Women’s Health Goulburn North East chief executive officer Susie Reid said the protesters could make abortions “less safe” by scaring women away from the clinic.

She said this may result in women delaying their terminations or choosing to use illegal or unsafe techniques.

“The harassment of women is perpetrated by a small, noisy minority — many of them men,” Ms Reid said,

“The anti-choice lobby is not at all concerned with prevention, like the provision of good sex education (and) access to effective contraception.

“They are only about blaming women.”

Ms Reid’s complaint comes as the battle between anti-abortionists and the group that opposes them enters a stalemate.

One member of The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, who did not want to be named, said people had been praying outside Border clinics for 15 years and would continue doing so until abortion is ended.

The Albury woman said she was sceptical of Dr Kathy Lewis’ claim the numbers of terminations at the centre had increased through publicity of the vigil.

“Some women want our help, some others have decided with a bit of support not to have an abortion ... so it’s very productive being here,” she said.

The protester said her resolve came from being pressured to have an abortion by a doctor when 16, advice she rejected.

Standing just metres away at the protest, Albury businesswomen Antoinette Milburn, had a different view.

She vowed to return to the clinic for as long as the right-to-life-groups were “harassing” or filming women.

“Abortion is a personal matter,” she said.

“No one should be here. We shouldn’t be here, they shouldn’t be here”

“But we have got to show we support them and that we care.”

The war of words has also spilled over to the internet.

A Facebook group, Protest the protesters, set up to oppose the vigil has been flooded with anti-abortion messages and links to images of foetuses.