Transcript Abortion Debate

Abortion Facts
Which ones are the most
surprising ?
FACTS ABOUT ABORTION
1. About half of all pregnancies are unplanned. About half of unplanned
pregnancies in the U.S. are terminated by an abortion.
2. 52% of women choosing abortion are under 25. Teenagers account for
19%, and women 20-24 account for 33%.
3. 2/3rds of all abortions are by unmarried women, and most have already
had a child.
4. Only 8% of abortions are by women who have never practiced
contraception ie most women who abort also use contraception.
5. 52% of women having early abortion group and 67% of having late term
abortion group suffer from psychological problems after abortion:
anxiety, low self worth, guilt, depression, mood swings, sleep difficulties
etc.
6. Nearly 40% of women in the survey said they wanted the baby and
fewer than 14% said they received adequate pre-abortion counselling or
information on alternatives or about the physical and emotional risks
involved.
The Abortion Debate
To understand the arguments for and
against abortion
To know what the law says about abortion
To reflect on why some people choose to
have an abortion
Pro-Choice
Pro - Life
Can you be pro-choice, but also pro-life ?
Pro-Choice: what are the arguments?
Think of 3.
Only A Woman’s Right:
Pregnancy involves a woman's body, her
health and her future, so is a matter of
personal choice and a reproductive
right, whether or not to continue with it.
An embryo has no rights because it
is not yet an actual person who can
survive on its own. It cannot have
rights that override those of the
pregnant woman
A Practical Matter
- abortion is a necessary option in certain situations (rape, risk to health,
failure of contraception, congenital disorder, or inability to raise a child.
- Legal Abortion is better than having back-street abortions without proper
medical supervision because women are desperate to obtain illegal abortions.
Rate these arguments 1 -5
stars. Explain why.
Pro-Life: what are the arguments?
• The human fetus /embryo is a person and therefore has
a right to life. Any action which destroys an embryo or
fetus kills a person
• Often linked to Sanctity of life – life is God given and
must be protected from conception until natural death.
• Any deliberate destruction of human life is morally wrong
and cannot be justified by any benefits to others, as they
come at the expense of the life of a person.
• Abortion can cause long term psychological suffering
(Post traumatic syndrome)
Which of these arguments do you find the most convincing ?
Explain.
Exam Question
• “Abortion is always wrong”.
– Do you agree? Give 3 developed reasons for your
opinion
– Give 3 developed reasons for why people might
disagree with you.
Agree:
Philosophical: when a person ?
Religious:
Sanctity of Life
Bible & church teaching
Moral: always wrong
harms woman in the long term
Disagree:
Philosophical: when a person ?
rights of mother > child
Religious:
Liberal protestants: “justice”
Moral: depends on the situation
back street abortions risk
Abortion and the Law
Abortion is only legal if two doctors agree upon one of
the following:
the child is very likely to be born severely
handicapped
2. the mother’s life is at risk
3. the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk
4. The birth of another child would have a serious
negative effect on the other children in the family
1.
Abortion should not be carried out after 24 weeks of
pregnancy unless for conditions 1 and 2 which can be
carried out at any time.
*** Brain Boost: Does the Law fit in with Pro-
Choice or Pro-life?
Legal
Illegal
A woman seeks an abortion
at 3 weeks because she
already has
children and
would not be able to look
after them properly if she has
another child
at 28
A woman discovers
weeks that her unborn child
is likely to be born with a
serious handicap
A mother is in a critical
condition and continuing with
the pregnancy would put her
life at risk She is 27 weeks
pregnant
A woman seeks an abortion
at 16 weeks and her GP says
she can have an abortion
A rape victim seeks an
abortion at 26 weeks
A woman feels that she
would have a breakdown if
she continued with her
pregnancy She is 26 weeks
pregnant
A woman has just realised she is
14 weeks pregnant. She has split
up with her boyfriend, just started a
university course and does not
have much money.
Where do you stand ?
(Be ready to give a reason)
Pro – Life
Pro – Choice