I used to think that my feelings were fairly ambivalent about abortion, until I had to deal with my then 18yo daughter getting pregnant and deciding that she didn't want it.
By the time that she'd been through the medical and counselling process, she was 21 weeks and beyond the limit for Norfolk (15 weeks), meaning that I had to take her to a clinic in Doncaster. Of course, finding the actual place is not the easiest thing, as they are not advertised, due to the probability of the pro-lifers pitching up and causing havoc. I was shocked by the number of women/girls in the clinic and the seemingly overal blasé attitude displayed by the majority, to be honest.
She opted for the pill method, as opposed to d&c, ostensibly so that she wouldn't feel that she's killed it. As it turned out, she miscarried in the evening after taking the pill and I had the misfortune to see a totally recognisable human form aborted and had to salvage the bits for the clinic and deal with her overnight, until I could get her back to the clinic in the morning. Where, somewhat ironically, she ended up having a d&c anyway, so as to make sure that the entire lot had come out.
Probably to her mind, it made it easier, as she felt that she hadn't really been responsible for its "death"; for my part I was left totally traumatised by the whole experience. It certainly made me think more deeply about the whole issue.
I am still not with the pro-life camp, as I cannot see the point of continuing with an unwanted child, on some quasi-religious or dogmatic stance and certainly don't agree with foisting one's own beliefs on someone in such important circumstances. I don't believe that it has any "feelings" per se and is not a sentient being in the accepted sense.
As with most things human-related, there is no "right" answer. If the limit was reduced, it would only encourage more back street abortionists; conversely, a 21 week old form can survive, with medical intervention, outside the womb, these days. But I don't see the point of forcing someone to continue with a pregnancy which either through personal cirmcumstances, or choice, they don't want; and I do not think that the man should have any say in it, either.
That said, there does appear to be a flippant approach to it all by far too many people and, as someone said above, some choose to use it as a form of contraception.
Education is the key I guess and, really these days with the availability of contraception, there is no excuse for it happening in the first place. However, I can't see that changing, no matter what money and time is thrown at it: as long as humans are going to enjoy the pleasures of bonking or until someone invents the orgasmatron, this situation is going to continue to be played out, no matter what.
There's no doubt that the episode has adversely affected my relationship with my daughter, as I find it difficult even four years on, to look at her and not remember this human form swinging between her legs and her seeming indifference to it all, after the episode; there is a part of me that dislikes her for being so seemingly unmoved by it all. But then she lives in a strange world of past (possibly...) drug use and moves in an area of society that is so far removed from what I would consider to be the norm, that I would have difficulty relating to her in any event.
Two penn'orth over.