For some time now the Government have been toying with the idea that women should be able to go to their local GP for an abortion rather than the current system that involves two doctor's signatures (the Abortion Act of 1967).
The Government yesterday confirmed reports that trials are now taking place, testing whether abortions can safely be carried out in GP surgeries.
This pilot is testing drug-induced abortions up to the ninth week of pregnancy. As expected this has caused controversy and some anti abortion groups including Pro-Life are against the decision claiming it is just a way of cost-cutting.
According to the BBC in 2006 there were almost 200,000 abortions in England and Wales with a further 13,000 in Scotland. These may be shocking figures but many women would argue that the have good reason for wanting an abortion.
My personal opinion is that a woman should have the right to choose for herself. It is not something that a woman would make a snap decision about and it must be very difficult having to live with what they have done.
The argument that some are using is that with teenage pregnancy of the up young people are using abortions as a form of contraception! (Actually this doesn't surprise me, we live in a chav culture where binge drinking and unprotected sex is the norm). The worry is that if abortions become more accessible people will put less thought into their actions.
I'm sitting on the fence on this one, I think both sides have good reason to fight their corner. The Government trials are going ahead regardless of what people think, but at least they haven't made a snap decision without first considering the consequences which is a first for them!
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