
Replicas of human fetuses are pictured in a display with literature and fund-raising materials at the 'Vote Yes For Life' anti-abortion campaign headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 2006. - Reuters
We're back! THE STAR poll is here once again and, dare we say, better than ever. We hit the streets with all the juiciest questions about sex, obeah, music, religion and much more and now we're ready to give you the results. Prepare to be shocked and amused like never before.
The abortion debate is on once again and we made sure to get in on the action. For many years, pro-life and pro-choice activists have been at each other's throats, each group striving to make the world accept the view they defend.
We wanted to get in on the debate, so we asked :
At the present time, it is against the law for a woman to have an abortion in Jamaica unless the pregnancy seriously threatens her health. Do you think the law should be changed so that it would be easier for women to get legal abortions or should most abortions continue to be against the law in Jamaica?
Here's what we were told :
Make abortions easier 22%
Keep abortions against the law 73%
Don't Know 5%
It seems most Jamaicans are still very much against the practice of abortions, even though so many arguments supporting the
pro-choice doctrine have been put forward. Many persons believe that an abortion is the same as murder and this argument is often used to lobby for the continued criminalisation of the act.
On the other hand, many persons believe that it is a woman's right to choose what she wants to do with her body. It is also believed that in certain special cases, such as rape, abortion may be excused.
While the use of abortion as a last-minute birth control measure is not encouraged, it is understood that there are special instances where abortion is the only choice.
The poll was conducted on January 28-29 by Johnson Survey Research Limited
Sample size: 1,008 residents.