Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1322776
13 NEWS Christmas specials • Women maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 DECEMBER 2020 "We are convinced that public opinion is changing… there is undoubtedly a momentum behind the pro-choice campaign in Malta over the past year." Prof. Isabel Stabile "We are convinced that public opinion is changing… there is undoubtedly a momentum be- hind the pro-choice campaign in Malta over the past year. "We realise that opposition to abortion in the general pop- ulation is high, given that most Maltese consider themselves Catholic. We are also aware that politicians have, until re- cently, been very reluctant to mention this taboo subject. However, some politicians now seem to be sensing that public opinion is starting to shift, and with that will come a shift in their opinion." Prof. Stabile said that the pro-choice camp believes the setting-up of Doctors for Choice started a conversation amongst Maltese medical doc- tors as well as future doctors among whom the lobby has significant support. A study done by the NGO in May 2019, found that opposition to abor- tion was in the region of 95% however; after 18 months of campaigning it has fallen to around 80% with around half of under 26-year-olds report- ing they are pro-choice in the latest survey. "We are also seeing members of the public becoming more vocal in favour of choice on so- cial media and other outlets. It is a gradual process, but so far, progress has been more rap- id than we had expected. We believe that changes in public opinion will continue because more and more Maltese are re- alising that laws do not neces- sarily need to reflect religious dogma." Prof. Stabile said that over the last few years, opposition to abortion had shifted in Mal- ta from primarily the Catholic church to far-right political parties, as well as voluntary organisations affiliated with anti-choice networks abroad such as Agenda Europe and Heartbeat International. "We regularly receive a significant number of hate messages on our Facebook page from such individuals, most of which we ignore. We report some of the more egregious ones to the Hate Crimes Unit, in the hope that the long arm of the law will put an end to this," Prof. Stabile said. She highlighted said that re- cent cases in Malta such as the delayed treatment of metho- trexate for an ectopic pregnan- cy showed that waiting until a situation is considered "serious enough" before intervening to prevent a fatality, may well be too late. "Just because we have not as yet had such a case (or at least not to our knowledge), does not mean this could not happen. The most crucial as- pect is that women should be in a position where they can contribute to the management plan of their own pregnancy promptly," she said. Prof. Stabile pointed out that if it can happen in Ireland, which until recently had a legal ban on abortion, it can happen anywhere else with similar re- strictive laws. She said the only way to ensure that this does not happen is to eliminate the total legal ban on abortion. "Malta's complete ban on abortion im- pacts not only the patient-doc- tor relationship but also the ad- vice provided to women with an unwanted pregnancy or a preg- nancy complicated by the poor health of the woman or a foetal anomaly (even if wanted)," Sta- bile said. The ban also affected the quality of post-abortion care as many of those who do have abortions by travelling or by us- ing pills cannot obtain the same follow-up as women in coun- tries where abortion is legal. "We certainly respect the views of those who believe that life begins at conception. However, as doctors, we believe we should be allowed to offer the option of abortion legally and safely to those women who share our views. So, yes, we are optimistic that a reform of abortion law in Malta will happen sooner than most people expect," she said. 'Abortion and methods of reproductive planning: the views of Malta's medical doctor cohort', a study which surveyed 454 doctors, was published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters Journal im late 2019. All contacts that were accessible with permission from the Malta medical council (1,578 out of a total of 2,468 registered doctors) were invited for the survey. According to the surveyed respondents, the majority of doctors in Malta do not agree with a total ban on abortion. Doctors were questioned about their views on legalisation of abortion in different circumstances and gestational ages. A clear majority were in favour of legalisation, for at least up to 12 weeks gestation, in case of 'woman's life in danger' (66.8%) and 'non-viable fetal anomaly' (63.0%). These two circumstances also gained a narrow majority in favour of abortion being legal at all stages in the pregnancy, at 54.2% and 50.2% respectively. Campaigners: Emily Galea, Laura Paris, and Alessandra Baldacchino brought home the reality of women and abortion with their Dear Decision Makers campaign