and 60 can avail of a free smear test through CervicalCheck, the National Cervical Screening Programme.
99 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by persistent infection of certain high-risk types of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world and approximately 50 to 80 per cent of sexually active women contract some form of HPV at least once in their life. Only a small proportion will develop cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine has been proven to be almost 100 per cent effective in preventing certain types of the virus that cause 70 per cent of all cervical cancer cases.
The CervicalCheck programme report of September 2008 to August 2010 highlights that almost 1.3 million CervicalCheck smear tests were processed and more than 830,000 women have had at least one free smear test.
Over 84 per cent of smear test results in that period were negative or normal. 13.9 per cent showed low grade abnormalities, while 1.7 per cent showed high-grade abnormalities. Abnormalities are pre-cancerous and are easily treatable.About the IFPA
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) is Ireland’s leading sexual health charity. The IFPA is the lead Irish member of the European Cervical Cancer Association and is a registered smear taker in the CervicalCheck programme. 19,000 women have been screened for cervical cancer at the IFPA’s two clinics in Dublin since the commencement of the national screening programme in 2008.
Vigil expertly stage-managed but perhaps overproduced – The Irish Times – Mon, Jan 21, 2013.
Vigil expertly stage-managed but perhaps overproduced
In this section »No point in saving economy if child’s right to life compromised, says Harte
‘We will keep the pressure on until we get this’
Archbishop asks child safeguard body to be ‘brutally honest’ in jobMiriam Lord
The event may have been a masterclass in how to stage a demonstration, but it lacked spontaneity
Wow! Now that’s the way to organise a vigil.
Saturday evening in Dublin delivered a masterclass in how to stage a demonstration.
The “Unite for Life” vigil was stunning in its planning and execution. It left all other such events – and there has been no shortage of rallies around Merrion Square down through the years – in the shade.
The farmers, the students, the teachers, the anti-war protesters, the squeezed taxpayers, the angry pensioners, the anti-austerity marchers . . . this production relegated them to the ha’penny place.
But some things never change. There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and the gross overestimation of crowd turnout by protest organisers.
Eoghan de Faoite of Youth Defence, who was MC for the proceedings, informed the cheering masses that the gardaí had just told them 25,000 people were in attendance. By the end of the rally, that figure – according to one speaker – had risen to 30,000.
The organisers of the recent vigil for Savita Halappanavar were similarly generous with their figures. Saturday’s crowd was roughly similar in size. In the ratings PR battle for turnout, the honours are even.
But 25,000? It was reported everywhere. Garda numbers, apparently. Were they at the same gig?
We walked the course. It was an impressive crowd – stretching the length of one side of Merrion Square. But it didn’t go around the corner and traffic moved freely along the road at the far end.
Rock-concert vibe
There was a rock-concert atmosphere about the place before the vigil began. Hundreds of stewards marshalled the good-humoured crowd as music blared from the speakers. More than 100 free buses had been laid on around the country to take people to the vigil.
This wasn’t back-of-the-lorry territory. A proper stage had been erected, with a sound mixing desk next to it. A huge articulated truck, emblazoned with the livery of Horse Racing Ireland, was parked to one side. It carried a huge screen called a Jumbotron. This is usually seen at race courses so punters can follow the action from a distance. A second, slightly smaller Jumbotron had been set up midway down the street.
The concert vibe continued with the corral at the head of the crowd – a sort of anti- abortion mosh pit. This was disproportionately populated by young people. Political parties do this all the time. They like to push their photogenic youth in front of the cameras whenever possible.
A “sterile zone” ran along one side of the square, giving clear access to people who needed to move quickly through the crowd.
There seemed to be a hierarchy among the legions of high-vis vests. The main stewarding and security duties were done by men and women with “Frontline Security” and “Frontline Steward” on their bibs, some wearing microphones and earpieces, others carrying walkie-talkies. Then there were volunteers with “Sign the Pro-Life Pledge” written on the back of their vests. Others wore fluorescent vests with smiley faces on the front. Youth Defence members wore bright yellow hoodies bearing the message “Because Life is a Right, Not a Privilege”.
A barrier was placed across the road at the other end, presumably to stop people wandering into the path of oncoming traffic. But it also gave the stewards a chance to police those joining the vigil. Home-made placards and banners were not allowed into the demonstration.
Forbidden placards
A small group of disgruntled men stood outside the barrier. Forbidden signs which they were carrying included some large “Abortion Kills” placards, along with one reading “Which of your grandchildren will be a Fine Gael baby?”, and another saying “men abandon, women abort, State abrogates – thou shalt not kill”.
We asked why, given it was a public protest, people were not allowed to join in with their own banners. “There are four or five signs that have been agreed, and it’s been agreed by the right-to-life committee and that’s it. There are no unauthorised signs allowed,” said the steward, who declined to give his name.
Inside the barrier, in two small marquees, volunteers handed out thousands of candles in paper holders and distributed placards and pledge packs. There were stacks upon stacks of high-quality glossy posters and people were urged to take one.
The pledge pack contained five leaflets and a prepaid envelope, addressed to the Life Institute. One leaflet began: “If Fine Gael legalise abortion and break the pro-life promise it made in election 2011, I pledge the party will never get my vote again.”
The posters had two main themes. The first was “Love them Both” and featured a mother cuddling a baby, and the second was aimed squarely at Fine Gael. It made for a very impressive display when the protesters held them in the air. “Raise your banners and point to the cherry picker,” Eoghan de Faoite urged them, pointing to the camera overhead.
Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute got a huge ovation when she spoke. “Hello Dublin and every other country that’s here today!” she began, adding to the showbizzy feel.
“We are the pro-life majority and we will not accept abortion – not now, not ever, not in our country and not in our name.”
When the crowd finally dispersed, the buses were lined up and waiting. An impressive evening’s work, brilliantly orchestrated and clearly lavishly resourced. But perhaps overproduced: all the money in the world can’t buy edge or spontaneity.
Up to 30 abortions a year to save the lives of mothers via @independent_ie.
UP to 30 abortions are carried out in Ireland each year.
The master of Dublin’s Rotunda hospital, Dr Sam Coulter-Smith, told the first day of hearings of the Oireachtas Health Committee on the contentious issue that between 20 and 30 abortions a year are carried out to save the mother’s life.
Abortions.
Up to 30 Abortions a year.
Up to 30 abortions a year to save the lives of women.
Up to 30 abortions a year to save the lives of women, are carried out here in Ireland.
Abortions, not procedures, not terminations, Abortions, carried out in Ireland, by Doctors.
Never again can anyone say that there are are no abortions preformed in Ireland, that Ireland is abortion free.
Anyone trying to assert that fact is engaging in double speaks and frankly lying.
Have we finally matured this much as a nation?
I bloody well hope so.