Cherrniffer first of all if you just want info for a paper just read the posts already here - they cover plenty of people opinions.
Secondly i'll repeat myself from a previous post.
At 18 years old my drink (cola if you really need to know) was spiked with rohypnol (the date rape drug). I ended up raped, although I didn't know it (and no I was not drunk and unable to remember) I found out a little later that I had been raped, went through hell, did not even know who I had been raped by. I chose then to terminate that pregnancy. It was less than 8 weeks of gestation, I didn't know if the drug could have affected the baby, I had no means of financial support. I was not on any form of birth control as I was not in any relationship and not looking for sex.
At 8 weeks the placenta hasn't yet developed, there is no neural system either.
Last year, 18 1/2 weeks into a much wanted pregnancy (3years of trying)(i'm now 26) I ended up in hospital with severe pains.
Because I had a malformed uterus the baby had ruptured through the top of my uterus and into my abdominal cavity. This resulted in an emergency hysterectomy and what technically equates to an abotion as at the time of surgury the baby still had a heartbeat. It would not have been possible to carry him to term and there was a good chance both of us could have died.
Even so, I believe abortion as birth control is wrong. It is a devastating thing to put your body through and no-one should contemplate it except in the most desperate of circumstances.
I think it should be "harder" to get an abortion, than to just walk in hand over some money and get it done.
I'm from uk and I had to be seen by 2 doctors and a psychologist to confirm that to go ahead with the rape pregnancy would have been detrimental to me and the child - and I do not resent them for that - I think that was wonderful.