Criminal Law Commons^™

Abortion Legislation: The Need For Reform, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Law Review

Widespread national publicity and recent state legislative activity have focused a significant degree of national concern on a serious problem of public health and morals--the question of abortion.Surveys indicate that between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 abortions take place annually--or, one abortion for every four to five pregnancies. The so-called "back-street abortionists," whether amateur or professional, each year cause the death of 5,000 to 10,000 women who are forced to seek their services. Because of the highly controversial nature of abortion, statutes attempting to deal with the problem stubbornly resist amendment despite widespread disregard of their provisions. Many hospitals permit abortions under …