ABSTRACT
Traditional expectations in many cultures that there be some period of time between meeting, indicating a decision to enter a long-term or permanent relationship and making a long-term commitment no doubt sought to ensure that individuals did not make long-term commitments solely on the basis of the emotional experience of being newly in love. Meeting a potential new partner can challenge deeply ingrained beliefs and throw up questions about one's own identity and the nature of relationships. Infertility can bring a sense of failure to those who have always expected that they would eventually become parents, particularly once they were in a committed relationship. Abortions have been available to fertile women of all ages throughout history, and along with contraception and infanticide have contributed to regulating fertility and limiting family size, with the relative acceptance of these practices varying between times and places.
