Here's one for all of you against abortion...?

Question

A 17 year old girl is 4 months pregnant. Last week she found out that the baby has a congenital brain defect and if its even born alive it won't live much longer than a few days. She wants to travel to the UK to have an abortion but the Health Service have banned her from leaving the country. If she isn't allowed the abortion she will have to spend the next 5 months with a dying baby inside her and then have to suffer as it dies. I find this incredibly cruel and insensitive of the Health Service. Any opinions?

This is in Ireland. Personally, I would only have an abortion in a case like this. I don't agree with it being used as birth control-thats what condoms and the pill are for-but I am pro-choice.

Answer 1

Law also states that Abortion is MTP Medical Termination of Pregnancy in case the child is at harm or the mother... In this case it could be both... Child because, it could not be normal and would not survive... Mother coz, she could be harmed, she's not legally and physically ready to be a mother...

Answer 2

Well, strange things can happen, what if the baby is born, and ends up living more than a few days, and lives for a few months, but then lives for a years. I know a similiar case, in which the family was told the baby would die, they were pro-life and didn't have the abortion. That baby is now 23 years old, and she is still alive, and behave normally like the rest of us. The doctor's wont let go though, and still say she has only a few months left, the same thing the doctor's have told her all her life. It's that unpredictability of babies, that makes me think even in this case, it might be worth it to keep the child. No doctor can exactly can predict the future, therefor I rarely trust doctor's in future predictions, I only trust them when they tell me what's wrong with me, not what will be wrong.

That's my 2 cents.

Answer 3

Has anyone stopped to consider if the test might be wrong? You know, doctors have been known to make mistakes. This young lady will suffer longer than just five months, If she has this abortion not only is it wrong to take a human life she will have a life time of what ifs. Abortion is only a temporary fix. It last only as long as you can get your mind off of it. Personally I would rather use my tax money to pay for an innocent child's health care than a lazy dead beat who won't work. And my question is how could this "child" not fetus not feel pain in any trimester? How can anyone know this for sure?

Answer 4

I'm pro-choice, but I'm also a guy - and the only girl I've ever gotten pregnant was my wife - and we have a beautiful daughter.

I would hope no woman would ever get an abortion - but I will not stand in their way either. I believe abortions should be safe, legal, and rare.

In the case you mention - it is sad to think that the child will just die. At the same time I've known of women who were told the same thing - but refused to have abortions, and the child turned out - if not fine, then a lot better than the doctors predicted.

At the same time I've known babies to die during childbirth or soon afterward who showed no signs of problems during gestation. So you never know.

I know one girl who had to have an abortion because of a heart condition she had - they claimed her heart wouldn't be able to stand the stress of pregnancy and childbirth -she was devastated - as are most women who have abortions.

Again, not my (or anyone elses) decision to make.

Answer 5

Add this to it - what if the baby survives, horribly deformed and unable to function in society at all. Is the government prepared to help financially with the care this baby will require for the rest of his or her life? Now make this mother 27 with four other children - will all of the mother's money and resources and time be forced to go to the unfortunate child at the expense of the others? That's why absolute laws about abortion made by unthinking old men are immoral.

To the person who said "she made her bed" - are you sure you mean that? Think about the affect that ripples out to other family members. And this question is not about "partial birth abortion", this pregnancy could be aborted by artifical inducement of labor - are you against that as well?

Answer 6

Personally, i also would choose to have an abortion if i ever encountered a case like this. Its not because i don't want to grow an imperfect baby but i'm thinking about what the baby will have to suffer when the baby were born. Its really pathetic and awfull to see your baby is dying and you could'nt do anything to help.

Answer 7

I am pro choice, but I feel abortions are not used as intended. To me, this is a prime case/ example for an abortion. However, most abortions are for "birth control" rather than medical reasons.

Answer 8

Most people won't argue that abortion is wrong when the life or health of the mother or child is at stake.

However, you are talking about late term abortion. And according to an interview in American Medical News, Dr. Haskell said, "I'll be quite frank: most of my abortions are elective in that 20-24 week range. . . . In my particular case, probably 20% are for genetic reasons. And the other 80% are purely elective."

Dr. Haskell is said to have pioneered and performed at least 1,000 late term abortions.

Any more questions?

Answer 9

This is a good example of a proper abortion. The foetus does not feel pain until early in the third trimester. This is only the second. This pregnancy should be promptly terminated.
Most of us anit-abortionists just don't want it to be someone's first resort, but the last.

Answer 10

In cases like this, absolutely they should be allowed to have an abortion. The only abortions I object to are when women use it like birth control.