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Xerxes I · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:41 am Post subject: Abortion act 1967

Regarding the abortion act 1967 and its ammendments, which clause (s) if any do these cases fall under:

A: Clause A
B: Clause B
C: clause C
D: Clause D
E: Clause E
F: Clause F
G: Clause G
H: Clauses A and E
I: Clauses A and D
J: Clauses E and D
K: Abortion act not relevant
L: Does not qualify under the abortion act

Question 1
36 weeker wants a termination for a unilateral isolated finding of talipes.

Question 2
37 weeker with Edwards syndrome baby on-board confirmed with invasive testing.

salihabduallah · Century Club Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 120

drmmanish@yahoo.co.in · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 42 Location: UK

for q1 abortion act is not relevant and q2 E(permanent damage to child)
i have just checked the act.
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manish

drmmanish@yahoo.co.in · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 42 Location: UK

The Abortion Act 1967

The Abortion Act of 1967 came into effect on the 27 April 1968 and permits termination of pregnancy by a registered practitioner subject to certain conditions. Regulations under the Act mean that abortions must be performed by a registered medical practitioner in a National Health Service Hospital or in a Department of Health approved location - such as British Pregnancy Advisory Service Clinics. An abortion may be approved for the following reasons:

A The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.

B The termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

C The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

D The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of any existing children of the family of the pregnant woman.

E There is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped, or in emergency, certified by the operating practitioners as immediately necessary-

F To save the life of the pregnant woman; or

G To prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

Later in 1990 amendments to the 1967 Abortion Act came into force through the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act.

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Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (HFEA)

Section 37 of the HFEA later made changes to the 1967 Abortion Act in making the time limit of abortion 24 weeks under statutory grounds C and
D. Statutory grounds A, B and E are now without time limit.

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Recent Developments

In May 1996 'The Termination of Pregnancy Restriction Bill' was given its first reading in the House of Lords. The Bill, if passed, would have amended the Abortion Act of 1967 so that to perform terminations on the sole ground of a diagnosis of Downs Syndrome would become illegal. The Bill was introduced into the House of Lords by the Conservative Peer Viscount Brentford but a second reading was not requested and the bill never became law.

Although inconsistent and contradictory in its early legal development, the introduction of the Abortion Act of 1967 clarified the position on abortion and to this day provides the prominent statutory framework on which abortion is based.
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manish

docsubhi · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 59 Location: london

that's right but even after knowing I got the second one wrong - got confused between d and e !!!

Maud · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 73 Location: Bristol

rpwalavalkar · Teale Fenning Administrator Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 966

what did you answer Xerxes?

i agree with manish.

r
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Dr Miss. Raj Walavalkar MBBS MRCOG
TealeFenning Administrator
SR O&G Wessex Region

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:54 am Post subject:

The Abortion Act 1967

I wanted to try and simplify this so focus on the words in red and those underlined which change the importance:

A The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.

B The termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

C The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

D The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of any existing children of the family of the pregnant woman.

E There is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped, or in emergency, certified by the operating practitioners as immediately necessary ...

F to save the life of the pregnant woman; or

G to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

Not sure if that made it any easier but at least I tried!

Focus on the severity of the scenario and whose health is in danger.

Always found this difficult to do / consider.

N
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"Teale Fenning Medical Education" delivering evidence-based, exam-orientated learning since 1997

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:56 am Post subject: Re: Abortion act 1967

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:57 am Post subject:

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:01 am Post subject:

The debate Manish mentioned is very interesting and something i have questioned for years. Where do baby's with Down syndrome fit in?