1. The Politics of Abortion
Week 22 Sociology of Human Reproduction

2. Recap Considered at the social construction of families and motherhood
Considered the concepts of ‘good motherhood’ and ‘un/respectable’ users of contraception
Considered the debates around ARTs and prenatal screening and disability

3. Outline
Examine the construction of the divide between contraception and abortion
Examine abortion in the UK context
Consider wider global issues of abortion

4. What is the difference between contraception and abortion?

5. Contraception and Abortion
Historical sanctions against abortion were common
But division between contraception and abortion changes in relation to when pregnancy ‘begins’
No clear biological moment, only socially constructed explanations

6. ‘Quickening’
In the UK, before 1803, ‘quickening’ (baby moved) was the moment when pregnancy began
Actions taken to ‘bring on’
periods before then did not
constitute abortion
19th century saw a tightening of laws
both in the UK and most of Europe

7. 19th Century Abortion
Despite its illegal status, abortion continued to be common during the 19th
1898 trial of a case of blackmail where an advert for ‘women’s pills’ was placed in a newspaper and when answered the women were threatened with exposure if they did not pay
12,000 women had asked for
the pills in 2 years

8. Birth Control campaigns
The 19th century also saw the rise of birth control campaigners
They sought to tighten up the distinction between contraceptives and abortion.
To make their ideas
‘respectable’ they
argued that contraception
could reduce abortion

9. Divides today
Popular understanding today often divides contraception and abortion by sex
Contraception is before sex, abortion afterwards
But this divide is not biological based nor necessarily related to contraceptive technologies

10. Is it useful to think of contraception and abortion as two different entities or should we think of it as a continuum?

11. Abortion Law in England, Scotland and Wales
Abortion is NOT legal, it is decriminalised in certain circumstances
Abortion can be performed when 2 doctors believe
risk to the life of the pregnant woman
risk of grave permanent injury of the woman
injury to a woman’s physical or mental health
injury to the physical or mental health of any existing child(ren)
Foetus is seriously handicapped

12. Abortion Law in England, Scotland and Wales
Women have no ‘right’ to abortion
Men have no ‘right’ to prevent a woman having an abortion
Doctors can refuse to
refer women for an abortion
The Act did not apply to Northern Ireland

13. Framing Abortion Debates
1960 feminist campaigns for abortion argued for ‘a woman’s right to choose’
Medical reformers wanted to
reduce number of deaths
and permanent injury
caused by illegal abortion
Anti-abortion groups emerged from religious organisations focused on foetus as a ‘life’

14. Re/framing Abortion Debates
Since 1960s shift in tone of the abortion debate
Supporters of abortion often focus on ‘genuine reason’ rather than ‘choice’
Rape and Incest
Poverty
Foetal anomaly
To prevent backstreet abortions
Women’s autonomy less often mentioned

15. Re/framing Abortion Debates Post-abortion syndrome
More recently anti-abortion campaigners have argued that abortion is damaging for women’s health
Post-abortion syndrome
Higher risk of some cancers
No medical evidence to support these ideas, but have become powerful nevertheless
Women undergoing abortion often feel guilty because they do not feel traumatised

16. Re/framing Abortion Debates Late abortion
In the UK, current debates have focused around a category of ‘late-abortion’
Anti-abortion activists argue that the abortion limit (24 weeks) should be reduced
Linked to advances in premature baby care

17. Re/framing Abortion Debates Late abortion
Anti-abortionists aiming for restrictions as little public support for a complete ban
Medical evidence does not support the view that the foetus could generally survive before 24 weeks
Late abortions take place for several reasons including
Women not realising they were pregnant
Women taking time to decide about the pregnancy
Women being unable to access abortion earlier

18. What does changes in the framing of the abortion debate tell you about the relative success or failure of the different positions?

19. Abortion in a global context
The legal status of abortion makes little difference to the incidence
The WHO estimates that 1/5 pregnancies are ended through abortion
Abortions are more common in the developing than the developed world
But the likelihood of a woman having an abortion is about the same

20. Abortion in a global context
The WHO defines unsafe abortion as one carried out by those lacking the professional skills and/or in an unsafe medical environment
48% of abortions (19 million pa) are unsafe
92% unsafe abortions are in developing countries
68,000 women die
each year

21. Restricting abortion
What impact do you think criminalising abortion has on women?

22. Case of Nicaragua Nicaragua banned all abortion in 2006
Doctors and women at risk of prosecution
1-3 years in prison for the person who performs the abortion
1-2 years in prison for the woman
Increase in women’s deaths

23. Case of Nicaragua Deaths attributed to 3 main categories
No abortions to save the women’s life
Other obstetric emergency care stopped or reduced
Fear of prosecution preventing women from seeking treatment
Nicaraguan government has now introduced more guidance on obstetric emergences, but little evidence of operation in practice

24. Summary
The divide between contraception and abortion is socially constructed
Abortion debates are
constructed about
particular frames of reference
Globally, unsafe abortion is a major cause of women’s deaths