(CNN) -- To date, Britain has avoided the politicized and polarized abortion debate that is so prevalent in the U.S. Traditionally, our political parties have seen abortion as a 'private' matter of personal and public 'health' and not a matter of rights.The law gives women no 'right' to abortion as in most Western democracies -- but, if two doctors certify that it's best for her health and well-being and the pregnancy is less than 24 weeks gestation, abortion is a legal option.
Most people support this. We want people to be able to plan their families and to support and be responsible for their children, yet we know contraception sometimes fails and people fail to use it. Abortion, as a back up to birth control, is generally seen as regrettable, but a fact of life. Even in Northern Ireland, where abortion remains illegal, it's accepted that women travel to the mainland. Read More
