Ethical and global aspects of abortion
H. Goldstein
Copenhagen, Denmark
Abortion, legal as well as illegal, has been known from ancient times.
Probably since then pros and cons have been debated, and political as well as
religious systems have stated their points of view very often, also in recent
decades.
For several decades a variety of Western societies have allowed abortion
until a certain number of gestational weeks. The ethical questions have been
debated very strongly, and no consensus is found by all political directions.
The practice of legal abortion may vary from country to country, although the
ethical problems are the same: Is the medical doctor a murderer? Has the fetus
in utero the same legal status – and moral value – as a full born infant?
Does the pregnant woman decide alone, if she wants the child, or does the
father-in-future have some influence? Does legal and illegal abortion influence
the global demographic situation? Or can abortion be used as a tool in order to
change a demographic situation? May legal abortion be used as a tool if parents
want a boy or a girl – after ultrasound examination?
