Following the Department of Health's (DOH) proposal last week to make the abortion law more strict, the issue has again sparked contention and attracted attention from medical circles and social groups.
Passed in 1984, the Genetic Health Law (
Last week, the DOH proposed a revision of the law, cutting the limit from 24 weeks to 12 weeks and requiring those who opt for an abortion to undergo three days of mediation and seek counseling before the procedure can be conducted.
By making the law more stringent, the DOH hopes to counter the rising abortion rate and protect the right to life.
"In light of medical advances which allow premature babies to survive at 22 weeks, we need to rethink whether it is moral and ethical to abort fetuses older than three months," said Bureau of Health Promotion Director Lin Hsiu-jean (林秀娟).
Yet the DOH's well-intended proposal might force a rash decision on pregnant women. According to Hsu Jenn-jeih (徐振傑), secretary-general of the Taiwan Society of Perinatology, most cases of deformed fetuses or hereditary diseases are detectable only in the second trimester of pregnancy. For instance, pregnant women need to wait until the 16th or even the 20th week to know if their babies have Down's syndrome, a disease caused by an error in cell division and leading to varying degrees of mental retardation in children.
The draft also invites debate on bio-ethics. Both Lin and Hsu admitted that there is no consensus on the legal or scientific definition of the beginning of life.
"People have different opinions about whether a zygote, embryo or fetus is a human being," Hsu said.
The fetus' right to life might also conflict with the rights of women. Article 9, No. 6, of the Genetic Health Law states that women can have an abortion if pregnancy damages their mental or physical health and affects their family life. However, the legal limit on when an abortion can be performed shuts hospitals' doors for some, in which case there is the option of turning to private clinics or even unlicensed surgeons.
"I have had teenagers that have been pregnant for longer than 6 months coming to me and asking for an abortion. Yet the hospital cannot take them," Hsu said.
Others also expressed concern that lowering the legal limit for abortion could encroach on women's rights.
"Of course women have the liberty to make a choice based on what they think is an opportune moment," said Garden of Hope Foundation director Chi Hui-jung (
According to Chi, there are ways to protect women's right to self-determination and to avert reckless abortions at the same time. One of these is strengthening social support.
"In Taiwan, many of those demanding abortions are teenagers who do not practise safe sex. These teenagers need doctors' guidance and social workers' assistance. We want to make sure the decision to have an abortion is not made in ignorance or fear," Chi said.
"Our foundation has an adoption program that helps babies find homes. I believe that, in a society where children are wanted and loved, where families are strong and secure, the abortion rate will naturally drop," Chi said.
The Executive Yuan is currently reviewing the DOH's draft.
"We hope to benefit from opinions from all sides before we send the draft to the Legislative Yuan by the end of September," said Wang Je-chau (
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
A tropical depression east of the Philippines became a tropical storm early yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, less than a week after a typhoon barreled across the nation. The agency issued an advisory at 3:30am stating that the 22nd tropical storm, named Yinxing, of the Pacific typhoon season formed at 2am. As of 8am, the storm was 1,730km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, with a 100km radius. It was moving west-northwest at 32kph, with maximum sustained winds of 83kph and gusts of up to 108kph. Based on its current path, the storm is not expected to hit Taiwan, CWA
Commuters in Taipei picked their way through debris and navigated disrupted transit schedules this morning on their way to work and school, as the city was still working to clear the streets in the aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey. By 11pm yesterday, there were estimated 2,000 trees down in the city, as well as 390 reports of infrastructure damage, 318 reports of building damage and 307 reports of fallen signs, the Taipei Public Works Department said. Workers were mobilized late last night to clear the debris as soon as possible, the department said. However, as of this morning, many people were leaving messages
A Canadian dental assistant was recently indicted by prosecutors after she was caught in August trying to smuggle 32kg of marijuana into Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Aug. 4 after arriving on a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧), a squad chief in the Aviation Police Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, told reporters. Customs officials noticed irregularities when the woman’s two suitcases passed through X-ray baggage scanners, Chang said. Upon searching them, officers discovered 32.61kg of marijuana, which local media outlets estimated to have a market value of more than NT$50 million (US$1.56
RSS