MONTEGO BAY, St James — Noted obstetrician Dr Michael Abrahams is urging his peers in the medical field to put their personal views aside and show empathy to anyone who seeks advice on having an abortion.

“Whether you are pro-choice or anti-abortion, one of the most important things is to empathise with women who decide to have an abortion,” he said.

Abortion is illegal in Jamaica.

“Forget about your views on abortion, your religious beliefs, your values, your morals, whatever — it’s not about you. Women who find themselves in this situation need empathy more than anything else, they don’t need any guilt trip,” Dr Abrahams said.

He was speaking via video link on Thursday, as part of the Nurse Practitioner in Jamaica’s 68th Scientific Seminar that was held at the Hilton hotel in St James.

His presentation focused on the topic of providing counselling for women.

“One of the most important things that I have found when a woman expresses a desire to have an abortion is to ask why… The important thing is to ask a patient: ‘Why would you want an abortion?’ — though in an objective, non-judgemental way,” he said.

Under the Offences Against the Person Act (1864), anyone who performs an abortion is subject to life imprisonment with or without hard labour. A pregnant woman who has an abortion also faces the same penalty. Anyone who helps in procuring an unlawful abortion faces up to three years’ imprisonment. However, the law is not stringently enforced. According to data from the Caribbean Policy Institute, there are about 22,000 abortions in Jamaica each year.

The pro-choice vs pro-life debate has raged for years as the Church, the State and ordinary Jamaicans weigh in on the issue. It was brought to the fore once again with the US Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Roe v Wade, effectively making access to legal abortion out of reach for millions of American women. The high court’s June 24 ruling ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure. US President Joe Biden is seeking to identify ways to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling.

For Abrahams, a big part of any local discussion on the issue must include health-care professionals who are able to help women achieve the best outcome possible, especially as it relates to the patient’s health.

“Whether you are pro-choice or not, if someone comes and they are hell-bent on doing it, it may be a good idea to find out who does it competently so you can at least give them an option,” he said.