Abortion can be defined as the inducement of expelling a fetus before the attainment of an independent survival, from the womb. This has been an extremely controversial issue as it has people who completely discourage it as well as others who believe that the women should be given the right to make a choice. I have the belief that abortion is morally and ethically wrong as it involves the termination of an innocent life (Baldwin 256).
I normally have the opinion that when a woman decides to have sex, she knows that she is taking chances. The reason is that she does this out of her free will, and she is the one in control of whatever that she is doing. As a person who makes the decision on sex, whether using protection or not, she bears the res
...ponsibility and thus should have the will to deal with the outcome. One of the consequences is the possibility of getting pregnant. When this happens, it is as a result of a self-made choice and the argument of opting for abortion out of unwanted or unplanned pregnancy reason should never be in existence.
One of the reasons that is most obvious as to why I think abortion is wrong and immoral is the fact that it involves killing a human being intentionally. It is a clear fact that the beginning of life is at the moment of conception. If the act of terminating the life of a human being at any stage of human life is murder, then abortion that involves the killing of a human being at the fetus stage is obviously murder and is wrong because killing
is one of the very serious absolutes of ethics. When abortion is sought and committed, it is the life of an innocent child that is taken. It denies the unborn child the right to live and have the worldly experience (Marquis 190). It is, therefore, sinful and as a result, nobody should have the right and authority to take the life of a human being even if a child. Also, abortion denies the mother of the child, the right to enjoy the opportunity of raising a baby of her own. It is at the same time very hurtful in the long run especially when the emotions continue to get worse. This is the case when there is some external pressure on her to procure an abortion and as a result does it reluctantly.
Another reason for my discouragement of the issue is the many risks that get involved as one undergoes the abortion. These risks are both emotional and medical and happen on the woman. One of the greatest problems of mental health on the woman is the fact that she develops psychological problems that include suicidal actions and thoughts. The study by the Catholic insight group indicates that between 10% and 20% of victims of abortion suffer from this problem. The problem of psychology becomes an issue that one has to face for a life time. Guilt is another health problem that procurement of an abortion causes in the woman. About 55% of the women victims express the feeling of guilt after the eighth week (Schwarz 584). This is proof that abortion causes health problems to the women and thus ought to get abolished. Again,
an incomplete abortion can be experienced. This happens when fetal parts or any other pregnancy products may not get completely removed from the uterus. In the case this happens, the mother experiences post-abortion health complications that are caused by the rotting of the remains in the body. On the same note, a woman who seeks an abortion risks losing her life during the abortion process. Some of the methods used in the implementation of abortion are crude like overdosing or drinking very toxic fluids such as turpentine, concoctions, and bleach (Callahan 356). Some of these unsafe substances are administered by unskilled health practitioners in conditions that are not medically safe for abortion. Mostly mortality risks are caused by factors like the quality of the health facility, qualifications of the health providers and the method used to carry out the abortion.
Supporters of abortion claim that it is not killing as the fetus is not a living being, though the argument comes out of the belief that life starts after birth, which is not the case (World Health Organization 953). They claim that the fetus cannot survive outside the human body on its own thus if it is unable to sustain itself, abortion cannot be considered to be murder. In addition to this, the claim is that the mother’s body should get the first consideration hence giving her the choice to make out whether to do it or not. According to the proposers of abortion, they claim that the decision lies with the woman and should be free to do it if she feels that she wants it done. They also claim that for every child who
is born, they should be wanted, cared for and loved. The children who get planned for often enjoy better prospects in life as the caregivers are well prepared in supporting the child emotionally (Baldwin 256), physically and financially. In the case that the aspect of unpreparedness is not felt by the mother, then abortion can be sought.
These claims come out to counter the fact of giving birth to the child whether planned for, loved or not and allow it to be brought up by a foster mother. Foster mothers and homes or orphanages are said to be a heavier decision that is discouraged for there being no enough resources that support it. There are also the claims that the body of a woman is hers and that she can do whatever she deems fit for her and the overall health in all situations.
On weighing the two sides of the issue of abortion, my stand remains that abortion is committing murder of the unborn child and should with all the mighty be abolished. Again, a woman having the rights of her body does not have the right to terminate any life whether hers or of the unborn baby. Though the body may belong to her, the life is a sacred thing that no one should ever have control of. In the case of rape or incest, as some may argue for abortion, the child can be raised by a foster mother if the mother is unwilling or not ready to have her (Schwarz 584). She can have the baby and offer her out to be raised by following legal procedures. This is very possible as it
has happened. Still looking at the conditions of the abortion, it is very risky to undergo the process especially when the practitioners have no enough skills. The risks thus involved are many and involve death, health complications, psychological and emotional problems and barrenness of the woman undergoing an abortion. Looking critically at all these disadvantages, it is clear that abortion should not be in any way legalized. It should be abolished and fought against for the well-being of the unborn life and that of the mother.
Works Cited
- Callahan, Daniel. Abortion: law, choice and morality. New York: Macmillan, 1970: 342-374.
- LeVay, Simon, Janice Baldwin, and John Baldwin. Discovering Human Sexualiy. Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2009: 252-259.
- Marquis, Don. "Why abortion is immoral." The Journal of Philosophy 86.4 (1989): 183-202.
- Schwarz, Stephen D. The moral question of abortion. Loyola Pr, 1990: 570-598.
- World Health Organization. Unsafe abortion, authors. Global and Regional Estimates of the Incidence of Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2003. 5th ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2007: 942-963. <http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/unsafeabortion_2003/ua_estimates 03.pdf.>
