"International Developments in Abortion Laws: 1977-88"

Abstract

International developments in abortion laws have been diverse but the general thrust of legislation and court decisions has been towards decriminalization and liberalization of laws and the reduction of legal barriers to access to therapuetic abortion services presented by spousal and parental authorization requirements. Most legislation has extended abortion eligibility through traditional indications such as danger to maternal health or fetal handicap but other indications have also been created such as adolescence advanced maternal age family circumstances and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection. Several jurisdictions established stages of early gestation within which abortion could be undertaken with minimal legal scrutiny. In Canada the entire prohibition of abortion was held unconstitutional for violating womens integrity and security. Under medical and public health guidance several countries have amended their constitutions to recognize and protect human life from contraception. Cyprus Italy and Taiwan have created an indication for abortion of welfare of the womens family while France and the Netherlands recognize the womens distress and Hungary cites cases where the women is single or separated for 6 months where appropriate housing is lacking or where she is 35 years or older and has had 3 deliveries. National health services and insurance schemes vary in their coverage of abortion costs but generally tend to fund the major park of lawful services. In Britain France Israel the US and Yugoslavia husbands claims to veto abortions have been rejected. Courts have also established that mature adolescents although legally minors may give autonomous consent to abortion and are entitled to confidentiality. Few countries laws define when criminal abortion liability commences or when conception occurs but the law has moved to restrict abortion in Israel Honduras Romania and Finland.