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Abortion
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Abortion: An introduction
Introduction 'Although today there are many trial marriages, there is no such thing as a trial child.' (Gail Sheehy) For many couples, becoming pregnant is well-received good news, but for some pregnancy can be unwelcome and very bad news. There can be many reasons for this: 
Another reason women might seek to have an abortion, is if it became illegal to have more than a certain number of children. For instance, the One Child Policy (OCP) in China is intended to address the perceived problem of over-population, and essentially states that couples are only able to (legally) have one child. Any more, and they may be fined or even forced to undergo sterilisation. As a result, the OCP is alleged to have led to women being forced to have abortions, in order to meet local and national birth quotas. Although pregnancies sometimes end 'naturally' (i.e. miscarriage), abortion is the deliberate act of ending one. 'The child, by reason of its physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.' (The United Nations Declaration of Rights of the Child 1959) The UK law on abortion In 2004, nearly a quarter of all pregnancies in the UK were terminated by abortion (for more on this see the National UK Statistics website) For a long time abortion was actually considered a crime in the UK, under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861. This changed in 1929 with the Infant Life (Preservation) Act, which allowed an abortion to be carried out when the life of the mother was at risk. The biggest change to UK law with regard to abortion was the Abortion Act (1967), which was introduced by the Liberal MP David Steel. This allowed a woman to have an abortion if there was 'risk of injury to her, or her existing children's physical or mental health'. As long as she had the permission of two doctors, a woman could now have an abortion for reasons other than physical health. The Act was amended in 1990 and applies to the whole of the UK, except Northern Ireland (which is strongly Catholic, and therefore very anti-abortion). The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 reduced from 27 to 24 weeks the latest date for abortion in the UK. The grounds for termination within that time period are 'the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family... grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman... risk to the life of the pregnant woman... or that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped'. After 24 weeks a pregnancy can only be terminated if the mother's life is at risk, or there is a substantial risk of foetal abnormality. Advertisement The law on abortion in other countries The World Health Organisation estimates that around 20 million unsafe abortions took place around the world, between 1995-2000 (for more on this see the World Health Organisation website). Laws around the world regarding abortion are diverse, and often greatly influenced by cultural and religious factors. The former Soviet Union (1920) and Iceland (1935) were the first countries to legalise abortion. Chile, El Salvador, Malta and Nicaragua still ban abortions. Other countries which generally ban abortions, often allow them in cases of rape, or incest, or where the mother's life is in danger. Something to discuss: Do you think governments have the right to make laws banning abortion, or is it the right of every woman to choose whether she gives birth to the child she is carrying, or not? In 1973, the law on abortion in the USA changed when the Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional for any state to deny women the right to have an abortion before a fetus is viable (or able to survive outside the womb), in the first three months of her pregnancy. This ruling has come to be known as Roe v Wade. The ruling was successful because it argued that making abortion illegal was a violation of privacy rights. Although the law is still active, there have been ongoing attempts by 'pro-life' campaigners to overturn it ever since (for example see US state tightens abortion laws and South Dakota rejects abortion ban).
Pro life poster in Minnesota, USA According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly a quarter of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.
From the 8th week onwards, the embryo is called a fetus.
Under UK law, a woman could still have an abortion at this stage of her pregnancy. What happens during an abortion On their website, Planned Parenthood (USA) describe two types of abortion procedure:
The Abortion Pill (mifepristone, aka RU-486), is medication women can take to end their pregnancy up to 63 days (nine weeks) after the first day of their last period. It is said to work 97 out of 100 times. The pill works by blocking the hormone progesterone, without which the lining of the uterus breaks down and pregnancy cannot continue. A second pill causes the uterus to empty 4-5 hours after taking it. Abortion is said to begin immediately after taking the first pill. If 'The Abortion Pill' is unsuccessful in terminating a pregnancy, then an in-clinic procedure will be needed. Some women choose 'The Abortion Pill' because it is private and feels more natural; rather like having a miscarriage. In-clinic procedures involve more active interventions in terminating a pregnancy. The most common of these is D & E (aka Dilation & Evacuation), which is usually performed 16 weeks after a woman's last period. Women who have a D & E procedure are normally given a sedative to help them relax. Their cervix is gradually opened over a few days or hours, and a suction device is used to empty the content of their uterus. A curette may also be used to to remove any remaining tissue lining the uterus. The actual D & E procedure may only take about 5-10 minutes, but this does not include the time needed to prepare the uterus beforehand. Advertisement What it feels like to have an abortion Only women who have had an abortion can really say what it actually feels like, but some common side-effects are said to be:
In terms of how women feel emotionally after having an abortion, these feeling can vary greatly. 'Most women... feel relief. Some women feel anger, regret, guilt, or sadness.' (www.plannedparenthood.org) The key issue The key issues in debates about abortion are the question of choice, and when the life of the fetus is said to be morally significant. Pro-abortionists (or pro-choicers) emphasise the rights of the mother, and especially her right to choose what she does with her body. Anti-abortionists (or pro-lifers) emphasise the rights of the unborn child, and especially its right to live. Pro-lifers tend to argue that human life is morally significant from the time of conception. Pro-choicers tend to argue that 'significance' occurs later in pregnancy, either when the fetus is deemed to be viable, or when it is actually born.
Something to think about: How do you feel about this picture, and why? Final thoughts While academics, politicians and religious leaders discuss the implications of abortion, every day hundreds of women will face the real dilemma of choosing whether to terminate their pregnancy. Many have abortions not because they are mentally unstable or do not care about their unborn child, but because they realise the immense responsibility and tremendous upheaval having a baby will bring, and they simply do not feel ready or able to cope. We need to view such women with sympathy and understanding, even if we do not necessarily agree with their actions. |
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