General Chat

I think it should be reduced...
I think the idea of abortion is horrendous anyway but we don't live in a rosy perfect world do we? Not everything happens for the best.
I think though that 18-20 weeks has got to be better then 24 weeks, my friend had her baby at 23 weeks and although she spent her first few weeks in an incubator, she is now a happy, lively and beautiful little girl.
Another thing I always think about is whether or not the baby / foetus feels pain... and my instincts always tell me that it must...
Another reason for the limit to be reduced drastically.

I think for most that have never seen a 12---20 week old fetus.....just how incrediblely formed they are,,would I think belive ***a self wanted *** termantion should be carried at an earlier stage than 24 weeks,,

Those for medical or moral ones carry a totally load of issues and shouldnt be linked,,with a self want one,,,,,,,,

I heard today they are now saying that at 18 weeks...they feel pain.

Marion

I think in this day and age there shouldn't be so many unwanted pregnancies .(if you dont know your having a baby by 20 weeks your not likey to know till its born)
not only should people be worried about getting pregnant by not practicing safe sex they have more chance of catching STD
Rosex

My opinion is that it should be reduced to 20 weeks, unless there is a subsequent health risk to the Mother.

Ann
Glos

Yes - it's very easy to say women should be more careful if they don't want children etc

but let's face it - accidents happen!! no method of contraception is 100% safe ........ as has been well documented.

personally I would like see it reduced even more than 20 weeks,but its a start.

loopy lou,
me too,at 20 weeks,and yes,the baby is formed.

I do not agree with abortions,
but it everyones right to do what they think is right with their bodies,
however I do think the weeks should be reduced, as 99 percent of people can tell if they are pregnant before they even miss a period. an article in the paper yesterday, reported that some women had had up to nine abortions.......

Muffy, I am sorry about your cousins experience
I may be wrong, but I dont think there is a limit for severe medical conditions, is there?
cmdx

I would not like to go back to the back street abortions, as film Vera Drake. but I do think that in this day of contraception being easy, there are too many abortions.

If there is something wrong with the child, or the mother's life is in danger, yes.

If a girl/woman has made a mistake, there is now the morning after pill. So why wait for over 12 weeks to make up your mind if you want to keep a baby or not.

So I think the time limit should be 12 weeks, I could not bear to think of a baby being left to die on the side. Especially when you see the premature babies fighting for their lives.

I think it should be reduced to 16 weeks unless its advised on medical grounds. I had a complications with my 2nd child & had to have regular scans I remember 1 scan at 21 weeks seeing my baby tiny but formed, my daughter was born premature & survived.
There are load of contraception methods available & also Yes accidents do happen but there is now the morning after pill.

From the NHS site........

The reasons that an abortion may be necessary are set out in The Abortion Act 1967. These are:

continuing with the pregnancy would be a greater risk to the woman's life than would ending the pregnancy,
continuing with the pregnancy would involve a greater risk of injury to the woman's physical or mental health than would ending the pregnancy,
continuing with the pregnancy would be more of a risk to the physical or mental health of any of the woman's existing children, or
there is a real risk that the child, if born, would have a serious physical or mental disability.
...........................................

Sadly these conditions sometimes have been applied with a very flexible interpretation.

Gwyn

Your right Gwyn,

Years ago, only the rich girls went to Switzerland for their health, but we all knew what it was for.

Quoting the film Vera Drake again, where the rich mans daughter got an abortion,and the poor woman with loads of kids had to resort to back street abortion. and I think this was in the 1950's

Here are some stats from the BBC website
for percentages of abortions at what weeks.

Under 9 weeks: 54.9%
9-12 weeks: 34.3%
13-19 weeks: 9.2%
20-24 weeks: 1.5% - approx 2900

There were 193,737 abortions in total
ONS figures from 2006

I do think that if the mothers life is in danger or if the child has got severe deformities then it should be allowed.
but as Gwyn said unfortunately this is not always the case,it gets abused,especially in the private sector.

Some one said at 20 wks its fully formed, which they are of course right. It got me thinking that my friends daughter who lost a baby at 16 wks.She had a picture of her son and although he was very red he too was fully formed not like a full term baby in colour but apart from that he was fully formed so maybe it should be even lower.

A lot of people consider it safe to announce that they are pregnant after 12 weeks. This is because it can be common to miscarry a baby before 12 weeks. This is considered by many as natures course (it doesn't feel like it if it happens to you though ) So may be this should be the cut off for abortion, 12 weeks as it is for natures way.
Unless of course there is a good medical reason.

Yes I think it should be lowered.
I personally don't agree with abortion, BUT It is up to every woman, Im sure it is not a decision that is taken lightly in most cases.

From the stats that Penny has posted,

There were 193,737 abortions in total
ONS figures from 2006

Thats over 530 a DAY!! Too many in my opinion.

Pat

i dont think abortions should be allowed so late on.

i,v never agreed with it .... even more so when i lost my little girl at twenty two weeks.... i didnt get offered
any counciling or anything... the doctor even put on my notes medical abortion i went mental i said you can change that for a start i dont want people thinking i murdered my baby.
i dont care what anybody says unless its medical its murder in my book.

too many women have a relaxed attitude to having an abortion... i heard two women discussing one of them having an abortion and one said to the other what will you do if you are pregnant and she just carlmly said have an abortion and the other women said isnt it your third and she said no my fourth,,, there were no kind of remorse in her voice at all..
that disguest me..

i agree with pat 530 is way two many

two people quoted the morning after pill, remember that isn't 100% - trust me I know and he'll be 10 in September!!!!

I think it should be reduced to 20 weeks if it is not for medical reasons.