More than two-thirds of doctors want a clearer definition of serious handicap and abnormalities which justify a late abortion.
The survey of 500 medics for ITV1's Tonight With Trevor McDonald programme showed that 72% wanted clear guidance from the Government to help them decide whether to perform late terminations on grounds of disability.
It follows controversy over an abortion carried out on a foetus with a cleft lip and palate, highlighted by Anglican curate Joanna Jepson.
The Crown Prosecution Service is currently deciding whether charges should be brought against the doctors involved in the operation on the 28-week-old foetus.
Doctors can currently carry out terminations beyond the 24-week limit if they believe the baby's handicap is severe enough or the mother's life is at risk.
They now want the abortion laws to be made more specific.
The survey, conducted by Hospital Doctor magazine, found that 89% of doctors said they would be more cautious about approving late terminations if the doctors in the Jepson case were eventually prosecuted.
Fewer than one in 10 (9%) thought that a cleft lip and palate was sufficient justification for a late termination.
This compared to 53% who thought that Down's syndrome and 59% who thought spina bifida were genuine causes for a pregnancy to be terminated.
The doctors were split on whether late abortions were too easily available in the UK - 36% said they were and 34% said they were not. The majority (52%) believed there would be a rise in "back street" abortions if it became harder for patients to gain legal approval for late terminations.
I can't believe a women aborted her child at 28 weeks because of a cleft lip and pelatte. In today's world with all our medical stuff, a cleft lip and palette is nothing. It can be fixed in a heart beat and probably 99% of people born with this problem can go on to live totally normal lives. That's insane.
But on the other hand, at least this case has brought to light the fact that Doctor's in the UK don't have clear guidelines on what exactly constitutes a legal abortion for health reasons. I think guidelines are certainly needed.
THAT IS INSANE-i need to ask you something then schmiggens, if my friend is only 2 months and were tryna hide it past the abortion stage, how much longer is that? and when will she start showin?
Umm, if your friend is two months pregnant, then she still has about one month in which to get an abortion, I think. But the laws are different everywhere so she should go to a family plannning clinic or her local GP for more information.
Most baby bellies start to show at about 3 months I think but I guess it varies as to how many babies you're carrying and how big they all are.
I don't know if I am really the right person to ask.
10-01-2004 06:09 AM
I don't know if I am really the right person to ask.
