Go to: Issue Description - Key Facts - Table of Contents
Issue Description
Abortion is a subject that provokes strong opinions. Statistics show that one in three women in the UK has an abortion before the age of 45. While some people believe all women should have the right to access an abortion, others are morally opposed to it. What are the ethical, medical and legal implications of abortion? This book looks at the debate surrounding the issue.
The information comes from a variety of sources, including government reports and statistics, newspapers and magazine articles, surveys and polls, academic research and literature from charities and lobby groups; articles have been tailored to an 11 to 14 age group. Additionally, at the end of each chapter are two pages of activities relating to the articles and issues raised in that chapter.
return to top of page
Key Facts
- The law says a woman can have an abortion if she is less than 24 weeks pregnant and two doctors agree that it would cause less damage to her physical or mental health than going on with the pregnancy. (page 1)
- More than 190,000 women have an abortion in England and Wales each year. At least a third of British women will have had an abortion by the time they are 45. (page 1)
- 37% of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI in 2008 said that they strongly agreed that a woman should have the right to access an abortion. 12% strongly disagreed. (page 5)
- Worldwide, 48% of all abortions are unsafe. However, in developed regions, nearly all abortions (92%) are safe, whereas in developing countries, more than half (55%) are unsafe. (page 6)
- Over a third of all pregnancies, across the world, are unplanned. (page 13)
- One issue in the morals-medicine minefield is abortion. Before 1967 abortion was illegal in the United Kingdom but was widely practised, unsafely, in unhygienic backstreet ‘clinics.’ The Abortion Act 1967 decriminalised abortion in certain circumstances. (page 16)
return to top of page
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Abortion
Abortion, A history of legal abortion, History of abortion law in the UK, Attitudes towards abortion, Facts on abortion worldwide, Abortion funding restrictions lifted, Activities.
Chapter Two: Ethical Issues
Abortion and religion, Conscientious objection, 20 reasons to cut abortion limit, 24 reasons for 24 weeks, Teachers asked for advice about abortion, Activities.
