Let’s Set the Record Straight on Abortions in Late Pregnancy

Photo by Jake Melara on Unsplash

As the topic of abortion later in pregnancy has risen to the top of news cycles, many people express disgust at the idea. Even some who support abortion generally are confused about abortions that happen later in pregnancy. President Trump’s comment earlier this year stating that “Democrats are also pushing extreme late-term abortion, allowing children to be ripped from their mother’s womb right up until the moment of birth,” has enraged even more people. We have been misled by much of the reporting. Rather than presenting facts, emotional appeals based on imaginary scenarios are cast about with no basis in reality. So let’s set the record straight. According to Roe v. Wade, a fetus can be aborted up to the time when it is viable outside the womb, not a specific number of weeks of gestation because viability can vary. After viability, a doctor is permitted to abort a fetus if “necessary, in appropriate medical judgement’’ to preserve the life or health of the woman. On the same day they decided Roe, The Court also decided in Doe v. Bolton, that clinical judgment “may be exercised in light of all factors — physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age — relevant to the well-being of the patient.” The Court was saying that abortions should be limited after viability but gave the decision-making power to the woman and the physician. Abortions that…