§ Lord Ahmedasked Her Majesty's Government:
What guidance they issue to doctors on respecting Muslim patients' objections to abortion. [HL1687]
37WA
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathUnder the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, a woman is legally entitled to an abortion, regardless of her religion, if two registered medical practitioners agree there are grounds for one.
The Department of Health funded the publication Assessing health needs of people from minority ethnic groups (Royal College of Physicians and Faculty of Public Health Medicine, 1998) which has a chapter on sexual and reproductive health. This highlights that cultural and religious traditions have a bearing on the decisions women make regarding contraception and abortion. The Department of Health also recently published a sexual health and HIV commissioning toolkit which states that all sexual health services and support should he offered in non-judgmental, respectful and sensitive ways.