Professor Veronica O'Keane:

Unplanned pregnancies obviously can become wanted pregnancies and everybody is happy. Of course, unplanned pregnancies can become unwanted pregnancies and as I said, sometimes that is an ambivalent place for a woman to be. Some women will remain ambivalent and they will obviously proceed with the pregnancy, and those women need a lot of support because they are at a very increased risk of developing depression and having complications with parenting.

However, the women who have the unwanted pregnancies who want an abortion can be in a very difficult position because, obviously, they many not be able to travel. We are letting those women down with the current situation here and forcing them to travel; we are putting women who are unable to travel in positions of having pregnancies that are not wanted which leads to children that are not wanted. It is an issue that does not raise its ugly head often, but it does happen. My practice is full of adults who were not wanted as children and that has to be borne in mind.

In terms of forced pregnancies, obviously, it is very important that women who have forced pregnancies have immediate access to abortion care that is sensitive to their situation.

On the mental health of men, in my view men are very traumatised by the situations that their pregnant wives can find themselves in in relation to unwanted pregnancies.

The committee will hear evidence later today from a man, Gerry Edwards, who will be able to tell the committee a lot about it from his point of view.

On abortion and non-foetal anomaly abortion, there is not much literature. I have never seen a man who was traumatised, unwell or presented to me with depression because a partner had an abortion. That is not to say that it is not a problem but it is an area that has not been explored in great detail. Post-partum depression in men has been explored but not post-abortion psychological status.