I was talking on BBC radio when a man phoned in, "Why did you write this guidebook on abortion choices ?" It should have been a woman." My mind flashed back over the years as a family doctor meeting women thinking of ending their pregnancy. "I wish it had been a woman," I said. To be honest, the only other advice I found was unsafe for women. It is embarrassing to admit, but as a pro-life doctor, I was in my 50s before I realised the gap in my knowledge about the side effects and risks of abortion. And colleagues had the same gaps.

A pregnancy decision can be one of the most challenging moments of a person’s life. The pressures can be overwhelming for those choosing between carrying their babies to term or terminating. The promise of an easy fix is enticing. And there are often time, relational, and financial pressures that move the choice forward quickly [help on decision making here].