Abortion and the Unwanted Child

Abortion, unwanted childbearing, and mental health

Abortion or the unwanted child: a choice for a humanistic society.

' I ''he anti-abortion movement believes that the fetus, even in its embryonic stage of development, is human life and that any deliberate termination of embryonic or fetal life constitutes an "unjustified" termination of human life—that is, homicide. Conversely, proponents of abortion deny that the fetus is human life, particularly during its embryonic stage of development, and therefore belie...

Unwanted pregnancy, mental health and abortion: untangling the evidence

Abortion policy is still contentious in many parts of the world, and periodically it emerges to dominate health policy debates. This paper examines one such debate in Australia centering on research findings by a New Zealand research group, Fergusson, Horwood & Ridder, published in early 2006. The debate highlighted the difficulty for researchers when their work is released in a heightened poli...

Failed sterilisations and the unwanted child: a new medicolegal minefield?

A recent High Court decision has held that parents are entitled, in addition to the usual costs arising from a failed sterilisation, to the reasonable costs of raising a healthy child.

Child Abuse and Abortion Availability.

“Unwanted” children may be more subject to child abuse and neglect by their parents or caretakers than are desired children, in part because such children may be born and raised in less favorable circumstances that foster maltreatment. In addition, parents may be more likely to maltreat unwanted children; sociological and medical studies suggest a link between unplanned births and subsequent ch...