1. The Abortion Debate This debate has two sides: In favour of allowing women the choice to have an abortion is the PRO-CHOICE lobby. Very much against the concept of allowing abortion are the PRO-LIFE lobby.

2. PRO-LIFE

3. The best known pro-life group in Britain today is LIFE- a charity and advice service for women contemplating an abortion. This group fights legislation that encourages abortion and gives women advice about other options, such as adoption.

4. In the US, some extremist pro-life groups have taken to using violence and intimidation to stop abortions happening. On rare occasions doctors and nurses have been killed. killed

5. Religious groups are often linked with charities and organisations that oppose abortion. The Rev’d Joanna Jepson for example, tried to have a British court declare that a ‘cleft palate’ was not a legal reason to allow a late (post 24 week) abortion. She opposes all abortion. Though not all Church of England priests think like her.

6. Pro-Choice Everybody regrets that there is a need for abortion, but these groups, most famously BROOK and the MARIE STOPES organisation, uphold the rights of women to seek an abortion should they wish, and tell women how to go about getting one. In many cases these are advisory and counselling groups. They put all the options before a woman.

7. Lots of information is available on- line…

8. The Middle Ground? Some people believe that abortion is not a desirable thing, but- In some cases e.g. rape or serious risk to the mother abortion is the lesser of two evils. It is ultimately a woman’s right what to do with her body and can the state really force her to carry a child to term? Despite this, these moderates see the huge increase in abortions in the UK as a sign that we now have “abortion on demand”, and this should be stopped.

9. Recent debates on the issue In the last General Election all three party leaders came out as believing that the latest abortion time (24 weeks) should be brought down to take account of the advances in medical technology. 20 weeks has been suggested.