weekly update, 9 to 16 August

weekly update, 9 to 16 August A demonstration against China's one-child policy was this week held outside the Chinese embassy in London by SPUC's youth and student division. The silent protest drew attention to the forced abortions and sterilisations carried out under the policy, as well as to the injustices suffered by those who have attempted to stand up to the Chinese government over this issue. Fiorella Nash, co-ordinator of the demonstration, said: "Anyone concerned with human rights should be uniting to fight this atrocity, which has been responsible for the deaths of millions of unborn babies." A similar demonstration by university students was due to take place in Sydney, Australia. [SPUC, 16 August ] The number of teenagers in Wales having abortions increased by 12% last year. 1,004 under-18s had abortions in 2006 compared with 894 in 2005, whilst the number of teenagers in England and Wales undergoing a second abortion has also increased. Janet Thomas of Cardiff SPUC commented: "Obviously, we deplore these figures. I think this study is giving totally the wrong message to teenagers that when babies are inconvenient we get rid of them. There is risk of psychological and physical damage to the teenage girls. Abortion is not something you can just do and then get over it. They're storing up trouble for themselves. Sometimes these teenagers don't even want an abortion but are pressured into it by their family or partners." [icWales, 12 August] British state-run clinics could be vastly reducing the chances of successful IVF because treatment cycles are frequently carried out at the wrong time. Whereas private clinics are able to carry out egg harvesting on any day of the week, NHS clinics are often so understaffed that consultants do not have time to perform egg extractions at the optimum time in the patient's cycle, reducing the chance of a successful outcome. Figures released by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority indicate that the worst performing clinics have a success rate of just 10%. [BBC, 11 August ] SPUC has launched a campaign against the British government's draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill, which is due to be introduced to parliament in November. SPUC's 16-page briefing describes how the bill would significantly weaken protection for human embryos' right to life, proposes to legalise new abuses of human embryos, and raises the possibility of parliament's amending the Abortion Act to permit legalised abortion on demand. As well as being available in printed form, the briefing is on the web. [ briefing, SPUC website, 10 August ] A former abortionist for Planned Parenthood has repented publicly of her involvement in terminations. During a prayer rally in Nashville, Tennessee, in July, Dr Patti Gibbink announced to a crowd of approximately 60,000 people that "it's time" for abortion to be brought to an end and asked God to "end abortion and bring revival to America". [LifeSite, 9 August ]