Abortion Poll on AB

[angel-cake]

It is interesting that 33% have stated they would lower the limit to 12 weeks. I wonder how many who said this have had any direct experience of abortion.

Most pregnancies that are aborted before 12 weeks are due to unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. Going further down the line up to 24 weeks, it is often the result of discovering a severe abnormality in the foetus.

So basically, those 33% who voted that option are saying it is ok to abort an unplanned pregnancy because the baby is unwanted, but it's not ok for a couple, who have probably planned and much wanted the baby, to make a heartbreaking decision to have an abortion.

My opinion is that the abortion limit should stay at 24 weeks and a woman should be able make her own choice.

[ChocolatChip]

I think the reason this is, is because some foetus can actually survive after being aborted. And that generally isn't a very nice thought. That's my idea anyway.
But personally I don't believe abortion is right. Unless there is a serious problem with the baby which either 1)will harm the mother or 2) will be terminal for the baby.
And even then it is the parents decision to choose.

[angel-cake]

Yes I realise the point being made now is that babies are surviving when born below 24 weeks. So the law they need to change is actually resuscitation of babies born naturally before 24 weeks, rather than the abortion limit.

I personally would never want to go through an abortion that far down the line, but who knows how i would feel when presented with the possibility of a severely handicapped baby.

[ChocolatChip]

You might disagree, but there's always other routes than abortion. I.e. Adoption. If severely disabled then I would think there would be such care homes. And helpers etc.
If you did not want the baby that much.

[China Doll]

I think leave it at 24 weeks. It's up to the people/person involved and as far as I'm concerned a 24 week old foetus has no rights and I'd be more concened about the person involved and why they feel the need to take this course of action. It's a drastic, heart breaking decision and if that's what someone feels they need to do it is entirely up to them.

[banjosister]

Hey Guys,

I think this is a very difficult question to answer, until you are actually in the situation.

It is very easy to make a judgement when the situation is hypothetical.

The decision is usually the one with think is 'right' it is not necessarily the decision we would actually make in that situation.

BB xx

[squidgster]

I've had no experience of abortions, but my feelings are pretty much the same as Invisibles.

Every case is different, but I tend to think the general limit of 24 weeks is too high.

[MrXLA]

I will not discuss my views with regards to whether I agree or disagree wityh abortion other than to say that as far as I know (and I may be incorrect so forgive me if this is the case) recently a baby survived at 22 weeks, so in my view 22 weeks should be the maximum limit.

[sophie_1003]

Although babies are surviving at 24 weeks, many of these have severe disabilities, die in infancy or have a very low life expectancy, I think 24 weeks is fine as women still need to gain two doctors approval so that they can go ahead with abortions, this in itself may take a long time. I read of a case in a magazine where a girl had found out she was pregnant and didn't want the baby, this was quite early on in the pregnancy but because of having to go to two doctors and repeatedly being told that they didn't agree she had to go ahead with a pregnancy she didn't want. I know this may be a one off case but all women should have the right to choose

[B00]

My daughter recently lost her twin boys at 21 weeks, and all I can say that having seen those babies (I was with her during her birth), there's no way I can condone anyone having an abortion at the 24 week mark.

[daffy654]

1 in 40 teenage girls in Blackpool has had an abortion. With so many irresponsible girls using termination as a form of contraception something needs to be done.
I would prefer to see a much lower limit unless there is a disability to the unborn child that will cause it pain or suffering.I do not think that Downs Syndrome in a foetus should be a reason for abortion.
Are you saying in your second post that babies born naturally before 24 weeks gestation should NOT be resuscitated angel-cake? If so I have to strongly disagree with that opinion.

[ruby27]

I am with China on this one. I think to make the decision at that late stage must be very difficult.

"findings of the Commons science and technology committee on abortion, which concluded that there is no need to reduce the time limit, and the often desperate situation women who have abortions at this late stage find themselves in".

"both the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have said they do not believe there is a case for changing the time limits for abortion".

I don't think Doctor's always have it right, but I think it is telling that there isn't a large support for a change within the medical profession which is in a key position to have an authoritative view on this sad situation.

[angel-cake]

No daffy, i am definitely not saying that. I'm saying that doctors SHOULD resusicate where there is a chance, even if less than 24 weeks (which they are saying babies have survived at).

I also disagree with what you say about abortion being used as contraception. I do not believe this is the case. I think these girls are naive and ignorant and just believe pregancy won't happen to them. You would have to be insane to use abortion as contraception.

I just don't understand people who have strong views on a complete stranger terminating a pregnancy at any stage.

[daffy654]

I am not against termination as such,I believe all women should make their own choices in this,the thing that does concern me is that many girls do use it as a form of contraception, whether you think they are insane is irrelevant.

I would never have a termination unless it was for the reasons stated in my last post,I would also never force my opinion onto others.I have 2 daughters (18 and 20),one had a baby 8 weeks ago and the other is due to give birth in July.I would have supported either of them if they had decided to terminate as that would have been their decision whether I agreed or not.

[angel-cake]

Sorry, but where is the actual proof that these girls are using it as contraception and are not just ignorant in the first place. Do you really believe that they have sex with a guy and are there thinking "oh well, i can have abortion if i get pregnant" ?

[daffy654]

Yes I actually do believe that,in at least one case I KNOW it too as one of my daughters had an aquaintance that actually said this when in my house once...........and yes I do live near Blackpool so its relevant to the study that I quoted. If you think they don't think like this in some cases then you are either not the mother of teens or sadly deluded.I'm not saying all teens think like this but many do.

[tigwig]

I think that the limit should be lowered to 20 weeks and that is after watching a programme about abortion that actually showed women having them done and the limbs and bits and pieces of the body laid on the table that had had to be broken to get them out. This may sound harsh but I defy anyone who watched that on the tv to disagree. I was also born at 29 weeks 32 years ago which was absolutely unheard of then, probably equivalent to 24 weeks now. I would never judge anyone who did have an abortion at under 12 weeks but unless you find out at a later date the baby is severly disabled and will have no quality of life if born I don't think they should be carried out later.

[MrXLA]

I'm very sorry angel-cake but whilst it is hard for most rational people to accept (myself included), the FACT that SOME young ladies DO have multiple/serial abortions (often in quick succession) can lead to no other conclusion that sadly SOME women DO use abortion as a form of contraception.

I accept that clearly in the first instance this 'method of contraception' may be due to naivety, immaturity, low intelligence or ignorance, but not on multiple occasions.

[meglet]

I am pro-abortion and I don't believe many women chose the option of termination in later stages lightly. In fact the stats show it was 0.75% of 190,600 in 2003.

What I would like to see though is more support for young mothers so that they could more easily take the choice of continuing with the pregnancy and giving the baby up for adoption. There are many childless couples desperate for babies.

Let's face it, its far easier to have a termination that to continue for 40 weeks and then give up the baby. And this is from someone who went through it. I had a termination many years ago at less than 12 weeks. It wasn't easy but the alternative was far harder.