# "Partial-Birth Abortion": morally the same as any other abortion method **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 18, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partial-birth-abortion-morally-the-same-as-any-other-abortion-method/473357 "2008-11-18T21:17:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partial-birth-abortion-morally-the-same-as-any-other-abortion-method/473357/121 "2008-12-01T23:08:32Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Or wanted to abort? I have no cite at this time but I’ll check. I would assume it’s extremely rare but it’s part of what the discussion of late term abortion is about. Since we were having a general discussion I didn’t assume any parameters on your earlier statement. You assume it is extremely rare, my assumption is that there has never been an abortion done on a healthy fetus that could live outside the mother without medical intervention. If for no other reason than I doubt any doctor would do it. It also defies logic - why go thru eight and 3/4 months of pregnancy and then suddenly decide to abort with no reason? > [@](#): > > A premature birth requires some medical intervention. A premature birth is generally done without a choice - the baby is born because there is nothing else to be done. In such cases, the mother almost always wants it and is willing to pay the price. > [@](#): > > In other words the line is clear to those who agree with you. Actually, no on two levels. One is that it isn’t just me that puts the line there, which is why late term abortion is still legal. Also, my personal beliefs go much further than this particular line, I just feel it is a logical one to adopt. > [@](#): > > Does abortion profoundly affect the father? The grandparents? Does the loss of potential life affect society as a whole? It might, but certainly no where near the level is affects the woman. Women are not incubators made of meat. > [@](#): > > I’ve already said that the issue is complex precisely because it concerns the rights of the woman, the question of rights for an unborn child, and the obligations of society to define who has what rights. Call it what you want but it still boils down to whether or not you want to choose to view the woman as less important than a potential person. > [@](#): > > To clarify for me, this healthy fetus has rights while it’s still in the mother, or only once it’s born? For me, only once it is born. However, I personally wouldn’t have a problem if the law could somehow be passed that if the fetus is capable of living outside the woman and someone else wanted to pay for it, it could be extracted by whatever means (induced or c section) whenever the woman wanted. This would cover terminating the pregnancy whenever the woman wanted to and also her not being responsible for a baby she doesn’t want. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partial-birth-abortion-morally-the-same-as-any-other-abortion-method/473357.md?page=6)