Abortion Age Limit - Your Views...

[Salamander]

This news story has broken in the past 24hrs.

What are everyone's views?

[SecurMummy]

Hmm, tbh I tend to try to stay out of the abortion debate - I get splinters from my amasing fence sitting skills

[LadyTambaOfTambaTown]

Its difficult because there are lots of grey areas, to me personally, an abortion after 12 weeks isnt acceptable (again, to me personally) although there are circumstances where thats not always possible and some reasons for abortions arnt discovered until later... I do think that 24 weeks is far to late and agree that the limit should be lowered. Its very difficult to make a blanket judgement because each case is different.

[kid]

I personally think it should be lowered for people who choose to have an abortion for personal reasons. But a later abortion may be neccessary for medical reasons. Either way, I wouldn't like to be the one having to make the decision of a limit.

[Salamander]

For all of us that are going through/have gone through pregnancy 24 weeks seems bizarre in all but the most extreme cases.

I agree 12 weeks would seem to be a 'safer' bet - but nothing is pleasant at all.

[dublindee]

I don't agree with abortion at any stage of pregnancy myself but cannot for one second judge anybody that would make that decision.
It's a huge decision to have to make and not one I think (or at least hope) anyone would make lightly.
In my personal opinion, I think after 12 weeks it doesn't make a difference as the foetus is already fully developed.

Surely the operation is much more straightforward the earlier it's done and women facing a later abortion are facing a more difficult recovery etc?

Does anyone have the figures for the proportion of terminations done after 20weeks?
Surely it can't be very many?

[Salamander]

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[Chloe55]

It's such a difficult one. I agree with you salamander - at 24weeks I couldn't have even began to think about abortion. I personally would not abort and my husband is dead against it as he is catholic and they disagree with abortion, however, other people have no option due to medical reasons etc. Also, in the case of abortion for personal reasons I think the time limit should be lowered.

[tinytitch]

i have personal experience of abortion ( when i was much younger) and it is a truly terrible thing to do, i don't think that it should be carried out beyond twelve weeks unless for a medical reason. I think going through a late abortion is pretty traumatic and it is not a pleasant procedure, don't think i could go through it myself even if baby had really severe difficulties.

[Blu]

AFAIK No-one has a termination at 24 weeks unless the circumstances are extreme and fairly uncommon.
Perhaps those people, facing extreme decisions, are the last people who should be forced to go through a pg against their will and in severe distress.

And judging be the experiences of many MN-ers it is hard to get an early termonation due to waiting lists and referrals - people who go to their GP straight away are told they will be waiting until they are 12 or 13 weeks before their appointment. That is a situation which should be reviewed since it affects so many people.

[Piffle]

Is it not true that an abortion for personal reasons can not be performed after 12 weeks, and that only terminations due to medical cause can be carried out later?
Pretty hard to lay a judgement on someone doing it for medical reasons IMO

[dublindee]

Right so around 2% are over 20 weeks.

Just don't know Salamander. Think it'd sit better with me if it's medical - personal choice I'd have more difficulty with.

That said though, if someone is that desperate to have an abortion that late - they'd probably go anywhere to have it done.
If the legal limit is lowered it could possibly risk many women's lives because they either a) go abroad or b) go somewhere unsuitable to have the abortion.

BTW I'm Catholic too but during the referendum in Ireland I voted for the right to travel and the right to information.
I don't believe my personal opinion should be a factor in how someone else makes major life choices - regardless what my religion is.

[Salamander]

We really couldn't do it, i'm sure.

It is not on religious grounds, but just on a moral and ethical basis.

You only have to own one copy of Pregnancy & Birth where you see all the little pictures of the baby at various stages...

[Blu]

SAlamander, but that's because you want a baby, and are imagining the link between pg and a real loved little boy or girl.

At 20 weeks, we were told that potentially we faced v serious chromosomal disorders. I was distraught, but had felt my baby move...if the news had been of certain conditions, i may well have wanted to terminate. I have also seem a very distressed woman hurling herself downstairs because she was so desparate that she did not want the baby inside her.

Be very careful of making decisions which affect other people's lives based on your own emotional response to your own situation.

[mummyofeb]

Agree with DD. Life starts at conception. However, also agree that it is hard to judge someone who have no choice but to terminate pregnancy for medical reasons. I know of a mother who has had breast cancer and going through the pregnancy would have been life threatening. It was really devastating for her.

[Salamander]

I agree with you Blu - you can't tell until you're in that situation.

As it stands we couldn't but who knows how we would feel if there were serious complications.

To dictate that THIS IS THE CASE is not an enviable task.

But then to do case-by-case is a very difficult thing too.

This whole subject is a mine-field of emotion/problems/belief/etc...

[Blu]

You can terminate until birth for certain conditions now,irrespective of the 24 week-limit. But obvioulsy this is extremely rare.

It was all on a thread a few months ago - Jimjms explained the current law, I think.

[SecurMummy]

Blu - that is why I am soooo good at fence sitting on this subject - I know what the rules would be i they were based on the coices I would make - but that means nothing to anyone else and I strongly believe in a persons right to choose which leaves me in a real stalemate with myself!

I ahve to admit though I thought that all abortions had to be for either medical or psychological grounds (ie not personal choice) as the law stands now, however the Psyc groundign is so loosly written that it can be applied in almost all cases by virtue of the fact that if you do not want a baby then you would be psyc damaged by being forced to have one IYSWIM.

Is that not the case tehn?

[Uwila]

One of the resons cited in a BBC article today is that with advances in medical technology, problems can be detected earlier and therefore the 24 weeks ccan be brought forward. So, I think it is really important that we discuss whether these tests WILL be offered to women, not whether the technology simply exists. So, NHS budgets will need to be brought to the table. For example, many areas don't offer a nuchal scan or any other early testing. In my last pregnancy I wasn't even booked in until 16 weeks.

[Blu]

I think that since any pg is statistically more risky to the mother than an early termination, all the woman has to do is say she feels stresed or whatever, and most Drs sign on the dotted line.

imo, v early abortions should be on demand anyway (after counselling)...it is a farce asking Doctors (two per case) to have to make an apppointment and sigmn to say the woman is at risk etc. And holds up the process.

Forcing women to undergo pg for a child they do not want is not civilzed or healthy, imo. Women are thinking people, know their own minds, accidenyts happen, and gone are the days in which we are entirely at the dread back and call of all aspewcts of nature. But I do think it should be early, early, early.

[Blu]

Uwila - and tests to predict whether a woman will develop a medical condition?
yes, I agree with investment in early and comprehensive testing (for those who want it) but that that should happen anyway. The more decisions can be taken earlier - but I don't think the law should necessarily be changed for those that slip through the net or new information that emerges later in pg.

[Jenswish]

My personal opinion is that abortion is being used too often as birth control and I know that the limit on when you can have an abortion isnt going to be put into practise here much but have you noticed that lately the statistics of abortions (especially in younger people) are going up and up?

I think that the age limit should be left the same but they need to apply a very strict law that says if you want an abortion because you don't want the baby then you have to decide by 12wks. after that its only medical reasons that will allow a termination.

Thats my opinion nothing more.

[Uwila]

Blu,
"Uwila - and tests to predict whether a woman will develop a medical condition?"

Oh yes, that's an interesting point. I agree. After all there are two lives involved. Not just one.

[monkeytrousers]

I agree with everything you say Blu, on every post. Have you read the essay by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, ?Abortion: Is it Possible to be both ?Pro-life? and ?Pro-Choice???

Jenswish, what is your opinion based on though? Abortion as birth control? Even the morning after pill isn't available consecutivly.

[Jenswish]

consecutivly? (Sorry dumb that down for me?)

[monkeytrousers]

You can't get it two months in a row