Abortion (2007)

In 1967 the UK government passed the Abortion Act legalising abortion; the law came into effect on April 1968. It has been unsuccessfully challenged many times. In 1973 Roe v Wade gave American women the right to abortion for any reason at all up until the foetus 'becomes viable' i.e. the foetus can survive outside the uterus, around 28 weeks. Women were also given the right to abortion after the viable period to protect their own health.

Since then, the debates around abortion have predominantly been around time limits. The limit in France and Germany is 12 weeks, 18 weeks in Sweden and no limit in Australia. In 2005 and 2007 the British Medical Association rejected a motion that would have seen the upper limit cut from 24 to 20 weeks, despite the fact that less than 1% of abortions are carried out after 22 weeks (Abortion Rights).

In April 2007 in the case of Gonzales v Carhart, the American Supreme Court voted to uphold a federal law that criminalises a procedure known as a 'partial birth abortion' that takes place in the second trimester. The ramifications of this decision are huge. It is the first time that any restriction on abortion has been passed, and the first time where an exception has not been included for the health of the mother thus giving the foetus more rights than the woman. It will not prevent a single abortion - only force some women to undergo a more risky procedure than necessary - a procedure more likely to result in permanent health consequences including infertility.

The situation is being watched on both sides of the Atlantic as UK campaigners don't want the same thing to happen here.

Whilst we complacently take for granted our right to safe, legal abortions, it is illegal under any circumstances to have an abortion in Malta, Nicaragua Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. At least 82 women have died in Nicaragua since abortions were criminalised last year. In El Salvador there are forensic vagina inspectors that carry out investigations on women that have had miscarriages or stillbirths to determine if the foetus was deliberately aborted. Such laws threaten the lives of women who are forced to seek out people willing to perform abortions using methods that are usually unsafe and barbaric. If there are complications those that can afford medical treatment avoid going to clinics or hospitals for fear of being arrested.

It is usually women that live in poverty that suffer the most. Wealthy women can hop on a plane to a country where abortion is legal. Those that cannot afford medical treatment usually suffer unsafe abortions.

Whilst the Catholic church has led the pro-life lobby across the globe in its complete opposition to abortion, the organisation Catholics For A Free Choice was founded in 1973 to give voice to Catholics that believe that Catholicism supports a woman's right to follow her own conscience with regards to her own sexuality and reproductive health. They have partners in many countries including Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Bolivia. CFFC works with its partners to initiate dialogues and promote multiple perspectives on issues around sexual rights and reproductive health, including pro-choice perspectives and the tolerance and acceptance of LGBT people.

A 2007 report by the Guttmacher Institute and the WHO found that the abortion rate declined between 1995 and 2003. The report underlines the fact that abortion rates do not differ according to whether the abortion is legal or illegal. Abortion rates fell significantly in Eastern Europe, a trend that corresponds with substantially increased contraceptive use.

Amnesty International has defended the rights of women to take control of their own sexual and reproductive health. Its stance on abortion is not whether it is right or wrong but for women to exercise their rights to be able to manage the consequences of other human rights violations, including rape (AI 2007).

The criminalisation of abortion, which forces women to seek unsafe abortions, contributes to the poor health status of women in many parts of the globe. Access to health care is safeguarded under Article 12 of CEDAW. It states that 'State Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services, including those related to family planning'.

ORGANISATIONS & WEBSITES

Abortion Rights

http://www.abortionrights.org.uk/

Catholics For A Free Choice

http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/

Center for Reproductive Rights

http://www.reproductiverights.org/

The Guttmacher Institute

http://www.guttmacher.org/

National Organization for Women

http://www.now.org/issues/abortion

POLICY & REPORTS