FROM PAGE Ae

Such an explanation is
offered by others in the
abortion controversy. who
point to this attitude among
society as the very reason for
the number of abortions at

Lions Gate. almost all of
which are for women hving
on the North Shore.
Hospital administrator
Borthwick terms abortion as
“part of the B.C. malaise”.
Asked to explain why
there aré so many, he an-
swers with another que&tion.
“Why does B.C. also have
the highest divorce rate, the
highest suicide rate and the
highest drug addiction rate?
Perhaps it's the rain. In spite
of the fact that we are Lotus

Land out here, we have very,

high evidence of social
_ malaise.”
He adds: “I am _ quite

certain a lot of this is tied in
with the “ME’ orientatuon
and the easy solution thing
that people are tuned into
these days. This again is the
nice, easy. simple solution to
the problem.”

Pro-Life chairman Pearce
has his own explanation:
“We feel there has been a
trend over a number of years
of a decrease in our respect
for human life in general and
that abortion and increased
pubikc acceptance of
euthanasia, as well as child
abuse and infanticide are all
indicative of that basic
trend.”

“We only have ourselves
to blame as a community for
having got ourselves into the
position where we are
today.”

Pearce questions whether
abortion at Lions Gate is
being handled as was in-
tended when the Crimimal
Code was altered in 1969 to
allow therapeutic abortion.

The new law stated that
therapeutic abortions can be
carried out by hospitals
when the abortion com-
mittee has established that

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“the contizivation | “of ‘the
pregnancy of such female
person would or would be
likely to endanger her life or
health”.

The hospital counters that
it acts strictly within the law,
according to the almost
universally accepted Worid
Health Organization of
Health definition of health,
which states:

“Health is a. state of
complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not
merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.”

DR.FRANK

SIGURDSON
Chairman of medical
services advisory
committee
Borthwick agrees that

most abortions are carried
out for reasons that apply to
the “social” element in the
health efinition. He
acknowledges that most
reasons offered could be
included in that category but

says that abortion is not
being carried out on
demand.

The screening of ap
plicants, he says. is done in
the GP’s office at referral,
before the application ever
reaches the abortion
committee, which has no
desire of being placed in the
role of being a “three-man
court”.

However, he adds: “I
think a lot of staff would say
no one ¢éver contemplated
there would be as many
abortions as there are under
this thing. I would guess it
was not intended.”

“But no one knows how

-and says:

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” many # itegal abortions there
used to be. It is a very
complex social issue and just
to cut off abortions at one
hospital doesn't solve that
social issue. It needs a whole
new set of attitudes about
sexual activity.”

Borthwick and medical
services committee chair-
man Sigurdson say the fact
that Lions Gate carries out
approximately 800 abortions
per year, compared to 1,400
live births, indicates
community acceptance of
the situation and that the
community favors having the
choice of abortion.

Sigurdson goes further
“Y would feel that
at least 80 per cent of the
community favors the
choice. I think we have
reached the social situation
where things are just dif-
ferent than they were 20
years ago.”

Sigurdson talks of youth
being brought up in a society
which believes it is a basic
right toowna home. ~

“People have been told it
is a choice of having a baby
or a child,” he says.

Applying the question of
community choice to
abortion, he says: “I think
there is no question about
what they want. They don't
care what the community
thinks. They are thinking
about themselves and want it
done and would sooner
forget it.”

He shares the belief of
Borthwick and _ hospital
board chairman Fellis that
Pro-Life is a minority group
trying to force its wishes on a
community which has
already rejected = such
standards.

Sigurdson says: “We must
do what the community
wants, whether y is right or
wrong. We are here to reach
the needs and wishes of the
majority of the community.”

But Pro-Life chairman
Pearce says he does not

CONTINUED ON PAGE A10

A9-Wednesday, August 6, 1980.- North Shore News

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