When is it too late for an abortion?

I always thought the political compromise of Roe v Wade was pretty good. Viability is the right dividing line. One might make a good case that the Supreme Court shouldn't be making political compromises, but they had it dumped in their laps and the states had screwed it up.

I don't agree with abortion except for rape (which only results in pregnancy like.. 0.001% of the time) and if the mother's life is in danger. All other times, I do not support abortions at all. Abortions should not be a form of birth control. Apparently if you're walking around having sex then it must mean you're an adult..which therefore must mean that you can take responsibility for your actions. I think it's entirely stupid that someone else must suffer because you were too dumb to use a condom or take the pill.
These are just generalizations..I always get kind of sassy with this whole abortion discussion.

If the baby has Down's or other serious birth defects, I'm alright with aborting it, because I know it takes a while to be able to know... I don't know why people do late-term abortions otherwise, though. Is it that some people just can't make up their mind?

Past 1st trimester

There's no option for 'Abortion is an issue on which I have yet to get my head sorted'.

I'm pretty sure there are only 3 TRImesters.

I would say 1st trimester for any reason, and 2nd-3rd for special circumstances (which for me would be something like severe physical or mental problems) only. I might not choose to get an abortion in certain circumstances, but I would defend another woman's right to do so. I don't feel the need to limit others' behavior based on my own feelings on the matter.

I'm pretty sure late-term abortions are very, very rare, and are mostly performed in cases where some serious problem develops. (I think even Downs is something they can identify pretty early in the 2nd trimester.) It's not like a bunch of irresponsible, indecisive women are running around aborting healthy babies in the 3rd trimester. That's just a story made up (or heavily implied) by opponents of abortion.

my acceptable time frame is: the fetus can be aborted any time up until it can survive outside of the mother and have a chance at living under any circumstance. Now, legally, that is considered to be 24weeks and i know that if a baby is born <23-24 weeks gestational age(due to preterm labor or whatever else) and/or is less than 500 grams, we do not resuscitate them. they can't survive and even at 23-24wks, the ones that do survive, do so with the majority having multiple deficiencies.
just my three cents..............

How can there be a 4th trimester???? Uhh, "tri" means 3.

I'm not a medical student, I don;'t know.

up to 18 years after the baby is born...

Abortion is murder. No one has a right to kill the unborn.

I firmly believe that abortion is murder. I only support/agree with abortion under the most extreme circumstances.

I'm fairly happy with the situation as it stands here: up to 24 weeks at the request of the woman (technically only if she is likely to suffer physically or mentally - but the interpretation of mental suffering is broad enough to allow abortion on demand), after that only where medically indicated. After birth is clearly ridiculous (unless we're talking euthanasia in cases of extreme suffering, and even then it wouldn't be defined as "abortion").

That said, I don't really think that any abortion that isn't medically indicated could really be described as "okay". I'm pro-choice, not pro-abortion. I'd like to see a lot more done to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place, to at least bring the abortion figures down.

BETTER TERMINATED THAN BEING A CRACK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a man, but, I am opposed to abortion unless there are very serious birth defects detected. Nevertheless, this is a womans choice and she is the one that must live with it.

In my perfect world, people wouldn't use it for birth control. But in the interest of stupid people everywhere not having children, I feel it should be done for this reason only in the first trimester. In case of some special circumstances, I think it should be left open to those circumstances.

Heh - 4th.

I realize why this was multi-choice. I chose two answers. But...I'm not a girl nor am I raising children. Difficult for me to share a meaningful opinion on this one.

At any point where it is safe for the woman to do so. As early as possible is clearly preferable.

Dang, I forgot about this survey (been busy with business stress). It was inspired by the Dr. Tiller case.

The 4th trimester was inspired by a Philip K. Dick story in which 12 years old (based on ability to reason, as proven by skills in Algebra) was deemed the age by which children had souls, and could no longer be aborted.

I was hoping to make my point about my personal feelings on the matter by lumping 4th trimester in with the first three.

Special circumstances, more especially medical, and stop using it as a form of birth control.

As long as it's interpretive, it's not up to me decide other peoples beliefs. It seems to me pretty obvious that unborns are still people though.

I'm guessing the women who play music to comfort their child in the womb are not the same sort who have abortions.

A bit silly, considering kids under 12 can write songs and stories, make valid arguments, and help younger kids with their homework.

Intended as much to make a point.

The dad (who can't do algebra) runs off with the kid (who was born a genius, and could do calculus by age 12) because the mother decided she wanted him aborted.

I think, rather than him making some point about the time the soul is present, that he was indicating the absurdity of creating any type of dividing point at all.

Test... seeing if a reply will clear the [1] in my Replies box.

hmm...

You mean an in-thread reply instead of replying though the replies screen? Funny, I was thinking to do exactly that test in my last post to you.

No, actually, the [1] was stuck in my reply box, until you replied again. I was trying to clear it.

Why would I know the answer to this question?

Because it's answer is determined by public opinion, of which you are part.

I do not believe in abortion except under certain circumstances, rape, incest, being very young, mothers health. I DO NOT LIKE women using abortion for birth control, or because the pregnancy is "inconvenient", she should have thought of that before she decided to go to bed and have sex. Ultimately, it's the womans responsibility.

Or, rather, it is a question to which there can never be an answer enough people will agree on for it to be a valid, democratic representation of public opinion.

I suppose not. The supreme court is only rather indirectly the result of democracy anyhow.

In situations where life is involved (abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia), it seems to me that just a majority isn't really enough to base policy on anyhow. In some cases euthanasia can be a personal decision (suicide) which I figure is someone's right if they are sound of mind, no matter what others think. In the case of abortion though, it may be the woman's body, but the life inside is still a separate being. If the woman had no say in getting pregnant, the imposition would be a different matter. Usually she does though.

That does bring up an interesting philosphical question though, and that is what abortion sentiments would have evolved if pregnancy were not the result of sex, but just a random spontaneous occurrence. Unquestionably, because of more 'divine intervention' flavor, religion would factor in even more heavily, yet at the same time the unrequested imposition aspect would factor in more heavily too. It's really tough to project what society might have evolved to feel on the matter.

~

So when is the last time Gary Numan actually recorded anything?

I don't think abortion should be allowed unless under specific circumstances.

This is nothing to do with religion, just what is morally right (again, moral in the non religious sense)

never ok but sadly sometimes has to be done