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gefax · 11-17-2004, 06:00 AM

1. Male, single, hetero

2. 22

3. Athiest

4. Pro choice, to an extent. Late term abortions are even less nice than early abortions.

5. Legislation in Australia currently dictates that you can abort up to the end of the first trimester (12-14 weeks into pregnancy), since at that time the embryo develops the beginnings of a spinal cord, ergo a central nervous system, the ability to feel pain, etc. After that point, either the foetus has to have a significant and incurable problem (sickle-cell, for instance), or the woman has to be at risk - either physical, financial or psychological.

I am a bit concerned with how broadly "psychological risk" is currently defined, since the late term abortion procedure strikes me as totally inhumane and has the potential to lead to 'designer babies' - ie., late term abortions upon discovering your child isn't genetically perfect (but certainly healthy enough to live), as a woman can claim psychological stress, say she'll kill herself if she carries her allegedly deformed baby to term, and bang - instant loophole. Current legislative practice pushes the 'acceptable' point frighteningly close to eugenics, in my opinion.

That said, I would probably prefer to err on the side of the life of the woman over the life of the embryo. In conclusion: early abortions I have no problem with, but if you want a late term abortion you'd better have a damn good reason for it.

6. If I loved my partner, I'd support her in her decision, whatever it might be. That said, I disagree with the women's suffrage movement as it is often explained to me - that a man should ultimately have no say in the abortion (beyond talking, of course), yet still has to pay alimony and child support if the women goes ahead without his informed consent. This strikes me, a male, as wholly unfair. Abortions, and the decisions not to have them, are two-way things.

7. Negatory. I've been careful thus far.

11-17-2004, 06:00 AM	#86 (permalink)
gefax Upright	1. Male, single, hetero 2. 22 3. Athiest 4. Pro choice, to an extent. Late term abortions are even less nice than early abortions. 5. Legislation in Australia currently dictates that you can abort up to the end of the first trimester (12-14 weeks into pregnancy), since at that time the embryo develops the beginnings of a spinal cord, ergo a central nervous system, the ability to feel pain, etc. After that point, either the foetus has to have a significant and incurable problem (sickle-cell, for instance), or the woman has to be at risk - either physical, financial or psychological. I am a bit concerned with how broadly "psychological risk" is currently defined, since the late term abortion procedure strikes me as totally inhumane and has the potential to lead to 'designer babies' - ie., late term abortions upon discovering your child isn't genetically perfect (but certainly healthy enough to live), as a woman can claim psychological stress, say she'll kill herself if she carries her allegedly deformed baby to term, and bang - instant loophole. Current legislative practice pushes the 'acceptable' point frighteningly close to eugenics, in my opinion. That said, I would probably prefer to err on the side of the life of the woman over the life of the embryo. In conclusion: early abortions I have no problem with, but if you want a late term abortion you'd better have a damn good reason for it. 6. If I loved my partner, I'd support her in her decision, whatever it might be. That said, I disagree with the women's suffrage movement as it is often explained to me - that a man should ultimately have no say in the abortion (beyond talking, of course), yet still has to pay alimony and child support if the women goes ahead without his informed consent. This strikes me, a male, as wholly unfair. Abortions, and the decisions not to have them, are two-way things. 7. Negatory. I've been careful thus far.