When Is Termination of Pregnancy during the Third Trimester Morally Justifiable?

Abstract

The question whether to terminate pregnancy during the third trimester involves a moral conflict. We argue that such termination is morally justifiable if two conditions are fulfilled: first, that the fetus is afflicted with a condition that is either incompatible with postnatal survival for more than a few weeks or characterized by the total or virtual absence of cognitive function; and second, that highly reliable diagnostic procedures are available for determining prenatally that the fetus fulfills either of the two parts of the first condition.