Vast Majority of Countries Limit Abortion After 20 Weeks

Pre-born baby at 20 weeks gestation

From Nora Sullivan, Research Assistant

Charlotte Lozier Institute

I wanted to share with you a new report authored by Charlotte Lozier Institute associate scholar Angelina Baglini and co-released today by the Lozier Institute and Life Canada finds that the United States and Canada are two of only seven in the world to permit elective abortion beyond 20 weeks.  The two nations join China, North Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, and Netherlands in allowing abortion beyond 20 weeks, more than halfway through pregnancy and the point at which research shows the unborn child feels pain.

“Our fresh review of international statutes and case law was undertaken with the knowledge that U.S. policies, set by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton in 1973, are among the world’s most permissive,” said Chuck Donovan, president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute.  “Our goal was to establish what a 20-week-limit would mean in the global context, and the news is that our nation and our northern neighbor, Canada, would still be among the top 4% in permissive law and practice if we adopted such a limit.  Laws restricting abortion on demand after 20 weeks would move the bulk of North America away from the fringe and closer to the international mainstream.”  

Please take a few minutes to read through this important new paper from our American Report Series. 

The Charlotte Lozier Institute is the education and research arm of the Susan B. Anthony List. 
The Institute brings together physicians, sociologists, statisticians, and policy researchers in a powerful new way to examine today’s most pressing human life issues.  Use this link to find more information on this organization http://www.lozierinstitute.org/