We all know about Abortion, some of us will be Pro and some will be Anti, it is one of the few topics that just about everyone has an opinion on.

The opinion is usually formed through religious reasons, personal viewpoint and/or experience, upbringing, informed knowledge? There are many reasons why people take the stance they do.

Once Abortion was illegal, it was seen as murder, the taking of a Human life. So what changed?

Lets look at some facts

In 1803 Abortion carried the death penalty if they were carried out after the Quickening 16-20 weeks,at that time this is when movement is thought to begin.

in 1837 they removed the distinction between the before and after 'Quickening' making all abortion illegal

In 1861 this was changed to Life Imprisonment but was extended to include the person who carried out the Abortion as well as the mother

In 1929 the law was once again changed, due to there being cases of the need for Abortion due to medical reasons, this had to be done before 28 weeks. However the law wasn't clear on whether it was legal to abort for other reasons, the Foetus was at this time classed as viable at 28 weeks.

1936: The Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA) was established; its aim was to campaign for the legalisation of abortion.

1938: Dr. Alex Bourne was acquitted of having performed an illegal abortion. This set a case-law precedent.
He had performed an abortion on a fourteen year old who had been gang raped and was suicidal. Thus the law was changed again to allow for mental and medical abortions.

The law went on being challenged throughout the 50's and into the sixties, and in 1967 the Abortion Act came into being legalising abortiion under certains conditions it came into effect in 1968.

The time limit still stood at 28 weeks until 1990 when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act came into force and it was then lowered to 24 weeks.

However the controversy still rages about when a Foetus is considered to be a living being, hence the Anti-abortionists who claim that it is murder at any time as once the egg is fertilised it is a living being.

One of the main reasons that Abortion became legal, was to save lives. Having laws preventing it did not prevent pregnancies, back street abortionists and self abortions killed many women through things such as Septicimia, haemorrhaging, lead poisoning (This was caused by an apprent menstrual blocking potion that was lead based) women were blinded and mutilated by back street abortionists and potions.

There were 46 million abortions last year, that is approximately 126,000 per day.

Only 22% of those were carried out in developed countries, 78% in countries that are developing.

26 million women obtain legal abortions per year, 20 million are carried out in places where it is restricted or prohibited by law.

The ages of people having abortions 52% are younger than 25
32% 20-24
20% Teenagers
1.2% Girls under 15.

93% of Abortions occur for social reasons i.e. It is inconveniant or unwanted.

One of the main arguments for Anti abortionists after the life issue is that of rights, namely the fathers, basically he doesn't have any. He has no say over the life or death of the Foetus, the argument being that it is not his body that has to incubate the foetus and until it is born it is the sole right of the carrier to make the decisions.

Now it is over to you, should abortion be so easy to access?

Should there be more stringent guidelines?

Should the Father have the right to have a say?

What is your opinion on the subject?