Please allow me the opportunity to respond to some of the points raised in the Letter of the day published in your October 12 edition. The letter was titled 'Denunciation will not halt abortions'. The writer gave some figures for admissions to our public hospitals relating to unsafe abortions for the years 2003 to 2006.

First, these figures of over 1,000 per year are indeed cause for grave concern. Thankfully, however, there has been a reduction of about 25 per cent over the years. Would it make further difference to these figures if we were to have massive public education campaigns encouraging women to do all possible to keep their babies? What about having specific safe locations where women could leave their babies without facing criminal sanction?

Are we, as a country, offering satisfactory antenatal support to pregnant women? What support systems do countries like Poland and Ireland have to assist pregnant women? Would it help if these women knew that at the end of nine months there would be grateful couples waiting eagerly to adopt babies they are carrying?

Let's remember too that frequency of a breach of a particular law does not necessarily mean we ought to repeal that particular law. To the best of my knowledge, women and men are still trying to smuggle drugs by inserting same in their private parts - quite a dangerous thing to do. Persons who do this show a certain level of desperation with their circumstances. Should we now proceed to repeat that particular law?

We should also be careful about assuming that legal abortions would, per se, constitute a lesser evil by eliminating illegal abortions.

I am, etc.,

S. RICHARDS

Kingston 10