Dear SPUC supporter
In 2010, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) stated unequivocally that unborn babies aborted before 24 weeks gestation CANNOT feel pain.
The RCOG review claimed there was no new evidence to show babies feel pain in the womb before 24 weeks, so there was no reason to challenge the UK abortion limit which applies in most cases.
They said foetuses are "undeveloped and sedated".
Brain connections are not fully formed, and the environment of the womb creates a state of induced sleep, like unconsciousness, they explained.
The claim was widely – and unquestioningly - reported in the mainstream media.
It should be pointed out, however, that when it comes to abortion, the RCOG is NOT a neutral observer.
It backs it fully.
If you visit its website, you will see that it works with the British Society of Abortion Care Providers (BSACP)
The BSACP membership is open to “… anyone involved in the provision of abortion care.” Its members include:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Midwives
- Counsellors
- Academics (researchers and students).
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The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is the UK’s largest abortion provider.
It also welcomed the RCOG report at the time, saying that it would provide “a clear basis” for women to make difficult decisions.
Former BPAS CEO Ann Furedi stated:
"Women and doctors need to be able to make informed decisions based on what science says, not what advocates, whether pro-choice or anti-choice, wish it said."
So how robust was the scientific basis for the RCOG report that Ann Furedi pointed to?
Well, as it turns out, NOT very.
Fast forward ten years to 2020.
In a paper published in the Journal of Medical Ethics the authors concluded that “no longer view fetal pain in a gestational window of 12–24 weeks as impossible based on the neuroscience”.
Remarkably, the lead author of this report was Professor Stuart Derbyshire—a member of the RCOG Working Party, which put out the 2010 RCOG report.
BPAS refused to accept the ‘science’.
Tellingly, a BPAS spokeswoman reacted to the 2020 report by stating:
“The most comprehensive review [referring to the now debunked 2010 RCOG report] of this issue to date concluded a foetus cannot experience pain before 24 weeks.”
To clarify: The ‘review’ quoted by BPAS is the very study Derbyshire was himself involved with, and whose findings he now rejects.
Around 5% of abortions carried out in England and Wales are between 13- and 19-weeks’ gestation.
That would mean that a projected 12,062 unborn babies possibly undergo staggeringly excruciating pain as they are aborted.
By refusing to accept the new “science”, BPAS demonstrates an astonishing level of contempt for women.
For consent to be valid, it requires full disclosure to the patient.
How many BPAS patients would proceed with their abortion if they were told a possibility exists that their unborn baby would die an agonising death?
BPAS's contempt for women doesn’t end there.
Abysmal safety at its clinics has been a serious concern for several years.
In 2021, three BPAS clinics were put into “special measures” after the CQC highlighted serious concerns about patient safety and consent in Merseyside, Doncaster and Middlesbrough.
- In Doncaster, 12 patients were transferred to the local NHS acute trust due to complications between December 2020 to May 2021
- In Merseyside, Between July 2020 and June 2021, the service transferred six patients in an emergency due to complications or the patient becoming unwell
- In Middlesbrough, five service users had to travel to another BPAS location in the North West at short notice for a surgical termination of pregnancy
Ironically, it is the pro-life side that time and again provides women experiencing crisis pregnancies vital help and support, while help from BPAS is absent.
In fact, SPUC has been providing practical support to help pregnant women for many years.
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Take the Alma Mater Fund.
A survey by the National Union of Students puts the number of students dropping out of university who are single parents at 65% (2 in 3).
The Alma Mater Fund (Latin for 'nourishing/bounteous mother') is addressing this problem.
It is by providing financial grants to pregnant university students facing difficulties which enable them to continue with their degree course through pregnancy and early parenthood.
Caitlin from Scotland is one such beneficiary of the Fund.
Caitlin said of the scheme:
“The Alma Mater Fund helped me get things I wouldn’t have been able to afford, like a cot for the baby and a pram.
"It really helped me out.
"To other students, I would tell them that they can definitely get there and complete their degrees.”
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Click on the above image to find out more about the Alma Mater Fund (video: 1 min 48 secs)
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Previously, SPUC’s Alma Mater Fund was only able to support students at universities in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
But last autumn, the initiative was expanded.
The Alma Mater Fund now covers universities in England and Wales.
MP Mary Glindon has welcomed the expansion.
In 2020, Mary shared her own moving crisis pregnancy testimony with delegates at a SPUC conference in Newcastle.
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Mary Glindon MP pictured with fellow pro-life parliamentarian, Sir Edward Leigh MP
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The Labour MP for Tyneside North said that when she fell pregnant and was facing being a single mother herself, well-meaning friends offered to pay for an abortion.
Today, Mary’s daughter is in her thirties and has had a baby of her own.
Of course, there are many more universities in England and Wales than in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with far larger student populations to service.
However, Alma Mater doesn't receive a penny in government grants.
The growing demand for its services can only be met by ordinary pro-life people up and down the country, like you.
The project requires:
- A full-time support officer to liaise with applicants, manage the applications, research other support available, and promote the project on UK campuses – to ensure we’re reaching students in need.
- A part-time co-ordinator to oversee the initiative, make decisions about grants, and ensure The Alma Mater Fund’s sustainability for the future.
- Resources to be able to support pregnant students at all higher education institutions (not just universities), and larger grants for those with more significant needs.
Estimated running costs (excluding grants awards) for the next 12 months = £55,000
Unlike one-off political campaigns, projects like Alma Mater require a sustained funding commitment over time because in some cases support may be required for several years.
That’s why I would urge you to consider setting up a regular monthly donation to SPUC of £5 or £15 or £30 or £50 or £100 or £250 or £500 via Direct Debit today if you can.
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Thank you for your tremendous support.
Yours in defence of life.
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PS The Journal of Medical Ethics study on foetal pain explodes the myth perpetrated by BPAS & RCOG that unborn children don’t feel pain under 24 weeks.
It plainly exposes the abortion industry’s disdain for unborn human life.
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Meanwhile, its abysmal safety record, documented over many years by the Care Quality Commission, shows utter contempt for the well-being of women too.
Ironically, it is the pro-abortion side which often accuses pro-lifers of not caring about the plight of women.
Yet, SPUC’s support for women experiencing crisis pregnancies is no secret and it goes back years.
It is further proof that (as well as unborn babies), the pro-life movement very much has the welfare of women at its heart.
With more funding, we could:
- Support even MORE vulnerable women through their crisis pregnancies
- Prevent their unborn babies from the possibility of dying cruel, painful deaths provided by organisations like BPAS, which hold them in such contempt.
That’s why I urge you to consider supporting this crucial side of SPUC’s work today if you can.
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