Research paper on pros and cons about abortion

Introduction

In the modern society, abortion has remained a contentious issue. Abortions have become a normal practice in some society. In certain countries, abortion is even legal. Abortion is an easy way of doing away with accidental or unwanted pregnancies. Some people have come up with defenses to justify abortion. However, it remains to be seen whether there is anything like abortion for convenience. Abortion is an unethical practice that ends innocent lives of unborn children. There may be cases where abortion is necessary and justifiable especially when the mother’s life is endangered. However, all abortions carried out when the mother is not in danger are all unjustifiable and should be banned. In the legal setting, abortion is well defined and the circumstances under which it can be procured and those under which it cannot be procured. There are several advantages and cons of carrying abortion as discussed in this paper.

Merits of abortion

Abortion has advantages only if it is done legally by certified physicians. There must be special circumstances to warrant the abortion, for instance if either the mother’s or the unborn child’s health and life are at risk.

Abortion can help save the life of a mother

According to law, when a prospective mother has health issue ensuing accruing pregnancy, it is advisable to terminate the pregnancy. This is because the mother’s life is paramount in such cases. There are many similar cases in recent years because of the diet women take and drug influence. Women who are on certain drugs may face immense health risks if they carry a pregnancy till maturity. Drugs that cause kidney, liver, heart and lung diseases may result poor maternal health. An unhealthy woman cannot support a pregnancy. Even if they do, the child could have defects when they are born as a result of lack of certain nutrients or drug effects. Girls who become pregnant in their teenage years could also face health risks when pregnant. This could be because their physical condition is not fully developed to carry a pregnancy, and if it does, the young mother may be at risk of facing many health complications. In such a case, abortion can be done to save the young mother’s life.
Some of the health risks a mother can face are genetic, making them unable to carry a pregnancy till maturity. Such conditions include hypertension, diabetes or sickle cell anemia. These diseases are life threatening to both the mother and baby. In such a case, only one life can be saved, and that is the mother’s life. The abortion is done only after legal certification. It must also be done by experienced and qualified physicians. This is because if the abortion is done carelessly it could lead to future health complications and miscarriages of subsequent pregnancies. Therefore, abortion can be used as a lifesaving practice.

Abortion helps avert emotional and mental problems

There are many situations that mothers and women in general undergo that could destabilize them. One such situation is rape. A woman whose pregnancy results from a rape incident suffers psychologically as they are always haunted by the incident. Such a pregnancy is clearly not what any woman desires. A pregnancy should be a source of joy to a woman. She should be happy to bring another life to the world. However, a pregnancy resulting from rape is a nightmare because it reminds the mother of that incident. This may not be good for the mother’s mental, emotional and physical welfare. Even if the child is kept till birth, it may be a constant lifetime reminder to the mother of the rape incident. The mother may not be able to relate well with such a child because of the circumstances under which it was conceived. It is sensible to end such a pregnancy before it causes further damage to the mother’s life.

Abortion can be used as a family planning method

Even though this is not an approved method, abortion could be used in regulating the size of a family. The use of other family planning methods could fail because of negligence. For instance, condoms may break or pregnancy pill taken late. In such a case, one cannot keep a pregnancy against their will. Pregnancy must be planned and budgeted. If there is a case of an unwanted pregnancy, the only way to stop it is by abortion. This may help reduce unplanned children. More so, the sizes of families will be kept in check. However, many people do not approve of abortion as a family planning method because it is an unethical practice.

Abortion can be used to show autonomy among women

In some societies, male chauvinism has led people to believe that women are inferior people whose only importance is to bear children. This is an enslaving mentality that disregards women. Women in such societies may have no say in important family and community matters. Surprisingly, some men do not even involve their wives in family planning. Abortion can be used to assert women’s independence. It can help show that women can make independent decisions on family issues. Only then will chauvinists learn to respect their wives and women in society.

Abortion can be used to avert future suffering for unborn babies

Improved technology in modern health institutions has enabled experts to detect any anomalies in unborn children. Some of the anomalies could be so severe that there could be no cure for them after they are born. These could be health defects such as sickle-cell or physical defects. When these defects are detected mothers can make decisions on whether to keep the pregnancy or not. This is because it may be sensible to end the baby’s life before it is born to help avoid future suffering of the baby. It may also be a relief to the family because they would have saved excess expenditure on medical bills for the baby whose survival would be difficult from the start.

Demerits of abortion

Even though people try to come up with many ways to justify various reasons for aborting, it remains that the practice is unethical and unacceptable to any person with values.

Abortions are murder

It is believed that life starts after conception. If any woman terminates a pregnancy, it means she has killed an innocent child. Regardless of the situation that leads to the abortion, the child is considered innocent. The mother has the responsibility to save her child, not to end life. It is brutal and selfish to deny a child a chance to live. It is unethical and against religious values. Therefore, abortion must be discouraged in all circumstances. There are no justifiable excuses for committing abortion.

Abortion promotes immorality

There are people who believe that abortion can be used as a birth control method. This has led many people to end pregnancies just because they know their pregnancies are unwanted. Abortion promotes infidelity and immorality in society because people will engage in immorality knowing that in case they become pregnant they can just terminate it. Condemning abortion may help reduce the increasing premarital sexual relationships in society.

Post abortion health effects

Carrying out an abortion may be a simple procedure that liberates a woman from the unborn baby. However, there are many detrimental effects that result from abortion. Women who undergo abortions are at risk of contracting uterine diseases. This is because during the abortion process, the uterus is interfered with when unexpected labor is induced. The woman could also be affected by sepsis and recurrent miscarriages in future. The interference of the uterus could also result in severe damage of the uterus. Such damages may even result in death due to bleeding. Many cases of deaths resulting from abortion go unreported because they are done by unqualified physicians. Unqualified personnel pose a big risk to those carrying out abortion. These people are not certified to conduct abortions hence; there is no insurance for the mother in case the procedure goes wrong. Furthermore, such abortions are not reported because they are illegal, leaving the mother in a danger of losing her life and that of her child.

Childlessness

Abortions are one of the major causes of childlessness. When abortions are not done professionally, they may result in the damage of the female reproductive system. Particularly the uterus is very sensitive. Any kind of damage or injury may cause problems with implantation of an embryo in future. This robs a woman her ability to bear children in future.

Abortion causes irresponsibility and psychological problems

Abortion is not as simple as people think. It affects the psychological condition of the woman for a long time. At times after abortion, women feel guilty and depressed because of their decision to end a life. However, this is an unnecessary procedure that if avoided can help women live a happy life. Abortion also encourages irresponsibility because many people will get involved in careless activities leading to pregnancy then resort to abortion as their solution.

Conclusion

Abortion is a practice that cannot be ignored in modern society. People come up with ideas for and against this practice because they have different opinions and beliefs. Abortion relates to sociology in modern society because it influences human ethics. It has become part of society, in U. S, over 4000 abortion cases are reported daily. There are some cases that are justifiable and legal, others are plain brutal and illegal. All in all, it is up to the law and the individuals involved. The law ensures that only admissible cases of abortion occur. However, pregnant women have their own opinions regarding abortion. Making it illegal may not prevent them from procuring an abortion. Sociologists can only observe the different opinions, advantages, demerits and risks posed by abortion and relate them to the modern way of life where decision making is important for affected parties. Opinion for or against abortion depends on the situation one is undergoing.

Works Cited

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Intecon. Abortion ! Pros And Cons: Arguments, Views, Facts & Information. New York: AuthorHouse, 2004.
Intecon Publishing Enterprises. Abortion ! Pros and Cons: Arguments, Views, Facts and Information. New York: Authorhouse, 2004.
Sather, Trevor. Pros and Cons: A Debater’s Handbook. 18, revised. New York: Routledge, 2012.
Schwarz, Stephen D and Kiki D Latimer. Understanding Abortion: From Mixed Feelings to Rational Thought. New York: Lexington Books, 2011.
Zastrow, Charles and Karen Kay Kirst-Ashman. Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment. 8. London: Cengage Learning, 2010.