An abortion clinic in Colorado that for more than 50 years served people who looked to terminate their pregnancies in the second or third trimester quietly closed last month.

To fellow travelers, Hannah Brehm likely looked like she was taking a belated babymoon well into her third trimester.

But she and her husband had received a crushing diagnosis: Their baby’s brain was not developing properly, upending their wanted pregnancy. Medical experts warned moving forward would likely mean her son would know only pain and suffering. The Minnesota couple wasn’t going to take that chance.

Instead, they went to Colorado, where for decades the Boulder Abortion Clinic served as a resource for women who looked to terminate their pregnancies in the second or third trimester because of medical reasons, like Brehm, or other circumstances.

After more than 50 years, that clinic quietly closed last month, leaving the U.S. with just a handful that offer abortions after 28 weeks into pregnancy — many on a case-by-case basis.

  • TeoTwawki@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    27 days ago

    I’m genuinely curious, when in development do you think consciousness begins?

    For you, does this have anything to do with human life being special or sacred, or having a soul?

    I’m not looking to mock or provoke, I’m just curious because I’ve seen people place importance on the life or dna of the fetus being human or importance on when the brain forms, or when the heart starts beating. People have a wide variety of opinions on both when life starts and on when personhood starts, and the criteria they use for each. I think discussing these things objectively could help reduce internet arguments on the topic, but only if people have good faith discussion. I realize that is tough to do these days.

      • TeoTwawki@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        27 days ago

        Personally my own line of thought is I wasn’t a person until at a minimum the first bit of brain was there, and I want more research on consciousness to figure out how much it took for me to have a concept of “me”, and I figure before that I was no more a person than my mom’s liver is. But I recognize not everyone is going to agree with that. But if you think there is a person from the moment a unique dna sequence is formed, it is easy to see how you can have your perspectives on the subject of abortion. I may not agree, but I understand better.