APEL Institute of thought Pro-Life in connection with the publication of the "Guidelines on existing legal provisions on access to abortion"
Following the appearance of a paper entitled Guidelines on existing government on access to abortion, we appeal to all Poles, including infirmary directors, chiefs, branch managers, doctors, nurses and midwives, who are close to caring for the welfare of the conceived children and the long-term knowing of the welfare of their mothers. We are besides guided by concern for the welfare of fathers, siblings, grandparents and all who may be affected by the wound of the intentional interruption of life close them, the unborn human being. In the light of biological sciences as well as Faith, by many of us inactive shared, it cannot be denied humanity. Firstly, we call on the Ministry of wellness and call for a withdrawal from the Guidelines!
According to police data, in Poland, as a consequence of suicides, in the last 5 years about 26 1000 people have died (some more than 5 1000 people per year). In this overwhelming sorrowful number, in the last 5 years there have been 2 (literally two) cases of maternal suicides caused by unwanted pregnancy, accounting for about 0.008% of the full number of suicides. Both cases occurred in 2021. The Pro-Life Institute of Thoughts refers with large compassion to these tragic, although highly uncommon events in the country and we emphasize that caring for the psychophysical welfare of mothers of children conceived should be 1 of the pillars of the wellness care structure in Poland.
Modern medicine has for many years been standing on the foundation of belief that any therapeutic decision should have a binding in the alleged Evidence Based Medicine, i.e. a therapeutic procedure based on sound and reliable technological data. Recommendations made in the form of guidelines are published by recognised technological societies in Poland and in the world, as a consequence of the joint work of tens of recognized researchers, known by name and signed by them. technological Society guidelines are frequently updated. Their authors, aware of the large work they have for their editorial work, are taking large care.
Only due to the apparent similarity of ‘Guidelines...’ Ministry of wellness for what was understood in medicine so far by the word “guidelines”, we call on the Author or Authors of “Guidelines...” to uncover themselves. The weight of matter, i.e. human life affected by this document, besides demands solid binding in investigation work: clinical trials, systematic reviews and metaanalysis. We request an indication of what wellness benefit is expected for the parent in connection with the ‘therapeutic’ intervention of killing her child. Modern medicine hates the conduct of unattached medicine based on facts.
In advance of the Ministry of Health's answer, we let ourselves to mention technological data. On the basis of a survey conducted on the basis of medical records in Finland from 1987 to 1994, it was found that abortions entail 3 times the hazard of committing suicide, whereas the birth of a kid entailes a simplification in the hazard of suicide by half as compared to the general population (i.e. women who have given birth have six times the hazard of suicide than those who have had abortions)[1]. In turn, a Danish study, based on medical records (49 000 women), showed that abortion did not reduce the hazard of suicide effort within a year after it was carried out. In their conclusions, the authors stressed that the concern to avoid suicide in women cannot be the basis for state policy on abortion[2]. Ferguson's research, a scientist who referred to himself as a pro-choice atheist and rationalist[3], was a reliable technological effort to search answers to the question of how maternity events (abortion, abortion, natural childbirth after wanted pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy) affected women's intellectual wellness over a period of 30 years. The results clearly indicated an increase in the hazard of psychiatric disorders after abortion of about 30%[4], dependence on psychoactive substances (more than 6 times) and depression, anxiety disorders and suicidal thoughts (more than 2 times), as well as alcohol and drugs[5]. There was an increased hazard of suicide. This survey did not uncover any wellness benefits of abortion. Finally, Reardon points out that abortion is consistently linked to an increased incidence of intellectual illness compared to women who did not undergo abortion. In addition, it reveals that abortion experience straight contributes to intellectual wellness problems of at least any women, and the pre-existing intellectual illness is simply a hazard origin for greater vulnerability to intellectual problems after abortion[6].
In any Western countries (e.g. UK or fresh Zealand), over 90% of abortions were performed due to a intellectual wellness risk. It can be expected that after extending the indication for abortion with the alleged intellectual wellness threat, their number in Poland will increase significantly. Now, as you can see, there is no technological basis to claim that in any way this will translate into improving women's intellectual health. As an IMPL, we do not realize the current policy of the government, which is de facto intended to introduce abortion on request at any time of pregnancy. Given the threat of abortion to women's intellectual health, we wonder what the thought is for the Author or Authors of the Guidelines published by the Ministry of Health.
Our conclusions:
1. ‘Guidelines...’ are not any legal instrument and are not a origin of law. In particular, doctors apply the "Law on Doctors and Dentist Professionals" and the Code of Medical Ethics, shaping the ethical framework in which wellness services should be performed, as well as another regulations, including the Criminal Code and the Law on the Ombudsman's Rights. Criminal and civilian liability, as well as professional doctors, derives from existing legislation, to which the Guidelines do not belong. Furthermore, the non-reflective application of the Guidelines may lead to infringements of the existing rules and thus to the legal work of doctors. In addition, the statutory responsibilities of doctors are not affected by the form of the NFZ and the medicinal entity. besides in relation to the NFZ and the medicinal entity itself, the law in force is relevant, not the anonymously drafted Guidelines. In disputed matters, the Constitution of Poland and the Act are the basis for judicial decisions. Therefore, the illusion of law-making by the “Guidelines” can only proceed until the first court hearing. What are they in fact? They stay the opinion of an anonymous author[7].
Hospital directors, chiefs, branch managers are not organisational entities subordinate to the Ministry of Health, so ‘Guidelines...’ are not an interior legal act that an employer could influence its employees. Therefore, we appeal to the founding bodies of hospitals: marshal offices, region Oldlands, regional governments and another bodies supervising the activities of hospitals. In the current legal state, the Minister of wellness is not able to straight influence the business or financial condition of wellness care establishments[8]. In fact, his signature does not even appear on the “Guidelines...”. Dear Members, Local Governments! "Guidelines..." are not valid due to the fact that their substance should be left to the decision of the heads of the institution or, possibly, partially regulated in an executive act issued by the minister. Meanwhile, your large mission is to stand firm on the side of justice and truth, to defend women's wellness by protecting the lives of their unborn children, and that can only be achieved by requiring specified standards of conduct from the subordinates Hospitals.
2. We call on psychiatrists as well as psychologists and psychotherapists to search fair answers to the question whether any wellness benefit to abortion has always been proven? The published sources can only find facts indicating the traumatic function of abortion, in the long word causing harm to intellectual wellness – and after all, the most crucial ethical framework is: primam non nomare, first of all, do not harm. Isn't abortion in a female who suffers from intellectual wellness disorders a fuel spill? And even if it temporarily brings a sense of subjective relief, after a long time it can be the origin of large suffering[9].
Therefore, in her professional integrity, based on the ethos of the doctor and the therapist, seeking a good female should defend her with her kid and implement appropriate therapy, that is to include treatment consistent with the existing consensus and medical cognition (for example depression[10)). The ethics of the doctor's profession, and even more so the psychiatrist demands a holistic and far-sighted conduct of the patient through the problems with which she is asked for help.
3. We appeal to OB gynecologists, on whom the anonymous author of the Guidelines intends to lay the burden of work for the lives of susceptible patients[11]: do not take it upon yourselves! As people of different professional disciplines (including medical and legal disciplines) we see the large value of the gift of life and with all our heart we ask you to be on the pro-life side with us. Do not let yourself be manipulated into work for the business under which our ruling superiors are afraid to personally sign. We read it as healthy defence reflexes of their consciences, and we express our support for all manifestations of concern for the most innocent and defenseless human beings in our society.
4. We call on the president of the Republic of Poland, as well as Members and Senators from all parliamentary clubs to act in defence of the regulation of law and the constitutional right to life, due to the fact that it was for this, among another things, that you were called by the voters who voted for you. Defenders of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland call for the fight to keep the legal order in our The country with this determination to awaken within itself in terms of final, fundamental welds, like the human right to life. There was no majority in the Sejm to take on innocent blood. Under “Guidelines...” no 1 signed...
5. We make a fervent request to the Polish Episcopate, priests and consecrated people. May the Church take in defence of her children, and so pregnant women, who request the support of the moral authority of the Church, in order to heroicly endure in the task entrusted to them by God-Creator of giving birth to the planet a fresh life, as well as fathers, to take up their duties to defend unborn children regardless of the price to be paid. This moral support, which is essential to everyone, is not only an active material or organizational concern, but above all it concerns teaching and conducting through the Magisterium of the Church. So we ask priests for homilies, catechesis, and all effort to enlighten their consciences. Thanking the voice of the KEP Bioethical Expert Group[12], we ask that fundamental truths about the fact that the life of all man begins at the time of conception and develops continuously on the basis of the interior principles enshrined in his genome, and that, under the ecclesiastical law, the killing of an unborn kid and participation are treated as 1 of the heaviest crimes and punished by the punishment of excommunication, which excludes from participation in spiritual goods entrusted to the Church by Christ, from all pulpit and moved hearts throughout the Homeland.
We want to invitation all people of good will to act. We encourage you to send the content of our appeal in full or in fragments of possible curious – e.g. local governments, Members or priests in your parish. We hope that the above arguments will aid those of you who want to rise them in individual conversations with doctors, local authorities and another friends. Anyone who feels that he is in favour of life, in the face of specified a large conflict as the publication of “Guidelines...”, can decide to take 1 step – available to himself in a given situation – to contribute to the construction of the civilization of life and the future of Poland.
Pro-Life Institute of Thought
[1] Gissler M, Hemminki E, Lönnqvist J. Suicides after pregency in Finland, 1987-94: registry linkage study. BMJ. 1996 Dec 7;313(7070):1431-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7070.1431. PMID: 8973229; PMCID: PMC2352979.
[2] Steinberg JR, Laurien TM, Adler NE, Gasse C, Agerbo E, Munk-Olsen T. The association between first abortion and first-time non-fatal Suicide attempt: a longitudinal cohort survey of Danish population registries. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019 Dec;6(12):1031-1038. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30400-6. Epub 2019 Nov 19. Erratum in: Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Feb; 7(2):e6. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30003-1. PMID: 31757590; PMCID: PMC7437954.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Fergusson_(psychologist)#city_note-abc730-9 [accessed: 21.09.2024]
[4] Ferguson DM, Horwood LJ, Boden JM. Abortion and intellectual wellness conditions: evidence from a 30-year longitudinal study. Br J Psychiatry. 2008 Dec;193(6):444-51. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.056499. PMID: 19043144.
[5] Ferguson DM, Horwood LJ, Boden JM. Does abortion reduce the intellectual wellness risks of unwanted or unified pregnance? A re-appraisal of the evidence. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2013 Sep;47(9):819-27. doi: 10.1177/0004867413484597. Epub 2013 Apr 3. PMID: 23553240.
[6] Reardon DC. The abortion and intellectual wellness controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and investigation opportunities. SAGE Open Med. 2018 Oct 29;6:2050312118807624. doi: 10.1177/2050312118807624. PMID: 30397472; PMCID: PMC6207970.
[7] Goose K. Analysis of "Guidelines on existing government on access to abortion procedure". Institute for Legal Culture Ordo Iuris, Warsaw 2024 https://ordoiuris.pl/sites/default/files/inline-files/Analysis_legal_guidelines_MZ_ws_interrupt_ciazy.pdf
[9] Dykes, K, Slade, P, Haywood, A. Long word follow-up of emotional experiences after terminology of pregency: women’s views at menopause. diary of Reproductive and baby Psychology, 2010; 29(1), 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2010.513046
[10] Recommendations of the Polish Psychiatric Society on treatment of affective disorders in women of childbearing potential. Part I: Treatment of depression. Psychiatrist. Pol. 2019; 53(2): 245–262 https://www.psychiapolska.pl/pdf-103385-79589?filename=Recommendations%20of%20the.pdf
[11] Article 39. KEL: “When taking medical action in a pregnant woman, the doctor is liable for the wellness and life of the unborn kid at the same time.” https://nil.org.pl/uploaded_images/1723037323_kel-2305.pdf
[12] Position of the Polish Bioethical Episcopal Conference Expert Group: Abortion beyond Ethics and Law?https://episkopat.pl/doc/217598.Zespol-Expertow-KEP-ds-Bioethic-Life-each-man [accessed: 21.09.2024]
