12:51

Anti-abortion activists, 40 Days for Life, stationed themselves in Surry Hills, Sydney this week. They chose a prime position, opposite a women’s clinic on Randle Street. 40 Days for Life is actually an American campaign, which “tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world.”

They claim that so far, 433 babies have been saved by their 39-day vigil.

In Australia, there is a Medicare item number than can be accessed for the termination of pregnancies. After an abortion, women can claim half the fee back on Medicare.

No such thing exists in the United States where Barack Obama came under fire from fellow Democrats this week, following the presidential signature on the $US940 billion ($1 trillion) healthcare bill. Anti abortion Democrats claimed that ambiguous language of the healthcare bill could lead to taxpayer money being spent on abortions, opposing the Hyde Amendment of 1976, which banned government funding of terminations.

Obama, in an effort to win the Democrats’ support, agreed to sign an executive order confirming the provision of the Hyde Amendment. This is despite his promise in 2007 to overturn the bill.

Abortions are illegal in both Ireland and Poland, predominately Catholic nations. Many women travel to England to have a termination payed for by the National Health Service.

Polish pro-abortion groups have actually distributed posters and fliers urging women to travel to England. One poster shows a woman in her underwear with the words “my choice” scrawled across her stomach. Mimicking the style of a Mastercard commercial, the poster reads, “Plane ticket to England at special offer – 300 zloty. Accommodation – 240 zloty. Abortion in a public clinic – 0 zloty.”

England has a reciprocal agreement with Poland for the provision of free medical care under European Union regulations. However, the campaign has been criticised for promoting “abortion tourism”.

One way to avoid the ever controversial and sensitive issue of abortion is to use a condom. The French make this very clear in this television advertisement.