"Abortion a gift or a curse to society?".
In exploring this question I will consider three main criteria that have been debated since abortion was legalised in Britain since 1967. I will consider when life begins, human rights of the mother and the child and lastly if abortion has been justified by the impact that it has had on society.
Many people would straight away say that any advancement in medicine is good, but sometimes it is not. You only have to look at other inventions such as the atomic bomb to realise that advancement is not always good. .
Abortion is permitted under certain conditions in Scotland, England and Wales. The legislation which governs abortion in these regions is the Abortion Act 1967 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Abortion is allowed if there is a risk to the life of the mother, the mother may suffer injury to her mental or physical health. That there is a risk to her existing children or that there is a strong chance that the child may suffer from serious mental or physical abnormalities. The baby has to be aborted before 24 weeks if the reason for abortion is risk to the mother's health or risk to her existing children. This, however, only applies to those getting the abortion on the NHS. Any woman can get an abortion for any reason provided that she pays money to go private. .
The procedure for having an abortion up to 13 weeks is a surgical termination. The woman is anaesthetised and a sterile tube is inserted into the uterus through the womb. Suction is applied through the tube and the pregnancy is terminated. The surgical procedure is minor and most women leave hospital the same day.
The procedure for having an abortion up to 24 weeks is a medical termination. The woman is given a course of two different types of tablet. The first tablet (mifepristone) is taken at the hospital or clinic and then the woman returns 48 hours later.