Women on Web: seizing the means of reproduction

This thesis aims to examine the issues that the criminalisation of abortion in Ireland poses to abortion seekers who choose to self-administer abortion pills. The research also aims to achieve a theoretical understanding of the actions of Women on Web in distributing abortion pills. A libertarian feminist epistemology will be used to examine the role of agency and direct action within the feminist struggle for reproductive rights. The role of institutions such as the church and state in opposing campaigns for abortion rights will also be examined. The stigma and shame surrounding abortion in Ireland will also be discussed with regard to the legacy of these institutions. This thesis is an exercise in stigma busting and feminist consciousness raising concerning Women on Web and self-administration of abortion pills. The obfuscation and misuse of science by the anti-choice movement will also be unpacked as a contributing factor to abortion stigma

Women on Web: seizing the means of reproduction

This thesis aims to examine the issues that the criminalisation of abortion in Ireland poses to abortion seekers who choose to self-administer abortion pills. The research also aims to achieve a theoretical understanding of the actions of Women on Web in distributing abortion pills. A libertarian feminist epistemology will be used to examine the role of agency and direct action within the feminist struggle for reproductive rights. The role of institutions such as the church and state in opposing campaigns for abortion rights will also be examined. The stigma and shame surrounding abortion in Ireland will also be discussed with regard to the legacy of these institutions. This thesis is an exercise in stigma busting and feminist consciousness raising concerning Women on Web and self-administration of abortion pills. The obfuscation and misuse of science by the anti-choice movement will also be unpacked as a contributing factor to abortion stigma

Dignity through discretion: a review of discretionary support schemes in the UK

The role of discretionary payments in the social security system has taken on added significance over the course of the last decade as cuts to social security benefits have reduced their ability to meet basic subsistence needs. The patchwork of discretionary support services across the UK that, since 2012, has replaced the statutory Social Fund is therefore faced with meeting an expanding need from budgets that are, at best, cash-limited rather than demand led, and at worst, subsumed within other budget priorities that leave no scope for emergency or discretionary support. This article reviews the provision of crisis or emergency relief schemes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in the context of how they each contribute to the objective of protecting the dignity of those in need of emergency support. It considers, in particular, the empirical research carried out in 2021 as part of the Independent Review of Discretionary Support in Northern Ireland, a statutory review which the lead author was appointed to chair, and to which the other authors contributed. The article examines the extent to which Discretionary Support in Northern Ireland currently provides dignity for its users and outlines the recommendations made by the panel to better meet the objective of dignity. On the basis of this evidence the article outlines how dignity through discretion could be delivered across the UK

The prevalence of severe sepsis or septic shock in an Irish emergency department

Severe sepsis and septic shock are among the leading causes of death globally. Despite the central role the emergency department (ED) plays in the early identification of patients presenting to hospital with sepsis, the prevalence of severe sepsis and septic shock in the Irish ED setting has not been described. The primary aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of severe sepsis or septic shock in an Irish adult ED setting. The clinical records of patients presenting to the ED over a four-week period were retrospectively reviewed to determine if they met the current Health Service Executive (HSE) criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock. Overall, 3,585 adult patients attended the ED during the study period, with 42 patients meeting the criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock. The ED prevalence of severe sepsis or septic shock was 11.7 patients (95% CI 8.1 – 15.4%) per 1000 ED attendances