Quote:
Originally posted by ktsnake
I'm not really a sanctity of life person.
I've just looked at the facts, and my view is that this particular procedure is unnecessary, irresponsible and barbaric.
I'm actually perfectly okay with some earlier term abortion procedures -- in fact, I would go so far as to say that in the case where the potential mother excercises responsibility and good decision making skills early, she's got every right to terminate that pregnancy.
However, once a fetus reaches a point where it would be viable outside the womb, I begin to have a problem with killing it. That's where I think this procedure is unnecessary.
In the brief research I did on this topic, I could not find one specific instance of a mother's health being brought into jeapordy. However, I'm all in favor of a stipulation in the law requiring that so long as doctors use it responsibly (and I'm talking murder trials for the ones that don't).
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It's a graphic procedure, to be sure. If a woman is going to have an abortion (for whatever reason) she will 99.9999% of the time elect to do it as early as possible. If it's personal, she'll want as few people as possible to realize she's pregnant. If it's medical, it needs to be done asap to prevent further problems. I've never heard of a case where a woman carries a baby to 8 months and then says "Ya know, I've changed my mind." If she has a 'partial birth' abortion, it would no doubt be out of medical necessity and not simply on a whim. Also note that abortion often causes fertility issues (if not complete infertility), especially if performed later on in the pregnancy. And as with any operation, there are risks to life and limb. It's not a decision to be made lightly!
If we attempt to deny women the choice (or hinder their ability to implement the choice) to make decisions about their own bodies, we'll be no better than the Third World countries we've attempted to liberate.