Bibliography Page 5
Terms Of Reference
The purpose of this report is to investigate the increase of abortion in the United Kingdom. The report begins with a brief introduction and then discusses the ethical issues concerning abortion as well as the law’s point of view on the subject. The reminder of the report looks at statistic of abortion the UK, and assesses what needs to be done to reduce the high levels of abortion in the country as well as improve and promote a healthy sex life.
Procedure
The following methods were used to write this report: books, newspapers and Internet.
Findings
Abortion is deliberate termination of pregnancy. There are several reasons for abortion, the most important are: health concerns and social status. Health concerns usually arise when there is failure during the pregnancy that would affects the mother’s life or if not end it. It also happens when there is a physical or mental disorder that would affect the child’s to be life. Although it has been over 30 years since the Abortion Act 1967, there is an overwhelming feeling of shame and disgust surrounding the topic.
Ethical issues
The main question that keeps repeating itself in every woman’s right summit is “ is abortion killing? ”. The answer to that depends on how we look at the foetus, which leads us to another question, at what stage is the foetus in the womb to be regarded as a child? Even here, who gets to decide when the foetus can be called a child with rights and shouldn’t be killed? Not every one agrees that foetuses of two, four or even eight weeks are children. Antiabortion groups argue that the foetus should be considered a human being with the right to life from as far as conception of pregnancy. However, according to some religions such as Islam, a foetus is not human being before 120 days, even though Islam does not approve of abortion.
Feminists who fight for women’s right for abortion argue that women should have control over their own bodies, they have to carry the child during the pregnancy and undergo childbirth no one else carries the baby; it will be her responsibility alone and therefore should have the right to decide. These are very important events in women’s life and if she does not want to continue through the whole nine months then she shouldn’t.
The law in the United Kingdom
Ever since the Abortion Act 1967, abortion has been legalised in the UK. There are NHS institutions as well as private clinics that perform abortion. There is a huge cloud of shame, guilt and disgust surrounding the issue of abortion. With all the freedom of speech in televisions and radio talk shows, women who had abortion are suffering in silence ashamed and afraid to discuss what they are going through. Statement such as ‘ I am relieved’, ‘ I am sad’, ‘I made the right choice’ will encourage society to point condemning fingers at those women which causes even more pain and suffering.
If the law were to grant antiabortion groups their wish and ban abortion, this would lead to an inhuman treatment for those who wished to have their foetus terminated. Moreover if abortion is banned in the UK then most of the women wishing to have an abortion need to travel aboard where it is legal, or develop an underground institution that performs abortion, which is similar to the black market. This could lead to a community where government trust is limited alongside restricting freedom for those who travel pregnant. The consequences of making abortion illegal would simply drive it underground and into conditions where the health and safety of the woman might be put at risk. Moreover there are cases in which termination of the foetus is necessary, lest the mother and/or the child health is in danger. In such cases of medical emergency and in the interest of saving life, surely it is acceptable to abort the foetus. There are also other circumstances, for example a rape victims specially girls who have to suffer the additional torment of being pregnant with the product of that ordeal. To force a woman to produce a living, constant reminder of that act is unfair and selfish.
Abortion in the United Kingdom
Conclusion
- Abortion is when the mother decides to end the life of the foetus.
- Nobody has the right to decide whether another human being lives or dies.
- In order to respect human’s right we need to respects each other’s autonomy and act in such a way that the principle behind our actions can be universalised.
- There are long-term consequences of illegalising abortion.
- There are cases in which termination of the foetus is necessary
Recommendations
Looking at the statistics is pretty frightening. What is needed on a massive national scale is to:
- Improve and promote sex health education
- Provide psychiatric help and emotional support to women after abortion to help them cope
- Encourage society not to judgemental and to be more open minded
- Devote real money to providing the best contraception
Bibliography
- Hendrix J, Law and ethics in nursing and health care, Stanley Thorne Ltd 2000
-
Complete A-Z Health and Social Care hard book, Judy Richard 2nd edition