Anger over green light to TV abortion ads

Pro-life groups have hit out at a controversial ruling by the advertising regulator allowing private abortion clinics to run ads on TV and radio stations.

Although abortion ads in the UK are already permitted on billboards and print media, the decision by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) will allow for-profit clinics to promote their work on broadcast media from April 30.

The BCAP explained that they do not see a reason to block the ads as long as they are not harmful, offensive or misleading, The Christian Institute revealed.

However, a number of UK pro-life groups explained to The Christian Post why they disapprove of the decision, saying that such a move allows these clinics to promote making money from ending human life.

"There is a strong case to be made that abortion advertising per se should never be allowed anywhere insofar as contrary to what most people may believe, abortion has never been legalised under our UK laws, and remains a criminal act except if it can be argued that certain exemption requirements are fulfilled, and two doctors confirm that these conditions have been met," said Olivia Darby, Projects Manager at the Pro-Life Alliance.

"Equally suspect is the ruling in the BCAP executive summary (aimed at the pro-life counseling centers) that those who offer post-conception advice services are obliged to specify if they do not offer abortion referral. By what extraordinary presumption can it be claimed that abortion is an automatic option for pregnant women? Advertisements are about what one does provide, not what one does not offer," she continued, noting another facet of the decision.

Anthony Ozimic, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), claimed that the "pro-abortion bias" of BCAP had been further proved by its requirement for advertisements by pro-life pregnancy centres to make clear that they do not refer women for abortions.

He said BCAP had admitted to making this requirement based on advice by the Department of Health and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which he refers to as 'pro-abortion' institutions.

"Yet BPAP/CAP have also ruled that Marie Stopes and their ilk (from the British Pregnancy Advisory Services, which he says are Britain's biggest abortion lobbyists and abortion chain operators), will not have to declare that they offer abortion or have a financial interest in abortion. This two-faced decision is blatant discrimination against pro-life centres at the behest of the pro-abortion lobby," Ozimic continued.

A number of pro-choice groups, however, have rejected the claims that the main interest of these ads is to make a profit from abortion.

Naomi Phillips, Head of Public Affairs at the British Humanist Association, suggested that the mission of the ads is more about helping victims of unwanted pregnancy, such as rape victims.

"Many will be surprised that until now private abortion clinics have not been able to advertise to give women information about options they have following an unwanted pregnancy," she said.

"It is vital that women with unintended and unwanted pregnancies are able to access, in a timely way, accurate, objective information about all of the options open to them.

"It seems that television advertising could be an effective way of reaching thousands of such women, and is to be welcomed."

Marge Berer, editor at Reproductive Health Matters said: "One in three women in the UK have an abortion in their lifetimes. Like family planning services, abortion services support women's right to decide the number and spacing of their children, and are a legitimate health care service."

Jane Fisher, Director at Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) said: "Our remit as a charity deals with the particular circumstances of women facing termination of pregnancy for medical reasons (usually due to a prenatal diagnosis).

"We think it is important that women have access to clear information about what clinics provide. We do not see them as pro-abortion ads, i.e. 'selling' or 'promoting' abortion, rather making women aware of the services available to them.

A report by the Department of Health revealed that abortion in the UK is on the rise – in 2010 there were 189,574 abortions, which was 8.0% more than the 175,542 abortions reported in 2000.

As previous study conducted by the group "REPROSTAT 2" analysed abortion rates among girls ages 13-19 in 25 European countries. The findings show that the UK had the second highest teen abortion rates at 22.1 percent and that a quarter of all abortions in the UK are from teenagers.