Surgical abortion at twenty weeks : is morality determined solely by the outcome ? Richard

A strong body ofopinion contends that late terminations of pregnancy are better carried out by surgical methods. We show that the suggested advantages ofgreater safety and patient acceptance are based on out-of-date or inaccurate (biased) data. The advantages ofmedical methods are, however, equally unproven. However, we argue that the adverse emotional and symbolic effects oflate surgical ternination have moralforce. We therefore contend that in the absence ofstrong patient preference, medical termination is the preferable method, and will remain of that opinion unless clear demonstration ofthe greater safety ofsurgical methods can be made at some future date.