There's a heated debate going on about abortion right now.
I think the answer is pretty simple. Abortion should be freely available on demand without any strings attached up to 13 weeks, and thereafter with the written consent of a doctor who has assessed the case and agrees, among other things, that the foetus isn't viable. That would have two effects. It would tend to displace abortions towards the earlier stage of pregnancy, because that's when it would be hassle free, and it would allow doctors to assess viability on the grounds of current medical science, and keep both the courts and Parliament out of it.
Thus would we be able to avoid having to step over the bodies of women who have haemorrhaged to death after a do-it-yourself abortion, while ensuring we didn't kill any children who are capable of living.
This is a purely pragmatic argument, and there's a lot to be said for pragmatism, in practice.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Abortion
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4 comments:
Try selling that to the Sisterhood!
Well, yes. I deliberately avoided the feminist case, because I think it's balls. Of course every human, not just women, has the right to decide what happens to their own body. But biology places somebody else's body inside that of a woman for a while. Blame biology, not me. But that carries with it a responsibility.
The sisterhood's arrived and im a pragmatist! Though i wasnt aware abortion decisions are reached uniquely by women in all cases or in the absence of unpragmatic reasons. Certainly not in my own decision.
The law is fine. Abortion should be available up to 24 weeks. Provided doctors who have to carry out later terminations are in agreement. The only reason some (a small %) happen later and are not for foetus viability/danger to mother is because some women are given a hard time gaining early access. I had to wait 3 weeks and that was way too long.
This whole current debate is utterly devoid of real facts and figures though and driven on a one sided agenda. Given whats at stake - that stinks as much as the false idea that women have abortions for the hell of it.
http://ukcommentators.blogspot.com/2007/10/forty-years-of-hurt-warning-not-child.html
N further comment necessary, imho.
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