(07/16/10) -

Many Britons Want Abortion Window Shortened

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Britain believe the time limit to perform legal abortions—currently set at the first 24 weeks of pregnancy—is too long, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 46 per cent of respondents say the time limit should be shortened.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Britain believe the time limit to perform legal abortions—currently set at the first 24 weeks of pregnancy—is too long, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 46 per cent of respondents say the time limit should be shortened.

Conversely, 37 per cent of respondents think the current 24-week window for legal abortions should remain in place. Only four per cent think it should be expanded.

Britain legalized abortion in 1967 through the Abortion Act. The time limit for abortions was set at 28 weeks, since doctors ruled that a foetus is viable outside the womb after that period of time.

Currently, a woman can only request an abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, provided that certain criteria are met. The limit was lowered from 28 to 24 weeks in 1990.

Last month, Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists released a study concluding that foetuses cannot feel any pain during the first 24 weeks of development, saying that they are "undeveloped and sedated."

A spokesman for the government led by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron declared: "The Prime Minister’s view is that he will be led by the science."

Polling Data

In Great Britain, it is only legal to have an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, provided that certain criteria are met. Thinking about this, which of these statements comes closest to your own point of view?

Complete Poll (PDF)