08.10.12
Right to choose
The health secretary has voiced his support for a time limit on abortion of just 12 weeks, based on ‘medical evidence’.
The debate is over the current limit at 24 weeks, due to advances in medical technology. It is an incredibly sensitive topic, and as the Prime Minister has noted, everybody is entitled to their opinion on the standing legislation.
But only a tiny minority of abortions are carried out at 24 weeks. This could be used to argue that a change in the law would only affect a small proportion of women and should therefore be lowered.
Or it could imply that such late abortions are only ever used in absolutely extreme circumstances anyway. The current limit is not a recommendation for the best time to abort, which is not a casual decision taken too late; it is recognition of the complex personal issues involved.
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