A Simple Survey

On March 13 and 14, 2012, members of Youth Protecting Youth were out distributing surveys to UVic students. Here are the answers and appropriate references.

1) When does human life begin?

a) At the moment of fertilization

“Human development begins at fertilization when a sperm fuses with an oocyte to form a single cell, a zygote(original emphasis). This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual,” (Moore and Persaud, 2013, Page 13)

b) At birth

c) When the child is no longer physically dependent on the mother

d) When the child is conscious and self aware

e) Other______________________________________

2) When does the fetal heart start beating?

a) At birth

b) Somewhere between the 24^th and 25^th week of gestation

c) Somewhere around 22^nd day of gestation

“Major changes in body form occur during the fourth week…. The heart produces a large ventral prominence and pumps blood.” (Moore and Persaud, 2013, Page 76)

d) Fertilization

e) Other______________________________________

3) During prenatal development, the pre-born human…

a) Is a part of the mother

b) Is completely independent of the mother

c) Is a unique individual, but completely dependent on the mother until around 22 weeks gestation

“Human development begins at fertilization when a sperm fuses with an oocyte to form a single cell, a zygote (original emphasis). This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual,” and “There is no sharp limit of development, age, or weight at which a fetus automatically becomes viable or beyond which survival is ensured, but experience has shown that it is rare for a baby to survive whose weight is less than 500g or whose fertilization age is less than 22 weeks.” (Moore and Persaud, 2013, Pages 13 and 94)

d) Is simply a parasite

e) Other_______________________________________

4) The Canadian Law on abortion states…..

a) All clinical abortions are illegal

b) Only clinical abortions in performed in the first trimester are legal

c) There is no abortion law in Canada. Though few doctors will perform late term abortions, abortions are legally permitted during all 9 months of gestation (Morten, 1992)

d) Clinical abortions are legal only when the mother’s life is in danger

e) Other_______________________________________

5) Every year in Canada there are approximately…

a) 2 000 000 clinical abortions

b) 200 clinical abortions

c) No clinical abortions

d) 100 000 clinical abortions

Statistics Canada 2005

e) Other________________________________________

References:

Legal Abortion in Canada. AbortionInCanada.com. Retrieved from http://www.abortionincanada.ca/history/legal_abortion_canada.html.

Moore, K., & Persaud T.V.N. 2013. The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (9^th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. Canada.