Abortion is the premature ending of a pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus and therefore, disallowing it of the chance to survive outside of the uterus. It may occur spontaneously, which is referred to as a miscarriage or may be purposely caused, where it is called an induced abortion. Abortion is a medical process of ending a pregnancy, either by having a surgical procedure performed or by taking medications. The decision to terminate a pregnancy may be medically backed, whereby the mother’s health is put in danger by their very pregnancy. However, it also may result from a personal decision to end an unwanted pregnancy on the part of the concerned, pregnant party. For health reasons, for instance, the promotion of the health of the mother, abortion is unavoidable; however, for personal decisions, it can be avoided and the child allowed to live on. As such, it is unethical to practice abortion because even the unborn have their rights, and these are stripped away by the legalizing abortion. The intentional termination of pregnancy should not be legalized, but instead, should be barred in order to save innocent human lives and to promote the rights of the unborn.
Abortion unjustly takes away the life of an innocent defenseless person. As every individual has the right to life, and nobody should take away that right. The main question as to the legality or illegality of the procurement of abortions mostly pertains to the matter of whether or not the unborn should be viewed in the same way as the born. As for instance, is it reasonable for a family to consider the unborn as a part of them? If so, it means that killing the unborn child only on account of selfish personal reasons is morally wrong. When one decides to dispose of a human being as nothing more than some waste product or instrument, they take away the inherent worth of human life (Lee, 2013). Moreover, most abortions are carried out on the basis of choice and decision; who decides to kill a fellow human being in the name of choice? Although some claim that a fetus is not yet a person, it is evident that human development begins at fertilization. Regardless of the size of the fetus or embryo, it is still a person and killing them through intentional termination of pregnancy is ending the life of an individual.
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Research has shown that induced abortions may result in future health problems for women with a history of abortion. Many miscarriages of first-trimester are associated with the prior history of induced abortion, especially by vacuum aspiration. In addition to miscarriages, abortion has been significantly linked to the high cases of breast cancer in women, where the risk of breast cancer increases as the number of abortions increases (Cohen, 2015). Multiple abortions may also make it difficult for such women to have children in the future due to the fact that the uterus and other vital organs supporting pregnancy might be destroyed in the abortion process. Since every person is different, the reaction of one woman is different from the other at various levels such as the emotional, spiritual, physical or psychological level (Mikołajczak, & Bilewicz, 2015). All these impacts affect a post-abortive person differently depending on their mental health. Moreover, in severe cases of abortions, some women lose their lives in the process, depending on the stage of pregnancy. All these complications can be avoided by allowing the pregnancy to develop until birth.
Abortion eliminates human beings who have potential to contribute to the society significantly. Mothers of popular entertainers such as Celine Dion, and Justin Bieber confess to considering abortion, or that abortion was recommended by a doctor, but they chose to give birth to their babies at the end. Such people impact the world positively through their music. The big question remains, how do you know that the unborn child you want to abort is the future president? Every person should be given an opportunity to live and explore a life of great possibilities. No one should be deprived of such a chance in the name of choice for the mothers carrying the pregnancy (Żuradzki, 2014). Consequently, the mothers should be ready to take up responsibilities of their actions which lead to pregnancy. Instead of getting into a situation that will result in ending the life of a human being since you are not ready for a child, one would rather take necessary precautions such as contraceptives. This will help women avoid placing themselves in circumstances that lead to abortion.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that a woman should be accorded the legal right to terminate her pregnancy. According to them, it is the personal choice of a woman on whether or not to continue with a pregnancy since it involves her body. They also argue that there are safe and legal abortions that reduce the risks associated with illegal abortions. In their defense, whether the government legalizes abortion or not does not prevent those who intend to do if from finding any means just to go through the process. This also imply that giving women the right to make a choice does not mean that all those who get pregnant will opt for abortion; it only makes it easier for those who make that decision. Other critics argue from a philosophical perspective where they believe that an embryo is not an actual person, but a potential human being (Head, 2015). As such, it does not have any rights until it is viable. It is of the essence to recognize that pro-choice do not necessarily advocate for abortion, but rather the right to explore all the options available for a pregnant woman.
In response to the arguments of pro-choice advocates, it has been scientifically proven that life begins at fertilization. Despite the level of development or size of the embryo, it is a human being for it has a life. Therefore, even the unborn should be given the right to life, in just the same way as every other person. Moreover, most pro-life advocates agree that when the life of the mother is in danger, then abortion can be carried out; however, in cases of healthy pregnancies, a woman should carry the unborn child to the fullness of their term. Also, other exceptional situations relate to the cases of rape, whereby the pregnancy acts as a sad reminder of what is an otherwise unfortunate event, rape, to the mother. In addition, the procurement of abortion is rational in the event that it’s been medically proven that the unborn after they have been delivered, will suffer medical complications for the rest of their lives (Cohen, 2015). Whether the abortion is made safer or nor, it is still murder of an innocent person who is just but a victim of circumstance. Instead of carrying out an abortion, a woman would rather give birth and give the child up for adoption see there are many families who struggle for years to get a child. There are many topics where pro-choice is acceptable such as choices for religion, to choosing a husband among others; however, some choices are wrong, such as killing unborn children who cannot defend themselves.
In conclusion, abortion is an issue that has sparked debates all over the world with differing opinions on the same. Pro-choice people justify abortion with the fact the embryo is not a human being and that the woman should be given the right to make a choice on whether to keep or terminate a pregnancy. In essence, life begins after fertilization, and regardless of the size or stage of development, it is still a human being with the right to life. Therefore, abortion should not be made legal, and women should be ready to take up responsibility and the consequences of their actions. Unless the pregnancy puts the life of the mother in danger, the pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest, there is no other explanation worth ending the life of an innocent defenseless human being.
References
Cohen, I. G. (June 06, 2015). Are All Abortions Equal? Should There Be Exceptions to the Criminalization of Abortion for Rape and Incest? The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 43, 1, 87-104.
Head, Tom. About.com Civil Liberties. March 2015 http://civilliberty.about.com/od/abortion/tp/Pro-Life-VS-Pro-Choice.htm .
Lee, P. (2013). Abortion and unborn human life . Washington, D.C: Catholic University of America Press.
Mikołajczak, M., & Bilewicz, M. (September 01, 2015). Foetus or child? Abortion discourse and attributions of humanness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 54, 3, 500-518.
Żuradzki, T. (December 01, 2014). Moral uncertainty in bioethical argumentation: a new understanding of the pro-life view on early human embryos. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics: Philosophy of Medical Research and Practice, 35, 6, 441-457.
