"Partnership" For Abortion

Dr. Erich Geiringer told Salient of an interesting practice that occurs in London.

A gynaecologist and psychiatrist go into "partnership." Any inquiries the gynaecologist receives about abortion are automatically referred to the psychiatrist. He interviews the patient to find out reasons for prescribing an abortion.

The interview might go something like this.

"What would you do if you couldn't have an abortion?"

"I'd commit suicide."

So the psychiatrist recommends "that since this woman is a potential suicide case, she should be aborted to preserve her mental health."

Of course, it is quite likely that in response to the question

"What would you do if you couldn't have an abortion?," the woman simply says:

"I'd probably have the child adopted."

The psychiatrist might then ask:

"Would you be likely to commit suicide?"

"Oh, no."

"If there was a possibility you might commit suicide, I might be able to do something to help."

"Oh, in that case, yes, I probably would commit suicide."

So the psychiatrist recommends to his partner" that the woman be aborted on grounds of danger to her mental health.

Further comment on abortion appears on page five.