To think late-term abortion rules may need tightening up?

[FestiveNut]

Should people be able to abort healthy fetuses in a low risk pregnancy past 20 weeks gestation?

I read a very sad story concerning this earlier. I considered myself pro-choice in all circumstances but this thread has caused me to question that.

Should the threshold be lowered?

*"this story, not this thread. Sorry, editing fail!

Low risk, past 20wks - No I don’t think they should be able to.

I wonder how many late term abortions take place that aren’t on the grounds of medical reasons?
I don’t think there are many people who carry a baby for 20 weeks and then just change their mind and if they do
I think there are a multitude of reasons why they would change their mind and it’s a multi level issue and often a late term abortion is a last resort.

My sister gave birth at 23 weeks. Whilst very tiny, he was a perfectly formed little baby. The thought that someone could decide to terminate that late in a pregnancy sickens me.
If it’s for medical reasons then I can understand but just to decide that late that you want to get rid of the baby is just awful imo.
Sadly my nephew didn’t make it but fought for a few weeks. I’ve read stories of babies born at the same gestation and surviving.

The limit should be lowered imo. I’m not anti abortion by the way, just think the legal limit should be reduced.

I can't think of any woman who'd have a late termination, in which they'd have to give birth, just because they didn't fancy being pregnant anymore.
No, the threshold shouldn't be lowered, late terminations are hell but sometimes necessary.

I think they’re so rare, that the balance is still in favour of allowing them. Someone who has a late term abortion is more likely to be someone living a chaotic life, meaning they’re less likely to be able to have a healthy pregnancy or raise a baby in a safe and secure environment. Late term abortion could well be the best outcome in those circumstances.

I think that once you start limiting abortions based on your own personal beliefs, you are wandering into dangerous territory. The whole point in "pro-choice" is that you have to acknowledge that others have varying beliefs and situations, and they (not you) that have the right to decide what is best for their body and their lives. Once you start putting limits on it, you're forcing your own choices on them - that's not pro-choice, IMO.

That being said, I don't think late term abortions of healthy low-risk pregnancies are that common. No stats, just don't believe it's that common.

I trust that a woman having an abortion is doing it for her own reasons. But then again I support abortion to term.

I think you that elective abortions should be legalised with a clear limitation point in place. I am not a doctor or a philosopher so I wouldn’t purport to elect a limitation (given my lack of credentials that would be quite arbitrary) but I would suggest that legislators take into consideration the point at which a baby can survive outside the mothers womb, how long it realistically takes women in Britain to access abortions, the development of the feotus (in particular development of the nervous system). Medically necessitated abortions are already served well by current legislation.

As Spartacus says.

I'm not 100% comfortable with it and I don't think I'd choose it for myself but "as early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason."

The amount of women opting for late term abortions which aren't for medical reasons is vanishingly small.

For medical reasons (mother or baby) I can understand an abortion at any gestation.

For any other reason I find late abortions very hard to think about.

Every woman who does it will have their reason and her feelings should never be dismissed, but I don’t like the thought of the lives of babies being ended.

Cranky17, there's people who abort because the Baby isn't the wanted Sex.

Apparently it's on the increase.

I think the rules should be tightened.

SpartacusAutisticusAHF, do you think that the Mother should have the choice to kill her 24-40 week Baby, rather than it be adopted? She would have to give Birth whether it's alive or dead.

I have 4 children but agree that it is as early as possible as late as necessary no matter what the circumstances are.

Absolutely. I think the limit needs lowering

Posting to strongly support "As early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason."

According to wiki: 'During 2012,92%of abortions were performed before 14 weeks' gestation, 6% between 14–20 weeks, and 2% (n=96) at a later stage. Of the 96 abortions carried out beyond 20 weeks, 53 were due to actual or probable fetal abnormality.'

You can't be pro choice and then put restrictions on it like this. I can't imagine any woman making the choice lightly, there are always going to be reasons even if they're not publicly announced.

I think we have to respect a woman's choice over her body and her baby on this.

As early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason.
I agree.
It's not a choice I would make (other than medical), but I will defend the right for other women to keep that right to choose.

@PerryPerry but you could say the same for women that kill their children. The interests of the woman and the interests of the feotus are geberally in competition where abortion is concerned. The question isn’t whether women have good reasons for abortions. The question is at what point do the feotus’ interests have equal value to the pregnant woman’s. A good intellectual line in the sand is giving women the right to bodily autonomy and feotuses the right to life. However the potential result of this is that women have the right to choose to induce labour early resulting in premature birth and a damaged and unwanted child that will be a burden on the state. To avoid this some suggest giving women the right to kill a feotus (abortion to term) while others suggest limiting abortion to before a stage in development when the feotus can survive independently (thus attempting to balance a woman’s right to bodily autonomy with not actively killing or damaging (through very premature birth) feotuses. But it is incredibly naive to use women’s good judgement to justify abortion to term because sadly not everyone is a good person and not everyone will make a good decision.

Pro choice here and I totally support as early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason.

Let's not erode another women's right.

I think this would be such an uncommon occurrence that it is not something which needs to be at the forefront of discussion. The overwhelming majority of people having a termination at that point would be doing it for medical reasons.

Apparently it's on the increase
Facts please.
You can’t just wheel a statement out like that without proper evidence.

As early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason

Their body.
Their choice.
Their business.

No. It’s a very small number and undertaken only for very pressing reasons. Women need choice.

As early as possible, as late as necessary, for any or no reason.

I find the idea of late abortion very upsetting but the idea of forced birth is abhorrent.