The International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994 and the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 specifically addressed reproductive rights and reproductive health, including unsafe abortion. While the documents adopted at these conferences are not binding under international law, they embody globally accepted policy norms and recommendations. The growing international consensus in favor of abortion rights is evident at both the international and national levels. The following summary of the abortion laws of 12 nations places Roe in its historical context, highlighting reforms that preceded, coincided, and followed Roe and identifying countries in which reform has not yet occurred. Since 1953, China's abortion policy has reflected the national objective of curbing population growth.
Abortion is generally available at the woman's request during the first six months of pregnancy.
The United Kingdom was one of the first countries in Europe to liberalize its abortion law. The Abortion Act recognizes social and economic grounds for abortion by providing for consideration of the woman's actual or reasonably foreseeable environment when evaluating the potential threat to her mental health. The Abortion Act further provides tthat physicians should consider the risks to the mental or physical health of the woman's existing children. An abortion may be performed at any time when necessary to prevent a grave, permanent injury to the woman's health, to avoid a risk to the woman's life, or in the case of severe fetal impairment. A medical practitioner who determines in good faith that the abortion is immediately necessary to save a woman's life need not seek the approval of a second practitioner before performing the procedure.