Had to respond to the comment about adoption. It is quite naive to think that adoption is the ideal solution to unwanted pregnancies. I am an adoptee myself, and believe me, not all outcomes are as rosy as you would hope.

The relinquishing mother certainly undergoes a great deal of anguish at the time of parting with her child, and it doesn't end there. As any parent would know, along with having a baby comes a huge responsibility - parental instinct almost borders on paranoia at times - the phone rings while your kids are at school and you assume something has happened to them. Imagine not knowing what your child is doing, or whether they are happy or even alive. My natural mother had a niece of similar age to me who died in a childhood accident - that would set you thinking, wouldn't it?

The adoptive parents are never truly secure. In my case, when I met up with my natural parents, my Mum and Dad felt very threatened.

I had a good outcome, but before meeting up with my natural parents I had to undergo counselling. This involved meeting with a group of adoptees, some of whom had had reunions and some like me who were about to embark on one. It was pretty scary.

I can see that from the "right-to-life" proponents perspective, adoption is a palatable alternative to abortion, but it's really not that simple...