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Abortion is the action of terminating a pregnancy so that there is no birth. Abortion used to take place in the ancient times and crude, painful and uncouth methods used to be used to conduct the action. They included administration of abortifacient herbs, submission of pressure to the abdominals to squeeze the fetus out, use of sharpened gadgets and other crude techniques that depended on the cultural precedence like engaging in strenuous labour, lifting heavy weights, fasting and lying on a heated coconut shell just but to name a few. Abortion in America: It has been documented that almost half of American women have terminated at least one pregnancy and many others have done more than once. In America, the first statutes regulating the practice of abortion were passed around the 1820s and 1830s. They were not really abortion laws but poisons control laws that banned the sale of abortifacients. This however did not control the abortion business as it continued booming. The most famous practitioner of the same was Madame Restell who had a 35 years experience despite it not being legal. The American Medical Association, a professional move, helped to criminize abortion in the country since midwives and knowledgeable laypeople were the one’s conducting the procedures. Anti-abortion sentiments were associated with natives, anti Catholics and anti-feminists. Immigration mainly by Catholics and nonwhites increased while native white’s birth rates declined. In 1888, an expose by the Chicago Times showed that doctors in the American Medical Association, the move that criminalized abortion, were conducting abortion. Head of Chicago Medical Association was exposed. This did not yield any gain as less action was undertaken to doctors who conducted it. They were arrested only if the woman died. From there on, moderate reforms were done basing their arguments on these exceptions; on instances or rape, incest, risk to physical or mental health. In 1970, New York State decriminalized abortion and many women travelled to seek for safe abortion procedures. In 1971, it was reported that mortality rate in New York declined by 45%. The turning point in public health policy was observed in 1973 in the Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade. A 21 year old Texas lady, Jane Roe, represented all women who wanted termination of pregnancy but could not get them legally and securely. The Supreme Court ruled that the woman had rights to decide whether to have children and gave the woman and doctor rights to make that judgment without the state’s intrusion. British Brief History: Offences against the Person Act made the use of poison or any instrument to result to a lady miscarrying illegal in 1861. Abortion was outlawed regardless if it was conducted by a doctor, midwife or a nurse. In 1938, Dr Alec Bourne gave himself up to the police after performing abortion on a 14 year old who claimed to have been raped by soldiers. He was acquitted on the basis that the girl would have been a mental wretch if it wasn't for the abortion procedure conducted. Britain cases of abortion increased after the Bourne case citing defense on the woman’s physical and mental health. Abortion Act was passed in 1966 which allowed abortion if two doctors had evaluated and signed that they found it worth being conducted. Grounds that were found justifiable were; if continuing the pregnancy would prove to be of greater risk to the mental and physical health of the woman and if there was a possibility that the child would be disabled. In 1929, Infant Life Act was placed and it stated that no unborn child would be killed who is 'capable of being born alive'. This was regarded as the 28th week pregnancy. Abortion became even rampant as doctors claimed and justified it citing disabilities such as spina bifida and cleft palate deserving late term abortions. These are just but sampled instances in the world regarding the abortion procedure that may have opened up the world to it continued practice. The fact is that with time, safe and more efficient methods of practicing it have been developed making it safer and less strenuous and with less side effects than in the early years.
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