The Human Drama of Abortion: A Global Search for Consensus

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The Human Drama of A Global Search for Consensus Aníbal Faúndes and José S. Barzelatto Deeply touched by the tragedies of botched abortions that they witnessed as medical students and young physicians in Chile in the 1940s and later around the world, the authors have attempted in their professional lives and now in this book to establish a framework for dialogue to replace the polarization that exists today. The Human Drama of Abortion rejects the idea that the world is made up of only two types of people—those in favor of abortion and those against abortion. The authors of this ground-breaking work have found that the great majority of people believe that a world without abortion would be a better place for everybody, but at the same time accept that an induced abortion can be a moral decision under certain circumstances. Doctors Faúndes and Barzelatto, physicians with decades of first-hand experience, hope this accessible account of abortion practices and ethical issues around the globe will help promote and implement the social changes that are known to reduce the incidence and the consequences of induced abortions. “Those who go through the pages of this easy-to-read book, will see that, despite existing strong differences of opinion, it is possible to agree about some basic principles that could allow us to reach an ‘overlapping consensus.’ Putting into practice the basic elements of this consensus will minimize the suffering that so many women have to endure each day in every corner of the world.”—Isabel Allende "This book should be obligatory reading for any person that wants to have an opinion about abortion. And everybody should have an opinion, because abortion can affect us all, directly or indirectly, whether we want it to or not.”—Carmen Barroso, International Planned Parenthood Federation Director for the Western Hemisphere. Vanderbilt University Press Nashville, Tennessee 37235 www.VanderbiltUniversityPress.com Faúndes and Barzelatto    The Human Drama of Abortion A Global Search for Consensus Vanderbilt Abortion 101 —an objective, accessible account of abortion practices and ethical issues around the globe Cover design: Gary Gore Printed by LSI ™xHSKIMGy515254z abor tıon The late José S. Barzelatto, formerly Vice President of the Center for Health and Social Policy, served from 1985 to 1989 as Director of the UNDP/WHO/World Bank Special Program for Research and Training in Human Reproduction and from 1989 to 1997 as Director of the Reproductive Health and Population Program of the Ford Foundation. Aníbal Faúndes is Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Campinas, SP, Brazil, and Senior Researcher at Cemicamp, an internationally renowned center for research in reproductive health. He is currently Chair of the Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Rights of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. ISBN 0-8265-1525-8 The Human Drama of Abortion A Global Search for Consensus The Human Drama of Abortion A Global Search for Consensus Aníbal Faúndes José Barzelatto Vanderbilt University Press Nashville © 2006 Vanderbilt University Press All rights reserved First Edition 2006 10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5 Printed on acid-free paper. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Faúndes, Aníbal, 1931– [Drama do Aborto. English] The human drama of abortion : seeking a global consensus / Aníbal Faúndes, José Barzelatto.— 1st ed. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8265-1525-8 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 0-8265-1526-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Abortion—Cross-cultural studies. 2. Pregnancy, Unwanted— Cross-cultural studies. [DNLM: 1. Abortion, Induced. 2. Family Planning Services. 3. Health Policy. 4. Pregnancy, Unwanted. 5. Women’s Rights. HQ 767 F258d 2006a] I. Barzelatto, J. (José) II. Title. HQ767.F38 2006 363.46—dc22 2005028168 To Ellen and Juanita, our lifetime companions, who helped us understand what it means to be a woman in today’s world. ...