Abortion counselling service begins
Updated on 09 March 2008
Britain's first telephone counselling service for women thinking of ending their pregnancy has been launched by a leading family planning agency.
Marie Stopes International (MSI) has set up the hotline as an alternative to face-to-face meetings, which will remain available.
More than 650 women took advantage of the new service during a six month pilot trial.
Counselling is offered both to women considering an abortion and those who have already undergone the procedure at one of MSI's nine UK centres.
Liz Davies, the agency's UK and Western Europe director, said most women seeking a termination were sure about their decision and many chose not to have any counselling.
However counselling was "vitally important" for those who were undecided.
"The fact that women can now talk to a counsellor outside a clinical environment, makes the service more accessible for many - both physically and psychologically," said Ms Davies.
"Many women find it easier to explore their emotions on the phone rather than face-to-face especially if they are within a familiar environment such as their own homes.
"Opting for telephone counselling also dramatically reduces the time a woman has to spend at a clinic which is critical, particularly for post-abortion counselling.
"By using the telephone counselling service, women can discuss their feelings without travelling back to the clinic where they had the procedure, which can be a difficult emotional journey."
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