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Ethics briefings

BMA Ethics Department: ethics@bma.org.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Abortion—Britain
October 2007 is the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act. The original Act was based on a desire to end backstreet abortions and protect women against the potential harm of undergoing them. Today, access to abortion in Britain is perceived by many as a woman’s reproductive right over her body, although the notion of "rights" is not reflected in the current legal framework. Public attitudes towards abortion are changing, and the anniversary has prompted calls for revision of the law.

Under the current legislation, in order to obtain an abortion, a woman must have a medical justification; two doctors must confirm that she meets the medical criteria, and the abortion must be administered in NHS approved premises. Suggested amendments to the original Abortion Act focus on removing the restrictions women face in accessing abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy and on reducing the current 24-week time limit.

Although some . . . [Full text of this article]