Clinic making lives better every year with its work

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP is quite right to draw attention to the MSI Reproductive Choices Clinic in South London (In My View, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, SLP September 1).

The work the clinic and similar outpatient clinics do is not heart surgery.

However, these clinics and surgeries make thousands of lives in London better every year by providing essential services to women and to families.

Many mothers in London don’t have English as a first language, so that is another point that should be considered by services.

Often women are denied the choice about whether to have children or when they can have children by cultural and institutional pressures.

Women should have access to abortion regardless of their ethnic or religious background. Also timely access to contraception can prevent the need to terminate an unwanted pregnancy anyway.

Ms Ribeiro-Addy is also right to draw attention to the language around abortion by a number of anti-abortion campaigners, following the repeal of Roe vs Wade in the United States.

The repeal of Roe vs Wade, by a Supreme Court packed by Donald Trump appointees, has given huge encouragement to the anti-abortion movement globally, and we are seeing the consequences of that here in Britain.

Another atrocious and bizarre decision by the Trump administration was to cut US aid to family planning services distributed through the United Nations.

The Clapham Vigil in March 2021, after the murder of Sarah Everard by a police officer, has rightly focused attention on women’s health and well-being more generally.

Shouvik Datta
Esol teacher and Interpreter (NHS and social services)