Abortion Facts

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Abortion Facts

• Which ones are the most surprising ?

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• FACTS ABOUT ABORTION
• About half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
  About half of unplanned pregnancies in the U.S.
  are terminated by an abortion.
• 52 of women choosing abortion are under 25.
  Teenagers account for 19, and women 20-24
  account for 33.
• 2/3rds of all abortions are by unmarried women,
  and most have already had a child.
• Only 8 of abortions are by women who have never
  practiced contraception ie most women who abort
  also use contraception.
• 52 of women having early abortion group and 67
  of having late term abortion group suffer from
  psychological problems after abortion anxiety,
  low self worth, guilt, depression, mood swings,
  sleep difficulties etc.
• Nearly 40 of women in the survey said they
  wanted the baby and fewer than 14 said they
  received adequate pre-abortion counselling or
  information on alternatives or about the physical
  and emotional risks involved.

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The Abortion Debate

• To understand the arguments for and against
  abortion
• To know what the law says about abortion
• To reflect on why some people choose to have an
  abortion

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Pro-Choice
Pro - Life
Can you be pro-choice, but also pro-life ?
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Pro-Choice what are the arguments? Think of 3.
Only A Womans Right
An embryo has no rights because it is not yet an
actual person who can survive on its own. It
cannot have rights that override those of the
pregnant woman
Pregnancy involves a woman's body, her health and
her future, so is a matter of personal choice and
a reproductive right, whether or not to continue
with it.
A Practical Matter
- abortion is a necessary option in certain
situations (rape, risk to health, failure of
contraception, congenital disorder, or inability
to raise a child.
- Legal Abortion is better than having
back-street abortions without proper medical
supervision because women are desperate to obtain
illegal abortions.

• Rate these arguments 1 -5 stars. Explain why.

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Pro-Life what are the arguments?

• The human fetus /embryo is a person and therefore
  has a right to life. Any action which destroys an
  embryo or fetus kills a person
• Often linked to Sanctity of life life is God
  given and must be protected from conception until
  natural death.
• Any deliberate destruction of human life is
  morally wrong and cannot be justified by any
  benefits to others, as they come at the expense
  of the life of a person.
• Abortion can cause long term psychological
  suffering (Post traumatic syndrome)

Which of these arguments do you find the most
convincing ? Explain.
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Exam Question

• Abortion is always wrong.
• Do you agree? Give 3 developed reasons for your
  opinion
• Give 3 developed reasons for why people might
  disagree with you.

Agree Philosophical when a person ? Religious
Sanctity of Life Bible church
teaching Moral always wrong harms woman
in the long term
Disagree Philosophical when a person ?
rights of mother gt child Religious Liberal
protestants justice Moral depends on the
situation back street abortions risk
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Abortion and the Law

• Abortion is only legal if two doctors agree upon
  one of the following
• the child is very likely to be born severely
  handicapped
• the mothers life is at risk
• the mothers physical or mental health is at risk
  
• The birth of another child would have a serious
  negative effect on the other children in the
  family
• Abortion should not be carried out after 24 weeks
  of pregnancy unless for conditions 1 and 2 which
  can be carried out at any time.

Brain Boost Does the Law fit in with
Pro-Choice or Pro-life?
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3
16
28
26
26
27
A woman has just realised she is 14 weeks
pregnant. She has split up with her boyfriend,
just started a university course and does not
have much money.
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Where do you stand ?(Be ready to give a reason)
Pro Life
Pro Choice