Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Blog 12: Hospital Death in Ireland Renews Fight Over Abortion


After a woman’s died whose life could have been saved by an abortion Ireland is beginning to rethink their law on the total ban of abortions. The woman’s name was Savita Halappanavar was seventeen weeks pregnant when she went to the University Hospital of Galway because she was having back pain. After examination she was informed that she was having a miscarriage and that the fetus had no chance of surviving. She requested to have an abortion but because the heart was still beating it would be illegal. Three days later the heartbeat had stopped and the fetus was removed but she had gotten the blood disease, septicemia, and never got better, she died on October 28th. Although in 1992 the Supreme Court ruled that abortion was allowed when there was a high risk the law has still not been passed.

This article is significant because it shows that although abortion is a major ethical issue in some cases it should be allowed. It should be up to the mother in the end whether or not she decides to keep her baby because it is her body. If a fetus has absolutely no chance of surviving and is putting the mother in so much health danger that she may die then the baby should be aborted. Without this law put in to place in Ireland than many women may be in the same chance that Savita Halappanavar was in and may die because they are not allowed to abort their babies when their lives are in grave danger. I believe that abortion should be legal in all countries but not everyone agrees. Abortion should at least be legal when the mother has a high risk of dying and should also be allowed when there is no way that the fetus will survive. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/world/europe/hospital-death-in-ireland-renews-fight-over-abortion.html?_r=0

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