Go to: Issue Description - Key Facts - Table of Contents - Study Guide
Issue Description
Abortion is a subject guaranteed to raise strong emotions and opinions. Statistics show that one in three women in the UK has an abortion before the age of 45. What are the ethical implications of this? Are there any health issues for a woman terminating her pregnancy? Should the legal time limit for an abortion be lowered? This title covers the ethical debate, legislation surrounding abortion and the medical procedures involved.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
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Key Facts
- More than nine in ten women have their abortion in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. However, in the UK, you can legally have an abortion at any time up to your 24th week of 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)
- Between 1923 and 1933, 15 per cent of maternal deaths were due to illegal abortion. (page 6)
- 20- to 24-year-olds are the age group most likely to have an abortion. (page 7)
- Worldwide, 48% of all induced abortions are unsafe. However, in developed regions, nearly all abortions (92%) are safe, whereas in developing countries, more than half (55%) are unsafe. (page 12)
- 26% of the world’s population live in countries where abortion is prohibited. (page 18)
- 82% of people surveyed agreed that a woman should be able to have an abortion up to 24 weeks if she had been a victim of rape and 78% agreed that this was justified if the woman’s health was at risk, with only 11% being opposed. (page 30)
- A poll of more than 800 people working in education found that the majority (67%) think information about abortion should be included in sex education classes. But 82% believe discussing the topic could offend parents, and 42% think it could offend students. (page 36)
- A recent YouGov poll found that only 29% of 17-year-olds were strongly pro-choice. The remainder are either negative or ambivalent. (page 37)
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Terminating a Pregnancy
Having an abortion, Recovering after an abortion, History of legal abortion, History of abortion law in the UK, Attitudes towards abortion – survey, Abortions linked to mental illness, Abortion ‘does not cause mental health problems’, Facts on induced abortion worldwide, Obama lifts funds ban for overseas abortion, ‘Global Gag Rule’ rescinded, Northern Ireland clarifies when abortion is legal, Public support for abortion in Northern Ireland.
Chapter Two: Abortion and Ethics
Abortion and religion, A humanist discussion of abortion, Hard questions, ‘It is very difficult to keep a 24-week baby alive’, Many born within abortion limit survive, Third of GPs ‘would not offer abortion’, GP abortion poll ‘not representative’, Conscientious objection, Women want a stricter abortion law, Public support for early abortion laws, 20 reasons to cut the abortion limit, 24 reasons for 24 weeks, Women perform ‘DIY abortions’ with online pills, Easy access to abortion makes sense, Teachers asked for advice about abortion, Shock tactics.
Key Facts
Glossary
Index
Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
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The Study Guide for: Abortion - Rights and Ethics - Volume 171
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.95
ISBN: Coming September 2009