Responsible Reproductive Choice in the 21st Century

This book systematically traces the development, significance, and implications of female reproductive choice. Paramount is the right to safe termination of pregnancy (TOP). In the USA, these rights are under threat after the reversal of Roe v Wade (1973), confirming the eternally contested nature of the pro-life/pro-choice standoff. The approach is unique and from all angles – historical, social, emotional, and legal. South African experience is evaluated against a global backdrop.

Arguing from an ethics of responsibility, the book presents a justified, balanced, rational, and moderate position on the moral acceptability of TOP. It proposes that the morality TOP be evaluated by balancing inherent foetal moral significance against contingent potentiality: context and circumstance that may determine foetal development.

TOP is a choice a woman faces with each pregnancy. It always has moral implications – exclusive to the life of the woman. So, too, do continued pregnancy and parenthood, but these are of greater magnitude and duration.