Edinburgh student with endometriosis targeted by protesters outside Chalmers sexual health clinic

Student was harassed by protesters when going to sexual health clinic

An Edinburgh student living with a painful condition has told how she was targeted by anti-abortion protesters while attending a clinic for treatment.

Eva Duncanson has been going to the Chalmers Sexual Health Centre for three years for endometriosis, which has caused her such severe pain that she has ended up at A&E. On the day she was going to get a coil fitted she was approached by anti-abortion protesters.

She recalls that she already felt anxious about the treatment and was left ‘frazzled’ and taken aback when pro-lifers harassed her. “I was getting to the door and had my earphones in and somebody accosted me and got right up in my face. I was really taken aback," she said. “They had rosary beads and waved it up in my face to get my attention. I wasn’t really sure what they were doing until they gave me a leaflet, which was when I realised they were anti-abortion protesters."

Chalmers clinic in Edinburgh has been targeted by pro-life groups

Eva said she quickly ran inside where clinic reception staff apologised for what happened. But she was left feeling shocked and upset after the daunting experience.

Women have reported being intimidated by groups such as 40 days for life outside the clinic in Edinburgh. More pro-life protests are expected across Scotland at the end of this month, while talks are still ongoing over implementing ‘buffer zones’ around clinics in a bid to keep campaigners away. Eva backs the move as she says protesters don't know why women are attending the clinic.

She said: “I felt more upset at the prospect of them doing it to somebody else, who might’ve been in a worse state of mind. I wasn’t going for an abortion, but if I had to make that difficult decision and had somebody accost me right outside, that would just be a whole other level.

“It’s another layer on top of what I was having to go through with these appointments. Anyone going in needs that space and nobody deserves to be accosted for seeking essential healthcare.”

It comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended an abortion healthcare summit at Holyrood on Tuesday on plans to bring in national buffer zones legislation. Ms Sturgeon has previously suggested Edinburgh could be one of several “test councils” for trials of using local bye-laws to protect women from harassment.

But local authorities across Scotland are now supporting a drive for national legislation instead. The Scottish government has backed a bill by Green MSP Gillian Mackay’s for national buffer zones. Under the plans hefty fines could be dished out to organisations breaching the rules. But it could take many months to see legislation brought in.

Back Off Scotland, the campaign group formed by Edinburgh students who have led the calls for buffer zones, said they are frustrated by the time it’s taking. Co-founder Lucy Grieve said: “It’s frustrating that action has taken this long. These protests have been going on since the 1990s in Scotland – it’s not a new problem. The government has been fully aware of it since the parliament became devolved. Women are being harassed daily and there are sites being targeted today. It is an access-to-healthcare issue rather a freedom of speech or freedom-to-protest issue.”