What are the laws on abortion in other countries?

[redqueen]

I was told that there are more restrictive laws in the UK but so far haven't found confirmation. (There's a TON of abortion related info on the net!) Same for Japan. I'm curious to know if they are in fact more restrictive and interested if so in the reasons why.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. :)

[Nederland]

1. Link

Its interesting that Europe, which most people think of as being more liberal than the US, actually has many more restrictions on abortion than the US.

This link has some good info:

http://www.ippf.org/regions/europe/choices/v28n2/legislation.htm

<snip>

The majority of the countries where abortion is available on request have a gestational limit, usually of 12 weeks. There is, however, no uniformity in the way this limit is calculated. It can be calculated from the last menstrual period, or from the estimated day of the conception.

The gestational limit, calculated from the last menstrual period, is 12 weeks in 17 of the countries with the most liberal laws. It is 14 weeks in another five countries, 10 weeks in France (a draft law extending the period to 12 weeks will be discussed by the French National Assembly by the end of the year), 90 days in Italy, 18 weeks in Sweden, and 24 weeks (or fetal viability) in the Netherlands. Most of these countries permit abortion even after the legal gestational age, but only in specific circumstances, and/ or with additional requirements. For example, Belgium, France and Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) permit the procedure at any time to protect a woman's life or health or because of fetal impairment.

<snip>

[redqueen]

2. Thanks Nederland

that was fast...

[Nederland]

3. I've used that link before

and had it bookmarked :)

[formernaderite]

4. Most European countries have no true separation between church and state..

...the state actually collects the tithing for the churches from your paycheck. The church although in the background on policy, does still exert influence.

[redqueen]

5. Whaaaa?

How is this possible? 'the churches'? They collect and distribute to every church, then?

Amazing!

[formernaderite]

7. No...to organized religious organizations....

you have to be a member of a governmentally recognized religious institution...if you don't wish to pay tithing, you must officially step out of the catholic church for example. I don't know how they disperse funds regionally or locally, I imagine the official religious institutions do this, and additional funds are raised locally. It's very archaic to say the least. I know this specifically for Germany, I have a cousin who married a german. He and his wife balked at the 10%, but she didn't want to officially leave the church to avoid the tax.

[Kellanved]

8. It is actually part of the Separation of Church and State

and not proof to the contrary. The Churches had were own parties and were bought out of it by this arrangement.

Taxes are collected by the states, but the arrangement is Federal. The Catholic Church, the Federation of Protestant Churches and the Central Jewish Council are currently party to the contract.

The Catholic Church had a rather interesting stance in Germany. They used to offer council to pregnant women. The point about this is, that having been to a Councilor is needed to get an abortion granted. Well, the pope forced the German bishops to stop the practice.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Specifically for Britain

"In England, Wales and Scotland abortion is legal under 24 weeks of pregnancy if two doctors agree that it is necessary for one of the following reasons:
* having the baby would harm the woman's mental or physical health more than having the abortion. This involves the woman explaining how she feels about the pregnancy to a doctor.
* having the baby would harm the mental or physical health of any children she already has.

An abortion is also legal at any time in pregnancy if two doctors agree that:
* the abortion is necessary to save the woman's life or prevent serious permanent harm to her mental or physical health
* there is a high risk that the baby would be seriously handicapped."

http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=1451

Since pregnancy and childbirth remain physically riskier than a controlled abortion to a woman, then 2 doctors who support abortion can always give the OK for an abortion when the woman wants it, up to 24 weeks. The limit of 24 weeks is used because that is held to be the time at which the foetus is viable outside the womb - it used to be 27 weeks, before advances in neonatal care.