Topic 12 Abortion Flashcards
What is abortion?
Deliberate termination of a pregnancy by the expulsion of the foetus from the womb, or an operation to cause this
What are the three main methods of abortion?
- Medical abortion (pills for miscarriage)
- Vacuum aspiration (contents removed by suction under anaesthetic)
- Partial birth (foetus’ body taken into vagina, skull crushed + contents removed to make head small enough for whole foetus to be removed)
What are the laws in the UK?
1929: Infant life preservation act (allowed to preserve mother’s life)
1967: abortion act (decriminalised abortion if woman was less than 28 weeks pregnant, two doctors had agreed there was risk to life/health of mother, health of existing children, child would be born severely disabled)
1990: human fertilisation and embryology act 1990 (time limit set at 24 weeks, exceptions made in emergencies where life of mother/foetus at risk)
What do Roman Catholics believe?
- Church tradition -> natural law (precept = to preserve life), abortion = deliberate termination of life so = wrong (leap in logic tho)
Life begins at conception
- Bible -> exodus 20 ‘you shall not murder’ + sanctity of life applies to foetuses
Exodus 21, demonstrates there is something special in womb as pregnant women should be protected
- Abortion wrong in cases of rape
- Doctrine of double effect - if abortion will save mother’s life acceptable even if it results in foetus’ death eg ectopic pregnancy
Church of England beliefs
- Generally don’t agree due to bible eg psalm 139 (god knows a person before they are formed in womb)
- Weigh up quality with sanctity of life + influenced by society + see abortion can be morally correct eg rape, disability, risk to mother
- lesser of two evils
- importance of showing compassion just as Jesus did
What do the Quakers believe?
- conscience - do believe in SOL but if thought through and good enough reason, then it is fine
- as long as there has been prayer + she has consulted conscience
Life begins at moment of fertilisation
For:
- contains genetic material to be considered human
- not ambiguous point
- there is a transition from nothing to something
- beginning of a process
Against:
- doesn’t feel pain
- doesn’t have human form
The point of viability should be 21 weeks not 24
For:
- Babies do survive at this point
- CofE/Quakers - preserve more lives
Against:
- Independent of womb but not from artificial support
- May have major disability / wont go on to survive
- Some people don’t yet know/undecided
Non religious arguments against abortion
- Right to life/ murder -> BUT depends on when life begins (debated, conception/viability/birth)
- Foetus might feel pain, unclear evidence -> BUT even if they do feel pain not argument against abortion just method (anaesthetic for foetus)
- Psychological harm, difficult to give birth again, upset -> BUT mother might be more harmed by having baby
- Doctor’s job = save lives, not end them - Hippocratic oath -> BUT relieving suffering of mother or severely disabled foetus (duty to mother)
Non religious arguments for abortion
Quality of life, autonomy, mother’s rights
- Quality of life -> BUT slippery slope, what is ‘severe disability’ -> designer babies, implies disabled lives are not worth living + are inferior, disrespectful
- Bodily autonomy, women have right over own body -> BUT if you choose tot have unprotected sex shld live with consequences, right of control is less important than child’s right to live
- Rights of mother come before potential life of foetus -> BUT foetus = innocent victim that has done nothing to deserve its life being terminated
Non religious arguments for abortion (save life of mother, better done legally, rape)
- Saves mother’s life - if mother dies then foetus dies too (better to have one death than two, death of mother impacts more ppl) -> BUT some might say it’s god’s will + shld accept it
- back street abortions will still occur making it unsafe and traumatic, better it is legal -> BUT back street abortions can be prevented in other ways
- Rape, giving birth to rapist’s child harmful psychologically - child likely to suffer to -> BUT minority of women who get raped + get pregnant from it (not general enough argument)
