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18th May 2018
04:24pm BST

Rather than regret, the most common feeling women say they experience after having an abortion is relief.
The 2016 research including Irish women who used abortion pills showed that the most common feeling experienced (70 percent) was relief.
The second most common feeling was satisfaction (36 percent) and the third was happiness (26.8 percent).
94 percent of women surveyed also expressed gratitude for being able to avail of the abortion pills online.
Those who procure an abortion in Ireland through abortion pills or other means where there is not a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother currently risk up to 14 years imprisonment.
A small number of women, however, do regret their abortions.
In these cases, post-abortion support including counselling should be available to these women.
Post-abortion support is already provided in Ireland by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) and the HSE free-of-charge.
In the event of a repeal of the eighth amendment, this post-abortion care will still be available.
Counselling would be provided when a woman presents to her doctor looking to procure an abortion. There would also be a 72-hour period of reflection before the termination is permitted.
A repeal of the eighth amendment would see the legalisation of abortion without specific indication before 12 weeks.
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