Editorial: Consider adoption instead of abortion

I do think there should be easier and free access to contraception to reduce the number of abortions, but I also think people who don't want to have children need to have a bit of a spine and pay for contraception or perhaps use the word no.

As someone who has struggled to have a child it was with tremendous sadness that I read there had been 821 abortions in the Bay of Plenty last year and more than half of those who had abortions were under 24.

In this day and age surely we all know that there is contraception available and yet some can't be bothered getting it and instead choose to abort.

I have struggled to have a child and after four attempts at IVF it looks as if it may not happen for us, but I've reached a stage where that's okay. We do still hold some hope. I will admit I'm pro-life and believe that human life starts at conception so it makes me sad when I see so many children being aborted. While some may believe they are not formed human beings, try saying that to a woman who has injected herself with hormones, gone through blood tests galore, had to give up caffeine, chocolate, various others foods, hot showers and lose weight and spend several weeks feeling like crap waiting to see if she is pregnant. I've heard of hospitals overseas where on one side women are going through IVF and on the other side women are having abortions.

Wouldn't it be awesome to join those together and make the dreams of couples struggling to have children come true.

I've met, or know, several couples who have struggled to have children or who've had miscarriages and seen some of their heartache.

Some people say some women have no choice but to abort given the circumstances they are going through and who I am to judge about that. However, wouldn't it be great for anyone thinking about abortion to consider the other option - adoption.

There has been recent publicity of there being very few babies available for adoption.

Dr Tania Pinfold, who is the clinical leader of Youth Health Rotorua, says if the community is serious about reducing the rate of unintended pregnancies, the choices for contraception should all be readily accessible and free.

I tend to agree, but I would also urge those thinking about abortion to think about those couples who struggle to have children.