Brit schoolgirls as young as 12 may be given DIY abortions

London, Oct 19 : British schoolgirls as young as 12 could be given permission for DIY (do it yourself) abortions, if a new bill, yet to be passed in parliament, goes through.

The bill has caused a huge controversy to arise, especially since the kids will be taking the pills without their parents' knowledge and undergo unsupervised termination as late as 19 weeks.

The plans, which will be voted on, on October 22, has horrified pro-life campaigners, and Tory Nadine Dorries, a leading anti-abortion MP and former nurse has warned of the consequences.

"We are talking about very young girls who will go home and abort on their own," News of the World quoted her as saying.

"They will experience pain they never thought possible, bleed like they have never imagined and then flush their own abortions down the toilet," she added.

The new plan was brought about by the MPs, who wanted to bring in a change to Britain's abortion laws, as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Lib Dem MP Evan Harris, who has been dubbed as "Doctor Death" by opponents, is making the necessary amendments in the proposals, and he along with his supporters are in favour of the new bill.

According to them abortions should no longer be restricted to approved clinics, and women and young girls should be allowed to "expel the products of conception" at home.

The bill would allow patients, including girls as young as 12, who currently can only have abortions in licensed clinics with doctors present, to take the synthetic steroid mifepristone home with them.

They would take one pill at a clinic, then a second dose 24 hours later at home, where they would abort the foetus.

Clinics currently offer the drugs to women as far as 19 weeks into their pregnancy, just five weeks short of the legal limit for abortions.

The opposition will have a chance to voice their opinions as the bill will be put to a "conscience vote", meaning that the MPs will be free to vote according to their personal beliefs rather than on party lines.

Dorries and Labour's Frank Field want the government to set up a commission of peers and MPs to look in detail at the issue and report back to Parliament.

"Women who are aborting should be in an environment where they can be given advice, reassurance and adequate pain relief," Dorries said.

"Abortion is being used as a political football. Abortion is about ending life, or potential life. Whatever your beliefs, taking a life is a big issue.

"Parliament needs more time to debate it," she added.

ANI