Fetal Pain and Abortion
Scientific research generally indicates that the fetus is incapable of feeling pain until at least the 24th week. Many pro-life activists strongly believe in the ability of a fetus to perceive pain, and have introduced legislation in line with this belief. However, fetal pain is not a major legal issue in the debate about abortion, and has not been a deciding factor in any US Supreme Court decision, including the 1973 Roe v. Wade.
Such legislation, if passed would likely affect a very small percentage of abortions, as most are performed before week 20.
Read more about this topic: Neonatal Perception
Famous quotes containing the words pain and/or abortion:
“Happiness does not await us all. One needn’t be a prophet to say that there will be more grief and pain than serenity and money. That is why we must hang on to one another.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)
“If the vice president thinks it’s disgraceful for an unmarried woman to bear a child, and if he believes that a woman cannot adequately raise a child without a father, then he’d better make sure that abortion remains safe and legal.”
—Diane British (b. 1948)