Abortion: General Flashcards
How many abortions took place in the England and Wales in 2013?
200,000
How many pregnancies ended in abortion in the UK in 2004?
Nearly a quarter
How many unsafe abortions does the World Health Organisation estimate happened worldwide each year?
21.6 million
Who defined personhood? What is the criteria?
John Locke
Consciousness (= awareness of self as an independent being) - ability to feel pain and pleasure
Sentience (= able to feel/sense)
The capacity of choice
Reciprocity - to give and take from a relationship
What is the quote about abortion leaders and percentages?
“77% of pro-life advocates are men and will never be faced with abortion”
What is meant by the term ‘viable’ and when is this?
‘viable’ is when the foetus can exist outside of the womb at 24 weeks (hence the maximum legal date of abortion)
Is it legal in Northern Ireland to have an abortion?
No
How many women leave Northern Ireland per year to have an abortion?
5,000 women
Case Study: raped Asylum seeker wanting an abortion in Northern Ireland
A raped asylum seeker came to Northern Ireland
She repeatedly asked for an abortion which she would not be given until proven to be suicidal
Baby delivered 3 months premature by a C-section
Case Study: Savita Halappnavar
Savita Halappnavar died after being denied an emergency abortion in Northern Ireland
The law has now been changed to allow women to have an abortion if they are in danger
In the UK, when is an abortion allowed after 24 weeks?
A risk to the mother’s life
Evidence that the baby will be severely handicapped
Risk of serious physical/mental injury to the mother
When can a woman have a legal abortion in the UK?
If she comes within the Abortion Act 1967 and 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act which allows abortion up to 24 weeks only on certain conditions.
If two doctors:
continuing the pregnancy would pose a risk to the physical/mental health of the mother
physical/metal health of the existing family would suffer after the birth
child is likely to be born mentally/physically handicapped
What does the abortion act allow?
Allowed women to have an abortion if there was “risk of injury to her, or her existing children’s physical or mental health.”
How many people does the World Health Organisation estimate die from unsafe abortions each year?
47, 000 women
