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Abortion law

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Abortion has been a controversial subject throughout history due to the moral and ethical issues that surround it. It has been regularly banned and otherwise limited, though abortions have continued to be commonplace in many areas where it is illegal. Almost 2/3 of the world’s women currently reside in countries where abortion may be obtained on request, for a broad range of social, economic or personal reasons. Abortion laws vary widely by country, ranging from Malta, which bans abortion entirely, to Canada, which places no restrictions on the provision of abortion whatsoever. Both supporters and opponents of legal abortion believe their position addresses a fundamental human right. In the abortion debate, the perceived rights of the fetus are uniquely pitted against a woman's perceived right to control her body.

History

Abortion and contraception have been widely available throughout the history of Western Civilization, despite ethical concerns. Plato and Aristotle both argued in favor of compulsory abortion under certain circumstances, though Hippocrates expressly disapproved of the practice. Under Roman law, life was said to begin at birth. Abortions were thus legal, though regulated to protect the rights of the father. References to abortion were included in the writings of Ovid, Seneca, Juvenal and Pliny, who included a list of abortifacients (drugs that induce an abortion) in one text. Early Christian philosophers, including St. Augustine, Ivo of Chartres and Gratian, disapproved of abortion when it broke the link between the sexual act and procreation, but argued that abortion of what Ivo termed an 'unformed embryo' did not constitute homicide.

Religious authorities have taken various positions on abortion throughout history (see Religion and abortion). In 1588, Pope Sixtus V adopted a papal bull adopting the position of St. Thomas Aquinas that contraception and abortion were crimes against nature and sins against marriage. This verdict was relaxed three years later by Pope Gregory XIV, who pronounced that abortion before 'hominization' should not be subject to church penalties that were any stricter than civil penalties. Common law positions on abortion in individual countries varied significantly from country to country. English common law considered abortions before 'quickening' - when the movements of the fetus could first be felt by the mother - to be morally and legally acceptable.

Many Western countries began to make abortion illegal in the 19th century. Anti-abortion forces were led by a combination of conservative groups opposed to abortion on moral grounds and medical professionals who were concerned about the danger presented by the procedure and the regular involvement of non-medical personnel in performing abortions.

It became clear in the following years, however, that illegal abortions continued to take place in large numbers even where abortions were expressly illegal. It was difficult to obtain sufficient evidence to prosecute the mothers and doctors, and judges and juries were often reluctant to convict. For instance: Dr. Henry Morgentaler was never convicted by a jury. Many were also outraged at the invasion of privacy and the medical problems resulting from abortions taking place illegally in medically dangerous circumstances. Political movements soon coalesced around the legalization of abortion and liberalization of existing laws.

By the early 20th century, many countries had begun to legalize abortions when performed to protect the life of the mother, and in some cases to protect the health of the mother. Under Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union legalized all abortions in 1920, but this was fully reversed in 1936 by Joseph Stalin in order to increase population growth. Iceland was the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion under limited circumstances, doing so in 1935, and the earliest country to do so without recriminalizing it later. Only a handful of countries - mostly in Scandinavia decriminalized abortion before Britain in 1967. Others soon followed, including Canada (1969), the United States (1973 in most states), France (1975), West Germany (1976), New Zealand (1977), Italy (1978) and the Netherlands (1980).

Related Topics

Current Status

The following is a table of the current state of abortion law by individual countries. Actual access to abortions may vary significantly on the basis of geography, income and cost, health care, social factors, and other issues. Many jurisdictions also place other restrictions on abortion access, including waiting periods, the provision of information, the assent of multiple doctors and spousal or parental notification.

Legend

  • Yes - Legal
  • No - Illegal
  • * - Legal during 1st trimester only (exact date may vary)
  • # - Legal during 1st and 2nd trimester only (exact date may vary)
  • Restricted - Legal but subject to significant restrictions
  • Varies - Varies by region
  • ? - Information is unavailable or the law is too ambiguous


Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Afghanistan Yes No No No No No No
Albania Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Algeria Yes # # No No No No
Andorra Yes No No No No No No
Angola * No No No No No No
Antigua * No No No No No No
Argentina Yes Yes Yes ? No No No
Armenia # # # # # # *
Australia Yes Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies
Austria Yes Yes Yes * Yes * *
Azerbaijan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes *
Bahamas Yes Yes Yes ? ? No No
Bahrain Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bangladesh Yes * * * * * *
Barbados Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Belarus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Belgium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Belize Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Benin Yes No No No No No No
Bhutan ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Bolivia Yes Yes ? Yes No No No
Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Botswana Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Brazil Yes No No Yes No No No
Brunei Yes No No No No No No
Bulgaria Yes # * * Yes * *
Burkina Faso Yes Yes Yes * Yes No No
Burundi Yes Yes ? No No No No
Cambodia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cameroon Yes Yes ? Yes No No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Canada Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cape Verde Yes Yes Yes * Yes * *
Central African Republic Yes No No No No No No
Chad Yes No No No No No No
Chile No No No No No No No
China Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colombia Yes No No No No No No
Comoros Yes Yes ? No No No No
Congo (Brazzaville) Yes No No No No No No
Congo (Kinshasa) Yes No No No No No No
Cook Islands Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Costa Rica Yes Yes ? No No No No
Croatia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cuba Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cyprus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Czech Republic # # * * # * *
Denmark Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Djibouti Yes ? ? No No No No
Dominica Yes No No No No No No
Dominican Republic Yes No No No No No No
Ecuador Yes Yes ? Restricted No No No
Egypt Restricted No No No No No No
El Salvador No No No No No No No
Equatorial Guinea Yes Yes ? No No No No
Eritrea Yes Yes ? No No No No
Estonia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ethiopia Yes Yes ? No No No No
Fiji Yes Yes Yes ? ? Yes No
Finland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
France Yes Yes Yes * Yes * *
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Gabon Yes No No No No No No
Gambia Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Georgia # # # # # # *
Germany Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ghana Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Greece Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Grenada Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Guatemala Yes No No No No No No
Guinea-Bissau Yes * * * * * *
Guyana Yes * * * * * *
Haiti Yes ? No ? ? No No
Honduras Restricted No No No No No No
Hungary Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Iceland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
India Yes Yes # # # # No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Indonesia Yes No No No No No No
Iran Yes No No No No No No
Iraq Restricted No No No Restricted No No
Ireland Yes No No No No No No
Israel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Italy Yes Yes Yes * Yes * *
Jamaica Restricted Restricted Restricted No No No No
Japan # # # # # # No
Jordan Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Kazakhstan # # # # # # *
Kenya Restricted Restricted Restricted No No No No
Kiribati Yes No No No No No No
Kuwait Restricted Restricted Restricted No Restricted No No
Kyrgyzstan # # # # # # *
Laos Yes No No No No No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Latvia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lebanon Yes No No No No No No
Lesotho Yes No No No No No No
Liberia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Libya Yes No No No No No No
Liechtenstein Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Lithuania Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Luxembourg Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted No
Macedonia (F.Y.R.) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Madagascar Yes No No No No No No
Malawi Restricted No No No No No No
Malaysia * * * No No No No
Maldives Restricted Restricted No No No No No
Mali Yes No No No No No No
Malta No No No No No No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Marshall Islands Restricted No No No No No No
Mauritania Yes No No No No No No
Mauritius Yes No No No No No No
Mexico * No No * No No No
Micronesia Yes No No No No No No
Moldova Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes *
Monaco Yes No No No No No No
Mongolia Restricted Restricted * * * * *
Morocco * * * No No No No
Mozambique Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes
Myanmar Yes No No No No No No
Namibia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Nauru Restricted Restricted Restricted No No No No
Nepal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Netherlands Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Nicaragua Yes ? No No No No No
Niger Yes No No No No No No
Nigeria Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Niue Yes ? ? No No No No
North Korea Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Norway Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oman Yes No No No No No No
Pakistan Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Palau Yes No No No No No No
Panama Yes Yes No * Yes No No
Papua New Guinea * * * No No No No
Paraguay Yes No No No No No No
Peru Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Philippines Yes No No No No No No
Poland Yes Yes * * * No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Portugal * * * * * No No
Qatar Yes Yes Yes No Restricted No No
Romania Yes Yes * * * * *
Russia # # # # # # *
Rwanda Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Saint Kitts Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Saint Lucia Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Samoa Yes Yes Yes No No No No
San Marino Yes No No No No No No
São Tomé and Príncipe * No No No No No No
Saudi Arabia Restricted Restricted Restricted No No No No
Senegal Yes No No No No No No
Serbia and Montenegro Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Seychelles * * * * * No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Sierra Leone Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Singapore Yes Yes Yes # # # #
Slovakia # # * # # * *
Slovenia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Solomon Islands Restricted No No No No No No
Somalia Yes No No No No No No
South Africa # # # # # # *
South Korea Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted Restricted
Spain Yes Yes Yes * # No No
Sri Lanka Yes No No No No No No
Sudan Yes No No No Yes No No
Suriname Yes No No No No No No
Swaziland Yes No No No No No No
Sweden Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Switzerland Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
Syria Restricted No No No No No No
Tajikistan # # # # # # *
Tanzania Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Thailand Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Togo * ? ? ? ? No No
Tonga Yes No No No No No No
Trinidad and Tobago Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Tunisia * * * * * * *
Turkey Restricted Restricted Restricted * Restricted * *
Turkmenistan # # # # # # *
Tuvalu Yes No No No No No No
United Arab Emirates Restricted No No No No No No
Uganda Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Ukraine # # # # # # *
United Kingdom # # # No # # No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
United States Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Varies
Uruguay Yes Yes * * No * No
Uzbekistan # # # # # # *
Vanuatu Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Vatican City No No No No No No No
Venezuela Yes No No No No No No
Vietnam Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yemen Yes No No No No No No
Zambia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Zimbabwe Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No
Country To Protect Mother's Life Physical Health Mental Health Rape Fetal Defects Socio-economic factors On Demand
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