Marie Stopes Northern Ireland is marking the first
anniversary of the opening of its Belfast clinic, claiming
“hundreds” of men and women have availed of its services.
In a statement marking the event, Dawn Purvis,
former Progressive Unionist leader, Assembly member and now director of
Marie Stopes NI, said she looked to the coming year “offering choice to
the women and men who need our services”.
The
Belfast clinic said it was marking the “first year that the people of
Northern Ireland have been able to visit a single health centre for
information, advice and help with contraception, HIV and sexually
transmitted infections and – where the legal requirements are met –
early medical abortion”.
No figures
No figures
Marie Stopes does not provide figures on the numbers of abortions sought or carried out in Belfast despite being pressed by legislators at Stormont.
Last January, less than three months after it opened its city-centre clinic, senior Marie Stopes figures, UK and Europe
director Tracey McNeill and Ms Purvis, were questioned by the
Assembly’s health committee for more than two hours. Ms McNeill said the
clinic’s mission was clear – “children by choice not chance”.
Asked
how many abortions had taken place or were expected to take place at
its Belfast clinic, she replied: “We will not be releasing any figures
or numbers around the number of men and women that we have seen at our
clinic.”
She said Marie Stopes wanted to maintain the confidentiality of
its Belfast operations.
At present there is no legal requirement to
release such information.
Marking the anniversary
Ms Purvis said: “I am very proud of my team and the way they treat
everyone who comes through our door with compassion and respect, and I
am humbled by the appreciation expressed by the hundreds of men and
women who use our services.”