Maddie Parry delves into the world of abortion for three-part documentary on controversial jobs

WHEN Maddie Parry decided to work in an abortion clinic as part of a challenge, there’s one thing she wasn’t prepared for.

‘You ask why I’m here. It’s murder’

“AT FIRST seeing the blood is confronting. But surprisingly quickly I learn to get on with the job.”

When Maddie Parry stepped into the Dr Marie Clinic in Melbourne, she wasn’t completely prepared for what she would see.

She knew when she was given the task of cleaning the instruments used in the procedures that it would involve blood but as she says in the first few minutes of her documentary, Inside the Clinic, which airs on ABC2 at 9.30pm tonight, she never realised how confronting it would be.

The 27-year-old from Adelaide spent three months working at the clinic as part of a three-part documentary project where she immersed herself in some of Australia’s most controversial workplaces.

She told news.com.au ahead of tonight’s screening when she decided to work in an abortion clinic she realised her view on the subject was “uninformed”.

It is estimated one in three women in Australia will have a termination in their lifetime.

Maddie explained while she felt she was always pro-choice she realised she didn’t know much about it, or its history in Australia, and found the process of meeting the women who made the decision challenging.

“With abortion I had a difficult relationship with it,” she said. “I didn’t know much about it.

“I think people of my generation took for granted that it has always been available.

“And while we have come a long way, abortion is actually still quite taboo, you can’t really bring it up in conversation.

“It’s such as personal and sensitive topic.

“I think the experience (of working there) has given me a much deeper understanding. I think it should be available. But I also realise it’s not an easy decision.”

Besides cleaning the instruments Maddie spent three months speaking with staff about how they perceived their jobs, and with patients about why they had made their decisions.
She explained that although she approached the process with an open mind, she realised she also had her own perceptions of who went in for a procedure.

“I guess I actually almost expected the stereotype of a lot of unsure women,” she told news.com.au. “For some women it was not easy.

“For some women it was quite clear which surprised me.”

During the course of her time at the clinic Maddie also passed the committed group of pro-life campaigners who set up outside handing out leaflets to women who entered the building.

In one part of the 30-minute documentary, Maddie asks one woman why she came down every week to protest outside to which she replied: “You ask why I’m here. It’s murder. Because it’s murder”.

Maddie told news.com.au that while she had heard stories of demonstrators harassing women as they entered abortion clinics she found those camped outside Dr Marie Clinic were generally respectful.

“They did give people pamphlets and try to engage them in conversation but they weren’t ever physical or abusive that I saw.

“They did tell me that over the years that they had been there they did manage to convince two people to turn around and gave me the phone number of one of those women who I spoke to which was really interesting. In her case I don’t think she ever wanted an abortion. She had gone a few times and changed her mind.

“It was the third or fourth time she bumped into this group and it solidified her view.”

Maddie said she also spoke to one woman, Teresa, who despite knowing that her children would die once they were born, continued with the pregnancy because she did not believe in abortion.

She said she found her story heartbreaking but also courageous.

“The truth is I really do respect the courage of some people to follow a pregnancy through to term and at the same time I admire the courage of those that chose not to.

“I have a lot of respect for people who have to go through this.”

Besides immersing herself in an abortion clinic Maddie also becomes a brothel hostess, where she meets the women who work in the sex industry as well as their clients and a tree logger in Tasmania.

She told news.com.au she found both jobs challenging because of her own personal views on the issues.

She said while she respects those that work in the sex industry and those who use it, she found the concept of reducing personal intimacy to a transaction “unsettling”.

She also revealed that despite being raised by environmentalists and being a passionate advocate for saving old growth forests, she realised there was a lot of myths surrounding the logging industry which challenged her own personal beliefs.

Maddie Parry: Inside the Clinic airs tonight, December 2 at 9.30pm on ABC2.