“I’m really proud that I do it.”
Three Irish women travelled to Richmond, England recently to speak to some of the people who work in an abortion clinic.
Avril Corroon, Rosi Leonard, and Hildegard Ryan spoke to BPAS’s Chris and Amy about their jobs, the services they provide, and the clinic itself.
Midwife Amy says that she finds her job very similar to the work that she was doing when she was based in a hospital.
She says:
“I think my midwifery training really helped in the job that I do now, there’s a lot of similarities between what I did in the hospital in terms of caring for women in pregnancy, the empathy, and being non-judgemental.
“All of the skills and the training and who I am as a midwife is the same.”
Amy has been working at BPAS for two years, and she says that people are still surprised that the building is regulated and not a “backstreet clinic.”
“They hear from people that it’s going to be some sort of backstreet clinic underground,” she says. “They’re surprised this is a regulated building, that it’s a clinical building.”
She goes on:
“It’s the same as a GP surgery. You’d expect the same level of cleanliness and professionalism from people in any other health service.”
The Richmond clinic, like most abortion clinics, includes a reception area and a more private waiting area for those who need it.
Clinic manager, Chris, says that some of the women who come in for early medical abortions leave within half an hour once they are given the abortion pills.
Others who have general anaesthetic abortions tend to stay for the day.
Not everyone who attends the clinic is what Chris describes as “your average BPAS client” though.
She says they see a range of people from women in their 30s with a couple of children to youngsters under the age of 16.
If a woman needs to terminate a wanted pregnancy, the clinic will treat these women with what Chris calls “a bit of extra care.”
She says:
“It’s a really difficult time for these women so for a stranger, and particularly a healthcare professional or someone they expected to judge them, not to judge them, and to show care and compassion, to listen, and to hold hands where it’s appropriate.
“It means a lot to women. It would mean a lot to me.”
Amy says that she finds her work rewarding, even though there are “good days and bad days.”
“There are cases that will stick with you,” she says, “cases that are difficult and you do think about those, but it was the same as midwifery in the hospital.”
Chris echoes her sentiments, saying that she is “really proud” of what she does.
“When people react badly to my job and say ‘well, someone’s got to do it,’ I say ‘yeah and that’s me.’ And I’m really proud that I do it.
“I know at the end of every day that I’ve served a purpose and I’ve helped someone.”
