Biomaterial Database

Legal aspects involved in the development of anti-progesterones for fertility control. 1988

I Roberts

Department of Biochemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

The development of medical means of inducing abortion requires a detailed knowledge of the abortion legislation. It is vital that these compounds are developed and used within the legal constraints of the country involved. In the United Kingdom, despite the Act of Union (1707), England and Scotland have not united under one legal system. In England the common law on abortion was superseded by the Offences Against the Persons Act (1861) which declared abortion illegal. This Act does not apply to Scotland where, up until 1967, common law applied. The Abortion Act of 1967 is an exemption act allowing abortion, under certain restrictions, to be legally performed. Whilst post-coital contraception is not covered by any of the abortion legislation, it is clear that contragestion and medical abortion is restricted by the current abortion legislation, hence medication will need to be taken in hospital.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007603	Jurisprudence	The science or philosophy of law. Also, the application of the principles of law and justice to health and medicine.	Litigation,Medical Jurisprudence,Constitutional Law,Court Decision,Law,Legal Aspects,Legal Obligations,Legal Status,State Interest,Aspect, Legal,Aspects, Legal,Constitutional Laws,Court Decisions,Decision, Court,Decisions, Court,Interest, State,Interests, State,Jurisprudence, Medical,Law, Constitutional,Laws,Laws, Constitutional,Legal Aspect,Legal Obligation,Litigations,Obligation, Legal,Obligations, Legal,State Interests,Status, Legal
D007885	Legislation, Pharmacy	Laws and regulations, pertaining to the field of pharmacy, proposed for enactment or enacted by a legislative body.	Pharmacy Law,Pharmacy Legislation,Law, Pharmacy,Laws, Pharmacy,Pharmacy Laws
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011374	Progesterone	The major progestational steroid that is secreted primarily by the CORPUS LUTEUM and the PLACENTA. Progesterone acts on the UTERUS, the MAMMARY GLANDS and the BRAIN. It is required in EMBRYO IMPLANTATION; PREGNANCY maintenance, and the development of mammary tissue for MILK production. Progesterone, converted from PREGNENOLONE, also serves as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of GONADAL STEROID HORMONES and adrenal CORTICOSTEROIDS.	Pregnenedione,Progesterone, (13 alpha,17 alpha)-(+-)-Isomer,Progesterone, (17 alpha)-Isomer,Progesterone, (9 beta,10 alpha)-Isomer
D003281	Contraceptives, Postcoital	Contraceptive substances to be used after COITUS. These agents include high doses of estrogenic drugs; progesterone-receptor blockers; ANTIMETABOLITES; ALKALOIDS, and PROSTAGLANDINS.	Emergency Contraceptive,Morning-After Pill,Postcoital Contraceptive,Postcoital Contraceptives,Contraceptive Agents, Post-Coital,Contraceptive Agents, Postcoital,Contraceptives, Post-Coital,Emergency Contraceptives,Contraceptive Agents, Post Coital,Contraceptive, Emergency,Contraceptive, Postcoital,Contraceptives, Emergency,Contraceptives, Post Coital,Morning After Pill,Post-Coital Contraceptive Agents,Post-Coital Contraceptives,Postcoital Contraceptive Agents
D004739	England	A part of Great Britain within the United Kingdom.
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000029	Abortion, Legal	Termination of pregnancy under conditions allowed under local laws. (POPLINE Thesaurus, 1991)	Abortion on Demand,Abortions, Legal,Legal Abortion,Legal Abortions
D012606	Scotland	The most northerly of the four countries of the United Kingdom, occupying about one-third of the island of Great Britain. The capital is Edinburgh.