Abortion
"Abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide for fifth consecutive years in 2023." The Christian Post reporting that abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide in 2023, topping infectious diseases and cancer.
Abortion is the right of women to choose to interrupt her pregnancy. Abortion was legalized in Russia in 1920, in the United Kingdom in 1967, in the United States in 1973, in France in 1975, and in Ireland in 2018. In some countries, it was legalized very late, and it is particularly due to the controversial aspect of this act.
Can we give a woman the choice to decide if her child has the right to live ? More broadly, can we decide to "kill" a child before he even lives ?
These questions take part in a long debate, particularly for the United States. Infact, in the United States, abortion is one of the main "culture wars" (a controversial debate) which are being fought between conservatives and progressives.
History Point, during the 20th century
Roe v. Wade is a landmark decision dated 1973 by the United States Supreme Court which held that a mother may abort her pregnancy for any reason, up until the "point at which the fetus becomes viable", in effect legalizing abortion.
The fact that some people living in countries where abortion is illegal or strictly limited decided to travel to a neighboring country if they need an abortion, was caused by the different timing of authorization of countries and it was called "abortion tourism". For instance, many French women traveled to London to procure abortions between 1967, when it was legalized in the UK, and 1975, when it became legal in France.
China's one-child policy, which allowed parents to have only one child, was the most extreme example of population planning ever implemented anywhere. It was in force between 1979 and 2015 and has resulted in increase in forced abortions and female infanticide, since China's cultural traditions favour boys over girls.
In France the law Neurwith in 1967 allowed the use of contraceptives pills, and it was the first country to legalize the morning after pill in 1988.
Stakes
Why is access to the right to safe abortion an issue for women's rights but also a public health issue ?
The right of abortion is today a true stake for the rights of women but also in public health. In fact, to have the control of our body is a right. But behind this question there are different issues : the right of doing what you want on your body, the right to choose the moment in your life to have children, the right to refuse relationship or sexual relation, the right to choose your sexuality.
And behind all these rights there are also issues of public health, because abortion with no medical assistance, a backstreet abortion, is considered as dangerous for the health and even the life of the woman concerned. These cases of abortion are responsible for 5% to 13% of deaths in the world. It is frequently due to infectious diseases caused by the environment or the instruments used during the intervention of the "illegal" abortion.
We can also add that the control of abortion is a means for the government to control the number of the population, like China's one-child policy.
Last news
In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States put an end to the constitutional protection of the right to abortion, established in 1973.
In November 2023, Japan began trial sales of prescription-free morning-after pills.
Same month, same year, in Russia the right of abortion, legalized in this country for 1920, is under attack because the population is declining.
In May 2023, the Nebraska Legislature approved a 12-week abortion ban and restrictions on gender-affirming care for people younger than 19.
In January 2024, in the United States The Supreme Court allowed Idaho to enforce provisions of a strict new abortion ban that could penalize doctors who perform the procedure in emergency situations.