Almost half of Australian populace asked in a new study concerning late-term abortions said that they think the practice should be termed as unlawful.

The survey of no less than 1,000 people in the Medical Journal of Australia offered the revelation that 48% consider abortion in the third trimester should be illegal.

But less than 25% believe a doctor should be penalized for performing abortions when there is high risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or baby.

Report Author, Dr. Lachlan de Crespigny says people's outlook on abortion is based mainly on a particular situation.

Australians do consider that women should have the access to abortions, even after 24 weeks in a majority of the situation, particularly when there's some medical difficulty with the pregnant woman or the fetus, he said.

In the previous week, a major evaluation of scientific proof in the UK found that the human fetus feels no pain, prior to 24 weeks into term.

The findings are seen to be a blow to those expecting to bring reduction in the upper time limit for abortions.

The study said that late abortions, allowed for grave abnormalities or risks to a woman's health, do not result in fetal distress, due to increasing proof that the chemical environment in the uterus encourages sedation.