Women need to have choices when facing an unplanned pregnancy ABORTION 4G PRO-VOICE 4

When women are unprepared for pregnancy, they should have choices. The discussion on Abortion 4G/Abortion 4 Provinces at the Pro-Voice 4 event held on September 27 at the Friend’s Restaurant in Phayathai District, Bangkok, by the Network Supporting Choices for Unprepared Pregnant Women, presented options showing that we have entered the 4G era of abortion. The technology is much more advanced than before, services are sincere without judgment or stigma, abortion is a choice that the police no longer arrest for, and when we decide to have an abortion, we should move forward to a bright life. This event featured 4 speakers providing information in each section as follows:

Good Technology / Cool Technology by Dr. Orawee Chintakananda, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital Technology makes life easier. Abortion also has good technology that makes life easier. It is the use of safe abortion pills, known as Medical Abortion. It is better and safer than the old method by 95-99%, with no risk or impact on future pregnancies. The World Health Organization (WHO) certifies that if the pregnancy is less than 9 weeks, women can use the pills at home, with a safety statistic of up to 92-99%. But if the pregnancy is over 9 weeks, it may be necessary to go to the hospital, but the success rate is still over 95%. However, there are some diseases that pose a risk to using the pills, such as ectopic pregnancy, drug allergies, SLE, adrenal gland disease, blood disorders, including HIV, which may require dose adjustments, which is a matter for the patient and doctor to discuss.

• The advantage of using the pills is that it is safe, convenient, and does not require anesthesia. Women can control it.
• The disadvantage is that the result may not be 100%, and it may require several hospital visits.

Good Service / Sincere Service by Dr. Nithiwat Saengruang, International Health Policy Development Office Attitude is important. As society begins to change its mindset when talking about abortion, there are more voices that understand women. But the problem found is the attitude of healthcare providers who are still stuck with old beliefs. What should be Good service, according to WHO reviews, is sustainable development.

• Person-Centered: Providing service with empathy, listening without judgment, seeing them as individuals.
• Accessibility: Women can easily access services, feel comfortable, and safe.
• Quality: Quality service with good tools and safety.
• Coverage: Comprehensive coverage for all groups, supporting expenses, and ensuring all necessary services are provided.
• Comprehensiveness: Viewing humans in 4 dimensions: promoting, preventing, treating, and rehabilitating to become good in body, mind, emotion, society, and spirit.
• Continuity: Continuity in service provision.
• Coordination: Coordination between networks.
• Accountability: Ensuring accountability.

Good Law / Police Don’t Arrest by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pokpong Srisanit, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University

Discussing 2 topics: Present and Future

Presently, Thailand has defined abortion as a criminal offense in the Penal Code, sections 301-305. The lawmakers are a group with conservative thinking because the law was drafted in 1957, viewing abortion as sinful, prohibiting it in all cases except two: when the mother’s life is at risk and in cases of rape. The law from 60 years ago provided very few exceptions and never gave women the right to decide. Until 2005, there was a Medical Council regulation interpreting section 305, stating that abortion is legal if the mother’s health is at risk, not just physical health but mental health as well. In this case, there must be a doctor certifying the patient’s mental health, not the attending doctor, and another doctor performing the abortion, totaling three doctors.

But the future situation may bring good news, as there is a plan to amend section 305 of the Penal Code soon by the Criminal Law Reform Committee of the Council of State. It is important for the network to have the opportunity to speak with the committee, as they will listen to opinions from all sides. However, most of the groups that will have the opportunity to speak are government sectors. The committee will receive information from this side, which should know the direction of the government. If the network explains the dangers of illegal abortions with concrete supporting data, the committee is likely to listen, and it may be time to change the law from ambiguous to clear, allowing safe abortions in all hospitals and receiving certification from the Ministry of Public Health.

Chanoknan Ruamsap, Tam Tang Group[/caption>

Good Life / Bright Life by Chanoknan Ruamsap, Tam Tang Group

If we achieve the previous 3 Goods, it will give women a Good Life. But besides these 3 Goods, another very important thing is stigma. Our Tam Tang group tries to help reduce stigma and empower women facing such problems, which is very important. Because if someone still feels guilty about their choice or thinks it is sinful, it is harder to fix than the law or removing the embryo from the uterus. Therefore, women should be confident that they are doing the right thing, and abortion should be included in the health insurance system that women should have the right to.

Another important thing that will lead to a Good Life is changing attitudes. Showing that abortion is not something sinful that should be condemned. It’s like when we walk in the rain and catch a cold, we can go to the hospital without being condemned for not taking care of ourselves. Unprepared pregnancy is the same. If we know it’s raining heavily and we still walk through the rain, if we get pregnant, we should have the choice to go to the hospital or buy medicine without anyone labeling us as wrong.