To be glad that the Down Syndrome abortion appeal was defeated

[Fififafa]

A woman with DS has twice tried and failed to get the courts to outlaw abortion beyond 24 weeks for foetuses with DS. Under current legislation for England, Wales and Scotland, there is a 24-week time limit for abortion, unless "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", which includes Down's syndrome.
I read that she has is being supported by some religious group.

I’m glad that the appeal was lost. This is a personal decision that every woman has the choice and the right to make. What Heidi Crowter et al are doing, is fighting to remove that choice from women. AIBU?

No one is aborting a baby because they’ve “decided it’s a burden”. People are making heartbreakingly difficult choices based on what they know about their pregnancy and their lives - information you have no right to.

Honestly these simplistic views make advocating with and for people with Down syndrome really hard because you give people an excuse to dismiss what we say when we say that life often is great when you share it with a person with an extra chromosome as somehow having a pro life agenda.

I have two kids - ones a typical child, one has DS. I adore them both. None of this is that relevant to other people’s pregnancies.

Have you had breakfast, Emmy? Is your blood sugar a bit low perhaps?

How are you defining "minor"? It's not always possible to know how disabled your child will be@

Reported the thread, hopefully it will be zapped now.

The forced birther misogynist calling other people bigots. Fuck off.

and yes, as long as it is the genuine free choice of the mother I do support sex selection abortion as it happens. I support a woman’s right to abortion in all circumstances and at any gestation as I believe her right to bodily autonomy is more important than the rights of the unborn baby.

@MichaelFabricantWig I'm very pro choice, but I don't agree with sex selection.

Nature has somehow managed to perfect the practically 50/50 ratio of male vs female. When that ratio becomes unbalanced it has caused wider demographic issues. The Chinese 1 child policy meant that parents were favouring boys over girls and by various means (not all legal) their demographics have shifted to have a male majority. It's caused wider social issues as well as impacts on creating the next generation.

There is such a disconnect between pro-life and pro-choice.

Pro-life ideology is to make everyone confirm to a no-choice system where you absolutely must carry a pregnancy to conclusion regardless of circumstances because that's the only option.

Pro-choice ideology supports women with whichever way they want to proceed. Don't want to continue a pregnancy? That's your choice. Do want to continue a pregnancy? That's also your choice.

I much prefer the latter as it gives women agency over their own body and choices.

I absolutely 💯 get what you are saying and on a personal level I agree but for me if I am pro choice that means I have to accept other people may make choices I find personally disagreeable

The other issue around sex selection is that there may well be situations where a woman's life would be made very difficult or would be put at risk if she had 'another girl'. The patriarchy is alive and well.

Oops my mistake, I thought this was a serious discussion with real people

Emmy, you can make your own choices. You don't get to make them for other women.

It is that simple.

Why do people think they have a right to tell other people how to behave when it does not affect them?

but for me if I am pro choice that means I have to accept other people may make choices I find personally disagreeable

Agree.

I also wonder how would one know the reasons behind a woman’s choice to abort unless they told you themselves. Is the reason for abortion held in medical records? Do women have to give a reason other than they do not want to continue with a pregnancy?

It takes a special kind of nasty bastard to come onto a thread full of heartbreaking stories and make on like late term choices were made out of convenience.

Pro forced birthers feel like they are morally superior because they are "saving babies", but the minute someone is out of the womb they behave abhorrently unless said person behaves within a strict, made up, moral code, that generally couldn't be less moral if it tries.

They should concentrate on empathising with the people on this planet already and making life better for them, but they won't.

I am a passionate advocate for people with Downs and shared my experiences on this thread (hopefully in a sensitive and tactful way). My positive experience of having a sibling with DS does not in anyway trump the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies - as early as possible as late as necessary.

I link arms with the women on this thread who have terminated for medical reasons, in the face of your hatred EmmyEmm. You're not welcome here.

EmmyEmm is clearly a male incel and misogynist bigot who hates women.

Take no notice of him...he's clearly just a poxy troll trying to get a rise out of people.

The thread is interesting and i don't want it zapped.

Down Syndrome is not an extreme condition. If you get rid of a baby just for that reason, it is hard to argue it's not prejudiced.

Do you say that about women who are against abortion? My mother and aunt are against abortion. They are anything but hateful. I also have to question the support for bodily autonomy here, when some of these posters also support banning adults from trans medical care. I am against gender ideology, but I don't think you should police that adults can't use hormones or get surgery, especially if you're yelling "my body, my choice" at people.

Aborting unborn babies is often about convenience. I used to know a woman who had 5 abortions over the course of 3 years. Resulting from casual sex.