2) "Abortions may only be performed by licensed physicians"

This sounds reasonable enough at first, but a closer examination shows the following disadvantages:

Most doctors have neither the time nor the inclination to do abortions. Many have probably never had any more experience of abortion than a cursory study of it at medical school. If we train people in the special field of midwifery, why not train special auxiliary staff to do abortions?

In spite of claims to the contrary, this restriction will do little to prevent the operations of butchers and quacks, because it narrows the field too much. Women who could not get an appointment with a willing doctor in time would turn to the illegal racket for relief. The law provides for the punishment of those who practice medicine of any kind unlawfully. Illegal abortions will only be put out of business when doctors have the right to train the people they need to help them cope, and when women have the right to abortion at no more expense than other public medical care.

Looking ahead a little, this restriction would also deny women the right to use self-abortion techniques when they are perfected, which may be in the very near future.