Better safe than sorry?

A few days ago my husband and I watched a documentary about abortion and abortion laws in the UK. The angle was that it's now being debated in the UK wether or not to change the time limit that is set for when you can and can't do an abortion. The reason for this debate is different opinions about when the baby/fetus can feel pain.

Today, in the UK, you can do an abortion up until week 24 in your pregnancy. In Sweden abortion is free until week 18. After that you need permission from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). That board only give permission for an abortion later than week 18 if it's determined that the baby will not survive, will be a very handicapped child, if the mother is very ill or if there are difficult social circumstances. And the board is never allowed to give permission for an abortion if there is a chance that the baby could actually survive if born at that moment. This is considered being in and around week 22.

As I mentioned above the documentary was about when the baby/fetus can feel pain. Some people claim that the baby can't feel pain until in week 26, which is why abortion in a pregnancy that is as far gone as week 24 is considered okay.

Others claim that there is a big chance that the baby/fetus can feel pain on and off as early as in week 17. And because of that they consider abortion after this stage inhumane, as it's painful for the baby/fetus.

The documentary touched me. I guess it would be strange if it hadn't, especially as I'm carrying a baby that is now 20 weeks and a few days old. The documentary showed a healthy and happy baby, born prematurely in week 22. Just a few minutes later an aborted 24 weeks old fetus was shown.

It really does make you wonder "when is there life?" And being pregnant you start thinking about the fact that you consider your own fetus/baby being a life, an individual, while technically it's still legal to abort her.

Although, as I said, the documentary was not about that, and I'm glad it wasn't. We've heard way to many debated about that and the question is a very emotional and difficult one.

But what is easier to discuss, I think, is this issue about pain. If there is a risk that the fetus actually do feel pain in week 17, even if it's just a tiny risk, why not apply the well known phrase "better safe than sorry"? Why not lower the limit to week 16? I know that sometimes there is bureaucracy that could make the pregnancy being far gone before there is a possibility for abortion. But shouldn't then the slow bureaucracy be taken care of instead?

I am pro abortion. I think that women should have the right to decide over their own body. That doesn't mean though, that I think abortion is a good thing. I believe/guess that it's often a horrible experience for both the mother and father involved.

Therefore I feel that information and availability when it comes to contraception never is good enough, always should be a priority.

When it comes to the limit for abortion I leave that to the experts, and hope that they will come to a conclusion that involves lowering the limit IF proof shows that there could be a risk of pain, for the fetus, when being aborted.