The compulsory counselling for me was 1 session...barely lasting 1 hour that's it. 
I don't think that's a great hardship for anyone. If your sure your making an informed 'inteleigent' choice, then can't see why you would have an issue with it.

caliandjack wrote: That's probably for me the biggest thing going against pro-lifer's is their religious stance, if they could take that out of the equation and provide unbiased information and advise, I'd be more receptive to it.

That's kind of whay I brought up this book as it's about as unbiased as you can get IMO . A very interesting read

I am totally keeping out of this debate  BUT just wondered if any of you had read Peter Singers take on the ethical dilemmas involved in abortion (amongst other things) in his book....umm I think it was 'Practical Ethics'? I might have that title wrong but it was along those lines. It covered euthanasia, vegetarianism, helping the poor, etc too from a purely ethical point of view.

WOW. It made me rethink everything I thought I 'knew' about such topics . Let's just say I agreed totally with the author on some points and felt like crap on others cos he presented a compelling view of how illogical my choices then were.

Anyway, not trying to go OT but it would be a very good read for those considering how they feel about the OP

sonne wrote: Why is it when we speak about abortion it is always the woman who gets the flak? Where is the man in this debate? Are they not responsible for the pregnancy to happen as well? Why do they get no consequences to deal with? It isn't just the woman's fault.

Thanks for pointing this out sonne, its often the absence of the male partner that forces women to make the decision to terminate.
It also seems far to easy for men to ignore their responsiblities if the woman decides not to terminate and keep the child.

The amendement to the Abortion Bill is for termination in late pregnancy past 20 weeks, while it is possible, its highly unlikely someone who doesn't want their pregnancy would get to 20 weeks without doing something about it. 

I only scraped in by a few weeks as I didn't realise I was pregnant until I was 9 weeks along.

The procedure for terminating after 1st trimester is different, it requires being induced. This is also why an anatomy scan is done at 20 weeks, as this is currently the cut off for termination.

That must have changed, as I was under general for mine at 10 weeks. But that was in the UK and 11 years ago, they may have a different system to NZ.

Terminations don't really have anything to do with mid wives, I organised mine through my GP and local hospital.

freckle wrote: Kazper - abortion is legal until 20 weeks! not just the first trimester.... beyond that is what this is addressing

This is what's currently available, it is going beyond that. 
I would be assuming that anyone terminating beyond that period would be doing it for medical reasons.
Terminating that late because you don't want the pregnancy I agree is being irresponsible.
If there are medical grounds for terminating beyond 20 weeks, then yes the process should be expediated, as the longer it takes the more harm there is likely to be to the woman.

two_boys wrote: I wasn't so much saying that abortion is used as contraception more just that the consequences of unplanned pregnancy is different to what it use to be and I believe this leads to carelessness with contraception.

Sorry but I disagree with this statement, women have been trying to give themselves abortions or seeking abortionists as long as man kind has been having sex. 

It's only really since the pill was invented that women have any real control over the use of contraceptive.

 
Adoption isn't all its cracked up to be either, thank fully we don't live in 1970 any more and women do have more options. 

Abortion is a fact of life its going to happen whether people like it or not, making it safe and accessible should be what's most important.  

There isn't the funding for the type of counselling your advocating littlebug, and its not always necessary.

The abortion as contraceptive argument doesn't hold much merit, (unless your in the camp that views the morning after pill as a form of abortion) there are probably a few cases of women who do this, not many.

For most women seeking to have an abortion its not an easy decision or a the only option to consider. I guess its like most things in life you do what's best for you.

Anyways the OP wasn't ever meant to be a debate whether abortion should be allowed, but how its accessed.

The reasons for termination are as varied as the women seeking abortions, I guess  it comes down to whose life is of more value the women's or the unborn baby.
Choosing to terminate isn't an easy decision and women who do decide to end their pregnancy should get all the support they need and not be made to jump through beaurecratic hoops to do so.  It's this part of the abortion amendedment bill I'd like to see investigated further.