quote:

The poll asked respondents to state which of six statements came closest to describing their opinion on abortion.
-- 8% of US residents chose option 1, that abortion should be available to a woman any time she wants one during her entire pregnancy;
-- 8% chose option 2, that abortion should be allowed only during the first 6 months of pregnancy;
-- 24% chose option 3, that abortion should be allowed only during the first 3 months of pregnancy;
-- 32% chose option 4, that abortion should be allowed only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother;
-- 15% chose option 5, that abortion should be allowed only to save the life of the mother; and
-- 13% chose option 6, that abortion should never be permitted under any circumstance.
The poll also revealed that only 15% of those describing themselves as "pro-choice" favored unrestricted abortion throughout a pregnancy. 71% of pro-choice respondents said they would significantly restrict abortions. Of these 43% would restrict abortion to the first trimester and 23% would restrict abortion only to cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

quote:

ORIGINAL: rgod

Thanks for the poll data. It would be interesting to see if public opinion has shifted significantly since Roe v. Wade was implemented ...

I wonder if there are legal challenges to limit abortions to only options 3, 4 and 5 (only the first trimester, abortions in the case of rape, incest, to save the life of the mother) - and that would be more successful? Kind of like inching forward on overturning Roe v. Wade.

Thanks for not turning this into an election discussion - I'm just looking for a good snapshot of what kinds of legal challenges are taking place currently!

quote:

ORIGINAL: rgod

I'm interested in learning more about what are the recent developments in the fight over abortion. What I'm really interested in are recent court rulings or legislative actions - or something similar.

Please, I'm not looking to discuss the election, political party views, who is pro-choice or pro-life - nor am I looking for any type of discussion as to why abortion is wrong or why it should be allowed.

Rather, what I'm trying to do is to simply assess where we are as a nation on this and to determine if Roe vs. Wade is any closer to being overturned today (due to different precedents that have been set) than it was in the past - based on legal developments in this area.

I'd really appreciate any links that anyone would have that could help me to understand what is happening with this!

Thanks,

rgod

quote:

Legal or Not, Abortion Rates Compare
By Elisabeth Rosenthall
Published: October 12, 2007

ROME, Oct. 11 — A comprehensive global study of abortion has concluded that abortion rates are similar in countries where it is legal and those where it is not, suggesting that outlawing the procedure does little to deter women seeking it.

..... Dr. Paul Van Look, director of the W.H.O. Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in a telephone interview. “What we see is that the law does not influence a woman’s decision to have an abortion. If there’s an unplanned pregnancy, it does not matter if the law is restrictive or liberal.”

..... The study indicated that about 20 million abortions that would be considered unsafe are performed each year and that 67,000 women die as a result of complications from those abortions, most in countries where abortion is illegal.

...... In Uganda, where abortion is illegal and sex education programs focus only on abstinence, the estimated abortion rate was 54 per 1,000 women in 2003, more than twice the rate in the United States, 21 per 1,000 in that year. The lowest rate, 12 per 1,000, was in Western Europe, with legal abortion and widely available contraception.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/12abortion.html

quote:

ORIGINAL: 47.samuel

quote:

ORIGINAL: rgod

I'm interested in learning more about what are the recent developments in the fight over abortion. What I'm really interested in are recent court rulings or legislative actions - or something similar.

Please, I'm not looking to discuss the election, political party views, who is pro-choice or pro-life - nor am I looking for any type of discussion as to why abortion is wrong or why it should be allowed.

Rather, what I'm trying to do is to simply assess where we are as a nation on this and to determine if Roe vs. Wade is any closer to being overturned today (due to different precedents that have been set) than it was in the past - based on legal developments in this area.

I'd really appreciate any links that anyone would have that could help me to understand what is happening with this!

Thanks,

rgod

*************************************************************

quote:

Legal or Not, Abortion Rates Compare
By Elisabeth Rosenthall
Published: October 12, 2007

ROME, Oct. 11 — A comprehensive global study of abortion has concluded that abortion rates are similar in countries where it is legal and those where it is not, suggesting that outlawing the procedure does little to deter women seeking it.

..... Dr. Paul Van Look, director of the W.H.O. Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in a telephone interview. “What we see is that the law does not influence a woman’s decision to have an abortion. If there’s an unplanned pregnancy, it does not matter if the law is restrictive or liberal.”

..... The study indicated that about 20 million abortions that would be considered unsafe are performed each year and that 67,000 women die as a result of complications from those abortions, most in countries where abortion is illegal.

...... In Uganda, where abortion is illegal and sex education programs focus only on abstinence, the estimated abortion rate was 54 per 1,000 women in 2003, more than twice the rate in the United States, 21 per 1,000 in that year. The lowest rate, 12 per 1,000, was in Western Europe, with legal abortion and widely available contraception.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/12abortion.html

The study puts into question many long held assumptions including that the appointment conversative justices to the Supreme Court leading to the repeal of Roe v Wade will reduce the number of abortions in America.

It would appear ready access to contraception, and not government legislation, has proven to be the most effective method of reducing the abortion rate.

How else does one explain nations like Uganda where abortion is illegal and public education focuses on abstinence having rates far in excess of countries in Western Europe - where it is legal.?

quote:

In the last days of the Republican majority in Congress, Democrats killed a bill designed to provide pain relief to abortion victims.

quote:

ORIGINAL: rgod

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses thus far. ljmaac - thanks - I was going to ask you where you get your information. I appreciate you sharing about Nathanson and lifenews.com. That is exactly the kind of information that I'm looking for. Also, thanks 47.Samuel for the article by Rosenthall. I'm not quite sure though if it will have the information that I'm looking for - but it should give me some clues as to places that I can look.

Does anyone else have information on legislative action or the current status of the abortion fight (on either side)? ljmaac - what was the bill that you were referring to here?:

quote:

In the last days of the Republican majority in Congress, Democrats killed a bill designed to provide pain relief to abortion victims.

Does anyone else have links or books that you could recommend that I read? Thanks! rgod

quote:

New SD Abortion Law In Effect

Effective Saturday, a new South Dakota state law requires doctors to notify women seeking an abortion that they are ending a human life.

The law was actually passed in 2005 and it says doctors must tell women, in writing, that abortion "will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique living human being."
---
Still, those against abortion are looking forward to November when South Dakotans will decide if they want to approve a widespread abortion ban. Their opponents are hoping that won't happen and will continue to canvas the state with pro-choice literature.

quote:

A consent to an abortion is not voluntary and informed, unless, in addition to any other information that must be disclosed under the common law doctrine, the physician provides that pregnant woman with the following information:
(1) A statement in writing providing the following information:
(a) The name of the physician who will perform the abortion;
(b) That the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate,
unique, living human being;
(c) That the pregnant woman has an existing relationship with
that unborn human being and that the relationship enjoys
protection under the United States Constitution and under the
laws of South Dakota;
(d) That by having an abortion, her existing relationship and her
existing constitutional rights with regards to that relationship will
be terminated;
(e) A description of all known medical risks of the procedure and
statistically significant risk factors to which the pregnant woman
would be subjected, including:
(i) Depression and related psychological distress;
(ii) Increased risk of suicide ideation and suicide;

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In addition, § 8(4) of the Act amended S.D.C.L. § 34-23A-1 to define “Human being” for the purposes of the informed-consent-to-abortion statute as “an individual living member of the species of Homo sapiens, including the unborn human being during the entire embryonic and fetal ages from fertilization to full gestation.” A physician who violates the Act knowingly or in reckless disregard is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. S.D.C.L. § 34-23A-10.2.