Controversial Topic of the Choice of Abortion Essay Example
Abortion is one of the most disputed topics in this day in age. People all over the world question whether women should have the legal right to end her own pregnancy, also known as abortion. There are debates that argue that the woman should have the absolute choice of whether or not she wants to have a child. It should not only be a matter of choice for the woman but it should be considered if the mother is able to provide for a child. The opposition argues against abortion, mostly from the belief that a fetus is, in fact, a human and it also comes from a religious point of view, but, should it not be the right for a woman to choose if she wants to carry a child or to dissolve the pregnancy while the fetus is still in the starting stages of
...its development in the womb. Abortion should be a legal right for women because a government should not have the ability to impede with a woman’s body or any person’s body, besides illegal abortion results have far more fatalities, hurting the woman or cause many complications. Most unintended pregnancies result in an ongoing cycle of poverty, but most importantly, there is not any specific evidence that reasons that a fetus is equal to a human being, so the fetus would not have the same rights as a human.
In the constitution, it ensures the rights and opportunities to all that reside as citizens. Why would women not be given the right to their own bodies? Abortion should not only be a woman’s right, but also a choice that is given
People who side with Pro-choice, they describe the political views and also the ethical perspectives of women should have jurisdiction of their own pregnancy and they should be given the choice of whether they would like to continue or dissolve their pregnancy. Pro-choice people argue that embryos are not actual humans or people and their supposed rights should not have the power to override that of the women until after birth. The option to choose should be a definite right, to have an abortion is personal and crucial to women’s lives and if not given this right, women would not be able to exercise their freedoms promised to them by the Constitution. The choice over when and if to ever have children is a woman's judgment and the ability for her future and the child’s as well. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissenting opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) that restrictions on abortion impose upon 'a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature,” (Doc B). The former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 ruling, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 'The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives,” (Doc A). In other words, if the Constitution ensures an individual the rights and freedoms granted to every citizen, then should they not be developed to a woman's bodily autonomy? Not only is this a matter of decision, but the factor of whether the parent is capable of providing for a child.
In addition to
a woman's right to choose, the child’s future lifestyle should also be taken into consideration. If a mother is not able to provide the child with a secure home or a suitable life and be able to give the child its best life, then they should have the right to terminate their pregnancy, if they are not able to help the child rather than having it suffer in this world. The women who choose to have an abortion do not always have the financial resources to support a child and are not able to receive help from others. Shown in the chart Characteristics of US abortion patients in 2014 and changes since 2008 is represent those who have had an abortion within each of the poverty levels, below the federal poverty level is the greatest number. Approximately 49% of women that have an abortion are below the federal poverty level (Doc G). There is a survey on Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health asking women, “why they had an abortion”, they found that about 73% of respondents said they were not able to afford to have a baby, and about 38% said giving birth and having a child would interfere with their education goals. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s study published in The American Sociological Review found that women at all income levels earn less when they have children, with low-wage workers being the most affected, suffering about 15% earnings penalty (Doc C). The opposition, however, would debate against having a pregnancy ended.
The opposing side has the belief that life begins at conception, this would define the unborn fetus as a human being with
bodily autonomy. The opposing side believes at conception, a human is created which gives it a unique set of genetics that will not change throughout that person’s life, therefore, they should be granted the same rights and be protected until birth. A French geneticist who was the one who discovered what caused Down Syndrome, the anomaly in the chromosomes, Jerome Lejeune, he states that 'to accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion. The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence,” (Doc E). In addition to that understanding that life starts at conception, the opposition also uses religion to justify their stance on the topic. For example, in the article Defending life: A moral and legal case against abortion choice by Beckwith, he is defending life, which is that life begins at conception which he backs with religion by stating, “examine abortion as an issue of religious liberty and First Amendment guarantees. the position of the pro-lifers, that the unborn is a full-fledged person from conception,” (Doc F). in other words the Pro-lifers have the belief that as a “blob” of cells they should be considered human. A fetus is not capable of survival by itself. The fetus fully dependent on an external source being the mother, unlike born human beings who are able to provide for themselves. Even if the fetus was “alive” it is unable to survive without another being, when it is said the 'right to life' it does not mean
that it has the right to use somebody else as a lifeline. The mother should have the opportunity to end the pregnancy because the fetus is leeching off her body. For example, people have the right to refuse to donate their organs even though it would save lives, but they have the right to refuse.
If the mother’s life is threatened then the option of abortion should be available to the woman. Why should the mother lose her life for another that caused this loss of life, not only that but the child and the mother could both be lost which is now the loss of two lives? Without the fetus in the womb, the woman would be no longer at risk. A mother may have many reasons why they decide to end a pregnancy. there are many diseases that could cause complications when a woman is pregnant that could result in death. Examples of diseases that affect pregnancies are; autoimmune diseases, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, Heart disease, High blood pressure, and Preeclampsia. The mother could be put into more distress during pregnancy if she was to have one of these conditions. A study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found a woman's risk of dying from having an abortion is 0.6 in 100,000, while the risk of dying from giving birth is around 14 times higher (8.8 in 100,000). The study also found that 'pregnancy-related complications were more common with childbirth than with abortion,'(Doc D). The American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated 'Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States. They also said the mortality rate of
a colonoscopy is more than 40 times greater than that of abortion,” (Yonkers 122). Many also say that there is an option of putting the child up for adoption in order to prevent abortions, but the reality of it influences more hurt for the child.
There is a debate that putting a child up for adoption is better than having an abortion, but the sad truth is that it is not always the case. Children who are given up are not always adopted, and this can cause the child to feel unloved. Although there are cases where the child is adopted but there could still be a feeling of abandonment toward their real parents. One of the top issues is that the child could feel uncared for and the feeling of abandonment might always be there. There is also the factor that not every child is adopted and are forced to never really know what family is, these are lasting psychological effects that hurt children in the long run. There was once a one-child policy in China, this only allowed one child per family, “Statistical evidence has also verified the common-sense inference that the sex ratio imbalance is significantly caused by China’s population control policies. China had achieved something close to a normal sex ratio in the period prior to the start of the so-called “one-child” policy in 1979- 1980,”( Goodkind). In China male children were more desired due to the parents wanting someone to take care of them and provide, so female children were abandoned more often making the ratio skewed. Many children are put into the foster care system where they go to different
families, never really finding a true home. More than half a million children are in the foster care system in the United States. Many of the children in the system have never experienced a stable environment and many of them have been through abuse whether it be from other children of the foster care families. These experiences can warp a child’s mind causing long and short term effects on them and this can affect the way the child is to function in society. In the article Placement Stability and Mental Health costs for children in foster care by Rubin, it is shown that “Between 3–8 Children in foster care have high rates of physical, developmental, and mental health problems,” (Doc H). They also often have many unmet medical and mental health care needs.
Abortion is one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. It still should be available as a legal right for women who need it. Although the views of the opposition challenge those ideals, it should be the woman who is in control of her own self and her choices whether it be to go through with an abortion. An abortion might not be considered the only option for the woman but to put a child in a position where they could be hurt by many factors then the choice of abortion should still remain a legal choice for the woman.
