- Published: November 16, 2021
- Updated: November 16, 2021
- University / College: University of Toronto
- Language: English
- Downloads: 32
Abortion is the practice of discontinuing pregnancy by opting to remove the fetus before it reaches the stage of birth. Some women can experience abortion unexpectedly through miscarriage while others do it deliberately, which is termed as an induced abortion. People hold varied opinions concerning abortion. Abortions are common activities in the U. S. as statistics has shown that out of 10 women, three of them have had an abortion before they reached menopause. People who advocate for abortion state that the procedure is done before the fetus develops into a real human while those who oppose the practice perceive it as killing of an innocent fetus. Abortion has its advantages and disadvantages depending on why it should be carried out.
Pros and Cons of Abortion
Abortion could be a better option in some medical situation where the life of the mother is at stake. Sometimes, medical emergencies may compel a woman to turn into abortion. Medical professionals may advise a woman to undergo the procedure to save her life rather than die as she delivers a child. It appears more rational to save the mother than letting both of them die. Where it is permissible, abortion is among the safest procedures that medical professionals undertake with precision.
Victims of rape may be allowed to carry out an abortion, especially if they are minors, which would save them from experiencing mental or psychological tremor owing to the rape experience. It would be unforgivable to allow a young girl who has undergone a traumatizing ordeal to bear a child who would be illegitimate. Some minors who have been impregnated through rape may not be ready to raise a child, hence, should be allowed to carry out an abortion. Where abortion is permitted, women are allowed to obtain it as long as they could convince doctors that they have certain conditions and that abortion is the best option for their physical and mental health (Siegel 1366).
However, abortion should not be permittedsince it is a form of murder, which degrades the value of human life. People who advocate for abortion may argue that a fetus is not a real child, but this is just an excuse for their heinous act. Killing a fetus is not different from killing a real baby. Even though advocates of abortion do not term abortion as murder, the act devalues human life as women can agree to get rid of a fetus for being inconvenienced.
Women who have carried out abortion usually suffer from psychological damage due to the experience that comes along with the exercise. Many women, particularly those who perform an abortion during their youth, usually end up living a regretful life throughout their lifetime. Some women may not perceive abortion as murder in their early years, but they may begin seeing it as they mature.
Why People Have Abortions
Women procure abortion for various reasons though all the reasons that they offer are personal. The most common reason why many women perform abortion is birth control failure. Most women choose to end the pregnancy because the contraceptive method that they used failed, leading to unwanted pregnancy. The underlying reason for choosing contraceptive method is the financial burden that would result from having a baby. Some women argue that it would be better if a child is aborted before being born than to give birth to a child and later neglect one.
Some women undergo tests to check whether the child that they are carrying is healthy without birth defects. The current technology can allow doctors to detect diseases in unborn babies. Some defects can be recognized during the second-trimester, and they may give women a logical reason for ending the pregnancy. Besides, women who get pregnant through rape or incest may seek to end such pregnancy through abortion.
Some countries have opted to legalize abortion because they fear that if they do not, the process would be carried out secretly by unqualified individuals, which could result in death of the victims. It would be better if the procedure is carried out in an open manner as doctors can be sued if they conduct the procedure inaccurately. States also want to give women rights to what they wish to do with their life. Women believe that state has no right to force them to produce life that could become a burden to the family as well as to the country.
Why People Do not Believe in Abortions
Religious people perceive abortion as murder despite of it being legal in some countries. They believe that life begins at conception, and anyone who interferes with the pregnancy is against the nature’s process. In countries where abortion has been prohibited, the ban is done based on the misuse of procedures utilized to secure abortion (Sumner 3). Other countries have further decriminalized the act but have offered an exception where the medical procedure could be carried out by a licensed physician within a licensed facility. Abortion can expose women to more healthy risks such as infections, loss of fertility, and even death. Additionally, people believe that women who perform abortions are immoral as they engage in sexual intimacy without protection.
My Feelings Concerning Abortions
My opinion on abortions is that it should be made illegal except in a situation where the life of the mother is in grave danger if she continues with the pregnancy. Abortion can be equated with murder. The life of a fetus is the same as a life of a real baby since both can kick using their feet. Abortion devalues human life because women undergo abortion to avoid the responsibility of taking care of a child. If women perform abortion as a birth control measure, it implies that they do not care about their body functions as well as their lives because abortion can be risky if carried out by unqualified medical personnel.
Abortion has the capacity to wipe out potentially prized human beings from the society. Perhaps, women should try to think what the world would have been if the mothers of Socrates, Michael Faraday, Wright Brother, Steve Jobs, and other famous individuals opted to abort them. Nobody knows what life would turn out to be as it does not matter where a child is born. What matters is how the mother who brought the child in this world would treat that child.
What Do Abortions Mean?
Abortion is perceived as a medical procedure carried out to terminate a pregnancy and prevent a fetus from becoming a baby. A woman can opt to end her pregnancy either through taking some medicationsor undergo a minor surgical procedure to remove the fetus from the womb. The World Health Organization (WHO) supports safe and legal abortions, which should be a right for women. However, deliberate abortion may expose women to a number of health risks, including the possibility of becoming infertile.
More Information About Abortions
Some countries have legalized abortion while others have made it illegal. In some countries, undertaking an abortion when one is under eighteen years may necessitate permission from both parents, who can offer a genuine reason for making such decision. Another option for an underaged woman is to approach a judge to relieve her from satisfying the above requirements before carrying out abortion.
Abortion can be risky if it is done illegally. Some women seek to end the pregnancy through unsafe methods where abortion is illegal. Unsafe abortion may lead to severe complications, which could harm internal organs. Unsafe abortion has become a major cause of death among women, particularly in developing countries due to the number of women who fear to seek services from hospitals as the practice is illegal. This practice has raised a political debate on whether it is logical to legalize abortion or allow women to continue dying due to something that can be done in a controlled manner.
Where abortion is allowed, the point is whether the process creates a risk to the mother. The debate on whether to legalize abortion or to make it illegal does not end as each side offers reasons why it supports or does not support the practice. Advocates for abortion believe that women should be allowed to decide what to do with the fetus as eliminating it before the birth is not killing. On the other hand, opponents of abortion claim that termination of pregnancy is murder, and allowing women to get rid of fetus is devaluing human life. I stand with the opinion that abortion should be banned and should only be allowed by a medical professional in a situation where the life of the mother is in danger.