When religious ideology drives abortion policy, poor women suffer the consequences
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Gretchen E. Ely, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
In Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants are frequently segregated, with some neighborhoods divided by barbed wire fences, reflecting deep historical conflicts between the faiths.
Ninety percent of Northern Ireland’s 1.87 million people are Christian, with Protestants, once the solid majority there, now slightly outnumbering Catholics. But members of these faiths remain divided decades after a 1997 peace agreement meant to end sectarian violence in the region.
Northern Irish politicians do agree on one thing lately, The New York Times reports: banning abortion.
It is illegal in Northern Ireland to end a pregnancy unless it endangers the mother’s life, though 65% of Northern Ireland’s population supports abortion. As a result, women who seek abortions typically go to England, where abortion is legal.
But, as my research on cases of low-income abortion patients shows, not everyone can afford abortion exp...
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