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The Journal
3 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
FactCheck: Have one in eight women in Ireland visited an emergency department after an abortion?
THIS WEEK, AN anti-abortion group called for a meeting with the Minister for Health over concerns about a study into medical outcomes of Irish women who had abortions. The Pro Life Campaign highlighted the study to claim that the legalisation of abortion in 2018 has led to 'adverse consequences' for women that are not being acknowledged. They claim that the study reveals one in eight Irish women has visited the emergency department after having an abortion. But is this figure accurate? The Claim The Pro Life Campaign claim that one in eight – or 12% – of women in Ireland have visited a hospital emergency department after having an abortion. An article on the group's website is headed: ' One in Eight Women in Ireland Visited Emergency Department After Abortion '. It also refers to a study of Irish women carried out between 2019 and 2022, and states that '12% of the women who underwent abortions during this period presented to an emergency department on an unplanned basis'. Pro Life Campaign Pro Life Campaign The Evidence The study referenced in the article called 'Termination of early pregnancy in Ireland: Review of the first four years of inpatient service at a tertiary maternity unit', which was published in the Irish Journal of Sociology on 28 May. The study analysed outcomes for 149 women who had abortions at a single, unnamed maternity hospital in the south of Ireland between 2019 and 2022. It is a broad study that looks at the experiences of the women, where they came from, whether they had been pregnant before, the length of time that they had been pregnant before seeking an abortion, whether they experienced any complications, and other aspects of their care. It is not a nationally representative survey, such as those carried out for opinion polls in newspapers or occasionally for advertising purposes, both of which involve carefully weighting responses by categories such as gender, age, or social class. The findings are instead based on the medical outcomes of a select group of women who attended one hospital over four years; those findings cannot be extrapolated to the wider population to represent the experience of all Irish women. The study is not even representative of all women who had an abortion during the years 2019 to 2022. It only looked at women who had what is called a medical abortion – a termination of pregnancy that is induced by taking medication – after they presented to a hospital to receive one (as opposed to doing so in a community setting). It did not include women who had a medical abortion after being prescribed medication by a GP in a community setting, which is permitted when pregnancies are under nine weeks. This is crucial, because the study says that 90% of terminations in Ireland are community-based, which is relatively unique by international standards. Hospital-based terminations of pregnancy – such as those analysed in the study – make up just 10% of abortions in Ireland. Furthermore, the study excluded those who first presented to the hospital for surgical abortions, which involve the use of instruments and women going under anaesthetic. It is therefore completely false to suggest that one-in-eight women who had an abortion in Ireland since the procedure was legalised had to go to an emergency department afterwards. So where did the figure come from? Advertisement The Journal contacted the Pro Life Campaign, who referred us to a sample size outlined under 'Table 4′ of the study, which deals with 'complications' that resulted from some abortions. The section on 'complications' describes how some of the women involved in the study required blood transfusions and extended hospital stays after receiving an abortion, while there were also a small number of admissions to high-dependency units. The group of women who were recorded as suffering 'complications' was 34 – the majority of the 149 women did not. Those 34 women – or 23% of the women in the study – were counted because they sought a medical review after they were discharged from the hospital. Of those 34 women, 18 involved unplanned presentations by individuals to the emergency department (the other 16 attended for scheduled clinic appointments). That is the figure referred to in the claim by the Pro Life Campaign: 18 out of 149 women – equivalent to roughly one in eight, or 12% – made an unplanned presentation to an emergency department after terminating their pregnancy. The study states that these presentations were 'primarily due to concerns regarding infection or heavy/irregular vaginal bleeding'. In response to the query about its headline, a spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign said the group was 'not referring to the entire female population of Ireland, whether or not they had abortions'. (At the time of publication, the claim that one-in-eight women in Ireland visited an emergency department after having an abortion still featured in a headline and graphic on the group's website.) The group also called for more research and said it 'remains to be clarified' whether the findings would be replicated among the wider population. 'It is normal for research studies to obtain data from a specific sample of the population,' the spokesperson said. 'Most media reports, including those in The Journal , do not cover a statistical discussion of how representative they are of the wider population.' The group highlighted two articles by this publication by way of example, both of which involved nationally representative surveys carried out among the wider population, a contrast to the abortion study which involved a relatively small group of women at one hospital. The authors of the study concluded that there were 'low complication rates' among the women whose abortion procedures were analysed, something that is in keeping with international studies that show that early abortions (ie before 12 weeks) are safe. It should be noted that in any area of healthcare, complicated outcomes are – because of their nature – more likely to be seen in a hospital setting rather than by a GP in the community. Rather than suggesting that the complicated outcomes were a cause for concern about abortion services, the study concluded by suggesting there should be more open access to abortion in Ireland, and pointed to the negative impact of the mandatory three-day wait that women must undergo between being certified by a GP and having an abortion. The Verdict The Pro Life Campaign claimed that one out of every eight women in Ireland has visited an emergency department after an abortion. The group also said that '12% of the women who underwent abortions' between 2019 and 2022 made an unplanned visit to an emergency department afterwards. The figure is based on 18 (or 12%) of 149 women who had abortions at one hospital in the south of the country over a four-year period, whose experiences were analysed as part of a recently published study. It is not a nationally representative sample, and did not include those who specifically presented to the hospital for surgical abortions or the 90% of women whose terminations take place in a community setting. In responses to queries from The Journal , the group said it was not referring to the entire population of Ireland, and defended its wording about the study's overall findings about 'women in Ireland' as normal practice by the media. We therefore rate the claim that one-in-eight women who had abortions in Ireland over a four-year period as FALSE . As per our verdict guide , this means the claim is inaccurate. The Journal's FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network's Code of Principles. You can read it here . For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader's Guide here . You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Caste violence victims insist on separate law
Madurai: Gaps and delays in police and judicial processes are leading to low conviction rate in SC/ST Act cases, according to survivors and family members of victims of caste-based crimes who attended a consultative meeting in Madurai on Sunday. The meeting, organised by Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO working for dalit rights, put forth suggestions to bring down such crimes in Tamil Nadu . Kausalya, anti-caste activist and survivor of a caste killing, said such crimes need to be addressed before they escalate. "When a couple has an inter-caste love marriage, they are immediately faced with a lot of mental challenges. There have been cases of the bride being kidnapped or restrained. These too need to be addressed as caste crimes. The state govt is adamant about not framing a separate law for honour killings," she said. Evidence executive director A Kathir said there are numerous hurdles in SC/ST Act cases, right from the filing of FIR. "Over 7,000 SC/ST Act cases are pending in court, and Madurai tops the list. Such cases on an average take over five years. Also, there are convictions only in around 3% of these cases. That too, mainly because the crimes committed were heinous," he said. The mother of M Alagendran, 21, of Virudhunagar, who was murdered by a gang from another SC community in June 2024, said her son was killed due to a love affair with a girl, by her relatives. "However, this case will not come under the SC/ST Act as the victim and accused are from different communities under SC. But, it is still an honour killing, which is why we need a separate law," said A Kathir. He said the State Level High Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee constituted under the chief minister is not functioning effectively, especially at the grassroots level. An award for best service for social change was presented to film director Era Saravanan during the event, for his contributions in highlighting and fighting against caste discrimination.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Separate Act for honour killing essential to address murders committed in same communities'
'As honour killing is even influenced by disparity in economic status of members of the same caste, a separate Act for honour killing is essential,' according to Kausalya of Shankar Social Justice Trust. Speaking at an event organised by Evidence, a non-governmental organisation based in Madurai, on Sunday to honour people working towards social change, Ms. Kausalya said that due to the complex nature of honour killing, which happens within the same caste or within two different caste Hindu communities, not all could be brought under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Echoing her demand, Kathir, founder of Evidence, said that a similar incident happened between two sub castes in the Scheduled Castes communities in Virudhunagar district. 'In such instances the accused cannot be framed under the SC/ST Act as both the accused and victims are from different SC communities.' Quoting the complexities, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, when he was the Opposition leader, advocated for a separate Act for honour killing. But after coming to power, he questioned the need for a separate Act when the SC/ST Act already existed, he added. When sections for women harassment were already there in the defunct Indian Penal Code, then why was a separate Act made for women harassment, he asked. 'As the intricacies associated with the regular Acts cannot be easily addressed, a specific Act becomes essential.' Pointing out several discrepancies in registering a FIR in violence against SC people, Mr. Kathirsaid the police department, lapdogs of the State, were only trying to dilute the charges to the maximum extent to prevent the caste Hindu communities, to whom most of the police officials belonged to, from being framed under the Act. Pointing out an incident, where the guidelines for the SC/ST Act was issued by the Tamil Nadu government was wrongly stated as Adi Dravidar instead of Scheduled Castes, he said when even senior level officials lacked knowledge, how could the police be blamed for not wholly understanding the Act. 'When the SC/ST Act was a Central act, how could the State government change its name? Also, the guidelines states that the Investigating Officer for SC/ST Act was inspector while it is the DSP who should be the IO,' he added. While lack of knowledge in understanding the Act was a problem, the casteist mentality of the officials and the police department prevented an objective and fair investigation in such cases. The Vadakadu incident, where SCs were attacked by caste Hindus, the Superintendent of Police and Collector refrained from visiting the scene of violence until the Madras High Court's criticism for not following the rules and order to visit the houses. Even to make the officials follow the law, the public had to approach the court, then how could the judicial process be easier for SC people who had to fight against the State, Mr. Kathir said. Activists who spoke at the event suggested a broader review of the progress of Public Prosecutors, IOs by the SC/ST Act, district and State-level committees in investigating and arguing for such SC/ST cases. Without the review of the functioning of the police, how could the State learn about how the Act was being implemented for the welfare of the people for whom the Act was constituted, they asked. Era Saravanan, director of Tamil movie Nandhan, was presented an award for his work towards social change.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's 'Exploratory Therapy' Is Still Just Conversion Therapy — and It's Dangerous
Marjan_Apostolovic In this op-ed, psychiatrist and conversion therapy survivor Dr. Matt R. Salmon addresses the Trump administration's report on gender-affirming care and the idea of 'exploratory therapy.' Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a 409 page report called "Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices." Meant to be an evidence-based look at gender-affirming care for trans kids, the report reads less like a scientific review and more like a policy hit job against transgender youth. There are many issues with the report, from cherry-picked data to advice that contradicts what nearly every major medical association has agreed constitutes best practices for treating trans youth. Among those many issues, all of which are alarming, is one that's particularly egregious to me: The report repackages conversion therapy in a new outfit, calling it 'exploratory therapy' and daring to suggest it be a new 'intervention.' Let me be clear: this isn't evidence-based medicine. It's state-sponsored gaslighting. Conversion therapy is a debunked and discredited practice that aims to change the sexuality and/or gender identity of LGBTQ+ individuals. According to The Trevor Project, conversion therapy is based on the incorrect idea that LGBTQ+ identities are disordered and need to be fixed. Currently, 23 states and Washington D.C. ban the practice, and another four states and Puerto Rico specifically ban it for minors. The practice has been linked to increased depression, PTSD, and suicidality in LGBTQ+ people. I've seen the impact of this practice myself. I know the harm this kind of 'therapy' causes because I endured it. Mine was called 'reparative therapy'—a clinical-sounding name for a process that sought to unmake me. I was told my queerness wasn't inherent, but the result of emotional deficits — specifically, a lack of 'healthy, non-sexual male bonding.' According to my professional counselor, I was trying to 'consume' other men, a kind of 'sexual cannibalism' meant to fill a missing masculine core. Week after week, I was dissected—my desires reframed as pathology, my identity treated as trauma. The damage wasn't loud or immediate. It settled in slowly, teaching me to doubt intimacy, to fear tenderness, to see my own reflection as something to be fixed. Now, I know that's not the case, and I've spent my career working to undo that harm. As a divergent-affirming psychiatrist, I've sat across from transgender teens whose families rejected them, whose therapists tried to 'neutralize' their identities, and whose medical access was dangled like a reward for compliance. I've seen firsthand what happens when we treat identity as a symptom to be cured instead of a truth to be honored. So, when I read that the HHS report is recommending 'exploratory therapy' as a treatment for gender dysphoria, to encourage trans youth to 'come to terms with their bodies,' it was an immediate red flag to me. Conversion therapy has tried to rebrand before, but given the stated intent in the report— to repackage gender dysphoria as 'common during puberty and adolescence' and to encourage 'adolescents come to terms with their bodies' — this seems like yet another attempt. The report explicitly denies this, the authors seemingly aware that they'd come up against this criticism (the authors, by the way, have not been named). 'Critics of exploratory psychotherapy for [gender dysphoria] claim that therapists are trying to 'promote gender identities that are aligned with the person's sex assigned at birth,'' the report says. 'A less theoretically-laden description would be that some therapists are trying to help children and adolescents come to terms with their bodies.' Again, let's be clear: Any therapy meant to convince you to be someone you know you're not isn't a 'treatment,' it's a dangerous effort at control and conformity. Critics of gender-affirming care for trans youth often say they're simply urging 'caution,' wanting to sway kids away from treatments that they might later regret (though statistics show they overwhelmingly do not regret this care). This isn't about caution, it's about control. It's about forcing trans kids to sit in rooms with adults who believe their existence is a pathology. It's about framing trauma as a treatment plan. It's about replacing affirming care with coercive, ideologically driven delay tactics—until it's too late. The HHS report isn't just ethically bankrupt—it's medically indefensible. It ignores decades of research and consensus from major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, all of which support gender-affirming care as the appropriate standard. Instead, the report leans heavily on discredited sources like the Cass Review and Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), two efforts widely criticized for promoting anti-trans policies under the guise of scientific neutrality. We know where this road leads: increased suicidality, broken families, and queer youth who learn to dissociate from themselves just to survive. We don't need this exploration the government is claiming to offer. In fact, as writer Katelyn Burns pointed out in an op-ed for MSNBC, 'therapy is already a major requirement for gender transitions of people of all ages, and especially for children.' We need affirmation. We need accountability. We need to stop calling cruelty a treatment model. As both a psychiatrist and someone who was once a queer kid trapped in a system that didn't see me, I say this with everything I've got: transgender youth don't need to be changed. It's the systems harming them that do. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
New Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Collect Rs 5L fine from each communal clash accused, says ‘Evidence' Kathir
MADURAI: The executive director of Evidence, an NGO, A Kathir on Wednesday urged the state government to collect Rs 5 lakh fine from each of the accused linked to the communal clash at Vadakadu village in Pudukkottai district. Addressing media, Kathir said as per PCR Act 1976, an accused involved in a communal clash has to pay Rs 5 lakh fine. However, it is not followed in any case. Chief Minister M K Stalin should impose fine on those involved in communal clashes and prevent such incidents from happening in future. He added, 'Police need to include sections 3(1)(wi), 3(1)(wii), 3(1(t)) and 3(2)(va) under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015 in the case booked against Caste Hindus. The collector and SP have not met the victim yet, they must visit and arrange counselling for the victims to help them get rid of their fear. CCTV cameras have been installed, Tasmac shops in the area should be closed, and police booths are essential in the village. The State SC/ST Commission needs to visit and take appropriate action. CM should also announce a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the victims.' He further stated that the reason for the clash was that the Adaikalamkaatha Ayyanar temple is located in an SC area, and the court had ruled that it belonged to SC people. However, caste Hindus allegedly did not accept this order. In the backdrop of this situation, when a few SC youths went to the Muthumariamman temple festival on Monday, the caste Hindus prevented them which ended in a scuffle. In retaliation, allegedly a mob consisting of over 300 youths belonging to caste Hindus entered the SC area with weapons and vandalised six houses and motorcycles. 13 people, including six women, were injured.' A team led by Kathir went to the village for fact-finding on Tuesday. VCK members stage protest Over 50 VCK members staged a protest in front of the Thiruvalluvar statue, near the collectorate, on Wednesday, condemning the Vadakattu village incident. They raised slogans against the government for failing to prevent the atrocities against the SC/ST people in the state. They urged CM to make efforts to punish the accused and bring justice to the victims who were affected by the incident.
