Campaigners have vowed to reopen the fight to tighten up the abortion laws after a third Cabinet minister came out in favour of cutting the current 24-week limit.
Home Secretary Theresa May said she believed there was scope to reduce the limit on when a termination can take place, to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Earlier the new Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt went even further, saying he believed the limit should be cut to 12 weeks – half the present maximum. With Culture Secretary Maria Miller, who is also the minister for women, having already said that she would like a 20-week limit, campaigners signalled a new push in Parliament to change the law. Read More
My worry is that reducing the cut off time for an abortion to 12 weeks will leave many women stuck with a pregnancy that she does not want. This will be mentally damaging to the health of the women if she is forced to carry on with a pregnancy she does not want.
Will this result in babies being born to mothers who resent them and become mentally unstable because of the guilt and regrettable situation they found themselves in? I believe so.
I do agree that a 20 week cut of sounds much more plausible and would give an adequate amount of time for women to gain the support and the time to decide and have the operation carried out.
Deciding to terminate a pregnancy is never an easy decision to make and forcing women to quickly choose could lead to devastating consequences.
I know of women who did not find out they were pregnant till 10 – 12 weeks and what option would be left to these women? Would an abortion clinic or hospital offer emergency abortions within 24 hours for these women?
I also know it can take up to 4/5 weeks from asking for an abortion for the actual procedure to be complete.
While I understand the need to look at this issue, I don’t feel 12 weeks is a substantial amount of time.
What are your views? Should abortion time limits be changed and if so to what?
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i think 12 weeks is to early, 24 weeks is to late, my son was born at 24 weeks and survived. unless their is a medical reason to why they should have a abortion at a later stage.
Abortion is a sting subject that I don’t beleive it but I do think that 12-14wreks should be the limit for a abortion 24weeks is murder!!! I’m a mum of a little girl who was born before the abortion limit at 23weeks she was born perfect little ears eyes fingers toes and she cried when she was born she was perfect although she very very poorly for a while she is now a healthy 2year old … The only time I reckon abortion is acceptable is if the perant is told te baby will have completly no quality of life at all or if a women falls pregnant tragically through rape but it enjoys the hell out of me when people get pregnant n abort a number of times x sorry if people get offended
Spelling correction : not enjoys the hell out of me I meant ennoys the hell out of me
My main concern, as the article states in a manner, what about the women who don’t find out they are pregnant until after they are 12 weeks? I was 13 weeks when I received a positive, and 21 weeks when I went through for a scan. Had I not wanted or felt I couldn’t keep that child, what option would I have been left with? Although info believ that 24 weeks is far too late, babies are born at the gestation and survive. I’d maybe split the difference and put a cut off at 18 weeks unless in severe cases.
i think 12 weeks is ridiculously early. many do not find out they are pregnant until this stage and imagine only having days to decide whether to continue with the pregnancy or not. Also those babies and mothers with medical conditions do not find out until the 20 week scan if it is safe to continue with the pregnancy, so this would put mothers and babies at risk. i think 20 weeks is much more plausible. 12 weeks – to me it seems this person who suggested this doesnt have a clue what they are on about x
Think 12 weeks is a good limit – if your stupid enough not to wear a jinny it’s your fault ! I no some contraceptions fails but I’m sure most women no roughly when they have a period so would take a test if one was missed giving plenty of time I’m on te implant and although I’m not regular I no roughly when I should expect it and if it doesn’t come I buy a test ! At 16 weeks you can determine the sex of the baby which means it’s very much a baby at 12 weeks even you can see a heart beat which means it’s living for me at 12 weeks I felt my son move – everyone has there own vies these are mine x
Personally I think 12 weeks is late enough, unless there are extenuating circumstances, illness of the fetus, illness mental and physical of the mother for example.
Following off the other comments, what would happen if, heaven forbid, you keep your child, go for your anomaly scan at 19-20 weeks and discover your child has a serious condition which would unfortunately necessitate a termination?
I’ve never been in the situation to ever even consider an abortion, I also never had any screening done so certain things aren’t an issue for me at all. You never truly know what you would do until put in a situation, but i do believe 12 weeks is far too early. I didn’t find out til 13 weeks as I said, some people don’t know.
i think the cut of should be lowered to 20 weeks as thats late enough and only after 17weeks if there is a serious illness that will cause harm to mum or baby x
I think it should be cut down to 12 weeks cus even at 12 weeks it’s a baby, not a thing. Abortions for medical reasons should stay the same though.
12weeks is defo too early, it should be lowered to atleast 20, alot of women dont realise they are pregnant til way past 12weeks, i didnt find out til i was 15weeks! And as for people saying “if your stupid enough to not use protection” ill think youll find alot of people do and it fails them, so then what? They should be made to have a child they dont want or didnt plan? No they shouldnt because they have rights. I feel really strongly about topics like this as its not so “black and white” as most people think it is.
I think 12 is too early as some people don’t find out til gone that… My cousin didn’t find out until she was 20weeks as the doctors told her it was menopause as pregnancy tests were coming back negative!!! I think maybe 16ish weeks cut off limit with maybe special circumstances in place for people that find out late and people that find something wrong in there 20wk scan x
i think its all well and good saying 12 weeks and use contreception but what i you are raped, abused is it your own daft fault then and what if your one of many women who have periods throughout? i think that ever case is different and i also think that 24 weeks is to long maybe 16 weeks and up to 20 weeks if there is a valid medical reason just my views
Yes I think it should be reduced but not untill 12 weeks! Some people don’t even know they are pregnant by then, also people with medical reasons it just wouldn’t be fair. Personally I think 15 weeks should be it unless there is a medical reason for the termination then it should be 20 weeks.
i thought it was 12 weeks already so have learnt somethin new. 24 weeks is wqay too late as if born there is chance of survival so but each to their own x
yes definatly I think it should be 12 weeks unless there is medical reasons etc behind it that’s found out at the scan then thy can make a exception
I think it should be reduced!! I think if there is a medical condition or some kind of damage to the baby then maybe have one later but too many people use abortion as a form.of contraception and I think its disgusting!!!!
I personally think 24 weeks is much too late. It should be lowered except for certain circumstances, maybe not as low as 12 weeks though x
i think that 12weeks is a hard one, but i do think at 16weeks u can find out the sex thats when its a baby
i dont knw what the limit should be but everyone has a choice, may not be mine but i wont judge but pass 20wks is t late
It should be lowered maybe to 14 weeks. I don’t agree with abortion when its 24 weeks there already all formed and its murder to me..unless medical reasons then up to 20 weeks.. definalty needs to be lowered tho babies survive being born from 24 weeks. Its awful to go that long then decide to have one x
I honestly don’t know, I think that 24 weeks is too late, way too late it’s practically murder at that stage but at 12 weeks some don’t even know they’re pregnant BUT I’m one that doesn’t agree with abortions unless there’s a very strong medical reason or if it’s danger to the mothers mental health or mother/babies health. You lay down and make a baby then you can stand up and follow through with the consequences – that makes me sound such a bitch but like I said unless there’s main reasons then ..
I have an open mind on this I’m quite anti abortion but in certain circumstances I can understand why woman do it and my heart goes out to them I just don’t agree that some people use it as a form of contraception xxxx
I say 12 weeks for abortions that aren’t needed (medical) And later for medical reasons. 24 weeks is far to late I think in my personal opinion .. xx
My opinion is they should!! My personal opinion is that they shouldn’t even exist x
i defo think they shud lower the limit but i would say to 15 weeks
persona;;y i think it shud be made 12weeks…unless its due to medical reasons..just my opinion tho x x
I think abortions at 24 weeks should be banned, especially as the baby is ‘viable’ and could survive if born premature.
I agree maybe lower the gestation to 20 weeks which is a lot more realistic than 12 weeks. X
Such a touchy subject
I think 12 weeks is 2 late but 12 can be too early for some people x
its a veryyy touchy subject. i think 12 weeks is just right, 24 weeks, i didnt think that was even allowed some babies are born at 24 weeks and LIVE!! every child deserves a chance
x
i agree with kia xx
I think it should be lowered to 12 weeks, I don’t agree with abortion but I would never force my opinions on any woman who felt that was the right choice for her. I felt my son move at 15weeks (3rd pregnancy) but even so, from the moment I knew I was pregnant I felt it was a baby and I hated the term foetus! Every baby deserves a chance in life x
i think 24 for medical reasons and maybe 18 for an abortion xx
yes yes yes yes yes
i think it should be 12-14 weeks but as soon as i was scanned i felt connected to the baby as i had seen, but i suppose its different for everyone, but what if it has a medical reason? one that u wouldnt find out to a bit further in the pregnancy, maybe one date for a abortion because u dont want the baby and another if its due to medical reasons? im starting to think too much and its hurting my brain xx
Yes! Nothing else to say just yes!
I would say 12 weeks but then again what if u don’t find out till 14weeks ect.. I’m nt to sure xx
yes but like u kirstie i think if u dont find out till ur 14 wks ………. difficult one :/ xx
I think so
I’ve had one myself and I agree at 24 weeks its no longer a foetus its a baby… Babies have survived from 21weeks …. Enough said… 14 maybe 16 weeks is enough…
Its a tough one. 20 weeks or 18 weeks seems like a good cut off point to me. x
I feel 8 weeks should be the cut off date. I had to abortions all prior to that time. I feel no guilt because to me it was just a sack of blood or that’s how I rationalize it in my head. I know a girl, who had one when she was 5 months pregnant. She said it hurt. Well, of course it hurt. That baby was kicking in your belly and you felt it. I could have never done that as I felt nothing inside of me when I had mine, but that’s me and who am I to judge since I had two.