Abortion law challenge - 24 weeks limit for Down's syndrome

[SecretThermalsAreTheBest]

Just read that there's a high court challenge to try and change the clause that currently allows abortion to be carried out after 24 weeks, up until birth when the foetus/baby has Down's Syndrome or another severe disability.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-56982646

The campaign would bring the abortion limit for all babies with non-fatal severe disabilities to the same 24 week time limit.

Just interested to know what people think about this?

I was offered a termination at 29 weeks. My baby had sever disabilities, but I’d already been told at 20 weeks and 21 weeks and 22 weeks and every week there after. I was told to end my pregnancy time and time again from 22 weeks. I rejected. If I was going to do it then it would have been as soon as possible. But again at 29 weeks they told me to reconsider! I said no way would I go through that at this stage I would have done it way back at 20 weeks!!

bur what if the disability isn’t found until after 24 weeks…..
what if the mother has been trying to come to terms with it and hasn’t decided and feels rushed into her choice.
its not an easy choice deciding weather you can manage what ever disability it is, that child may well need around the clock care for their full life and may be expected to live 60+ years

I'm 100% against it. Hard cases make bad laws, and decisions like these should be between a woman and her doctor. No-one else

I am 100% against forced birth of any kind.

I think women should have the absolute right to end a pregnancy for any reason and if this challenge succeeds it's a very slippery slope to removing other rights to women's healthcare. I don't think these campaigners should have the right to take away choice from other women as quite often these issues are found post 24 weeks, or theyll be post 24 weeks before they can actually get a termination.

I think the option should remain, no one would chose a late term abortion without some tough decision making and that should be up to the birth mother.

@PinkBump2022 makes a very good point!

Does the campaign also ask for proper funding for care for disabled children, respite for parents and much increased financial support for carers too?

Thought not.

Heidi Carter campaigns for the rights of people with Downs Syndrome in all sorts of ways- she's a very impressive person. I don't agree with her on this but you can't criticise her for not doing enough for disabled people.

Also against, for the same reasons as above

The only people who need to be making decisions about abortion are pregnant women and their doctors.

I'm sure she does, but does this campaign touch on that at all? Is there any appreciation of the fact that support, be it practical, emotional or financial, for the parents of disabled children is severely lacking?
If we are going to force women to birth children with severe, life-limiting disabilities that will require life-long care then let's at least make sure that care exists first.

I think there is also an element of the 'happy Down's Syndrome' argument too, that children and adults with DS are always happy-go-lucky and a joy to be around and have good quality of life, which we know is certainly not always the case.

I oppose anything that removes the right of women to choose what to do with their body. I hate the fact that in the UK 2 doctors have to give you permission.
Either women have bodily autonomy or we don't. Forced birth should never be inflicted on women.

This thread is a year old and the case was thankfully lost, although I think its going to appeal.

I doubt the rapid pro-life fundamentalist groups supporting this care about the rights of disabled people.

Apologies, didn't notice the date of the OP!

I think it's possible to have a general rule but an exception for late diagnosis eg 24 weeks or within 14 days of diagnosis. I personally think 24 weeks is late enough for non fatal abnormalities and 16 weeks for cases where it's choice

I have a sister with Downs Syndrome .She is 46 years old and is so precious to all of us . She was great company for my Mam and Mam and herself were best friends .My Mam never wanted to die and leave her , but unfortunately my Mam died suddenly last year with my sister by her side ( as they use to sleep together ) My sister misses Mam terribly but we are all there for her .

Thats great but I honestly don't see how it's relevant to the question here.

Not at all relevant to the question of whether women deserve bodily autonomy.

Well just giving people a view on how Down Syndrome people are lovely and maybe not consider abortion especially at 24 weeks . That just my opinion, every has their own opinion and I'm allowed mine

You are lucky that your sister has other family members to look after her, but not all people with disabilities are as lucky. And it's likely that your mum didn't have a choice in Ireland.

Absolutely.
Nobody would or ever should have the right to force you to have an abortion.

And nobody should have the right to prevent a woman from accessing one if that is her choice.

That's really disingenous. For one thing, people with down syndrome are people like anyone else, and are not a monolith. They are not all lovely. And they can have very serious challenges that makes raising them incredibly difficult.

I think the trope of "I know someone with DS who has a lovely happy life and is well cared for and loved so you shouldn't terminate for Downs" is manipulative, inaccurate, unhelpful and downright cruel.

I know some utterly lovely people with DS. I still believe in bodily autonomy for women.

I'm in favour of the law changing to reflect the value of a DS baby's life. The same rules should apply to them.

You could start by not referring to the child as a "downs syndrome baby".