A Brief Introduction to Medical Practice and Public Policy in Abortion Publisher



Bagheri A¹
Source: Abortion: Global Positions and Practices# Religious and Legal Perspectives Published:2021

Abstract

Abortion, a multi-dimensional moral, legal, sociological, philosophical, and psychological question has seized the interest of academics, lay persons, religious groups, activists, and policy makers alike. With more than 55 million abortions each year, which includes 25·million unsafe abortions, the magnitude of abortion and its health-related problems have been acknowledged worldwide. This unsolved issue, however, cannot be reduced to the mere questions of women's rights and self-determination or the moment that human life begins. The moral question of abortion cannot be addressed in a vacuum; there are medical, philosophical, socio-cultural, and legal questions pertinent to the abortion problem. In light of the diversity of values in pluralistic societies as well as the different interpretations of divine laws in religious societies, it is difficult, if not impossible, to come to a unified answer to the moral question of abortion and to develop a policy which would satisfy everyone in the society. This chapter presents the most up-to-date medical facts about abortion and its psychological effects on women. It outlines some existing public policy options in regulating abortion. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.