To what extent should the sanctity of life be preserved?

Life is sacred for many people practising religion especially, as life is God-given and must be preserved. For example, Roman Catholics believe every life is sacred, therefore any practise like abortion is wrong. we can see this in Northern Ireland where abortion is still currently illegal and women have to travel elsewhere to have a safe abortion. There are plenty of counter-movements against preserving an unborn life at all costs. For example, pro-choice movements argue for the woman's self-determination in relation to her body and the life isn't fully developed as an embryo.