Headlines
Abortion: The Undying Debate
8th November 2007
The Abortion Act of 1967 made abortion legally viable for women when it took effect in April of the following year. It was a controversial step at the time and, after the fortieth anniversary, remains a hotly contested topic for debate.
The passing of the Act meant women had legal protection in undertaking an abortion. Prior to the law’s introduction women sought illegal and often dangerous means of terminating their pregnancies, with an estimated 40 women dying every year as a result and many more injured. Now, though, they can choose to have an abortion, and not just in extreme situations.
The debate over whether or not abortion is right or wrong, justifiable or murder, is not likely to go away. People from all backgrounds have views on it, and often these are complex views. In Britain, a poll by the Times and Populus found 74% of people believe abortion should either be totally or mostly legal. On the other hand, 4% said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.
The division in people’s opinions is often linked to both religion and politics. Many religious people, predominantly Christians in the UK, generally oppose abortion, as they believe in the right to God-given life. They also believe that life begins at conception, and so a termination is in effect murder. Consequently, supporters of organisations like the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children include many Christian and other religious individuals. These organisations are campaigning for the abolition of the 1967 Act, meaning Britain’s legal stance regarding abortion would revert to the Victorian Offences Against the Person Act 1861, which makes abortion illegal and carries the same punishments as for murdering an adult.
However, the other side of the argument tends to be less religiously motivated. The 74% of the people in the Times/Populus survey that accepted abortion should be legal represent the majority opinion of the rest of the UK. Most people believe that abortion, though undesirable, is sometimes the right option and even essential at times. They would point to the need to consider a mother’s circumstances. Social implications of not terminating an unwanted pregnancy often need to be considered, as both the welfare of the mother and her child could suffer. And, of course, there are unavoidable cases whereby a mother’s health or even life could be jeopardised by continuing with a pregnancy. In such instances as these, when it is for the greater good, abortion can be deemed acceptable.
In all, last year 193,700 abortions were carried out in England and Wales, up 9% on the preceding decade. According to the Department for Health, abortions to prevent the risk of handicapped babies represented just 1% of the total carried out.
The issue of abortion is always going to be a source of controversy. But, for now, the 24-week clause in the law for legal abortions, after which a foetus is deemed too old to be terminated, is a minor compromise that helps to settle both sides of the argument, if only slightly.