Abortion: A Never-ending Debate
What is it
An Abortion is the
deliberate termination of a human pregnancy before the fetus is viable. In most
common cases, the mother medically takes pills that inhibit the growth and
development of cells, which then contract the uterus, causing the fetus to be
forced out. For in-clinic cases, the baby is killed and then manually removed
from the uterus using tools. The procedure is usually done in the hospital or Planned
Parenthood health centers. While both methods are very effective and involve
further meetings with the health care provider, many can lead to further health
problems. With knowing these circumstances, people still question why mothers would consider an abortion.
Causes
Time Magazine
A pregnancy
resulting in an abortion is caused by many influences including social,
economic, religious, and circumstantial factors. As a society, we have a strong
desire for convenience. Developments in technology, medicine and many other
things are constantly advancing in order to make tasks easier for users. When
abortion became an option, the idea of eliminating all the burdens that come along with a child sounded like a good idea to mothers with circumstances that made
it hard to deal with those burdens.
Economic factors
apply to families who can’t afford to raise their child. The average cost of
raising a child averages around $200,000. Families with insufficient funding
use this as an excuse to show that they would not be able to provide care for
the child once it is born. 52% of women who have an abortion are under the age
of 25. Young women around this age usually do not have enough money to raise a
child, resulting in abortion.
Many religions
stand against abortion as it considered murder. The sixth commandment states,
“Thou shalt not kill”. But at the same time, fornication is also a sin.
Fornication refers to sexual intercourse between two unmarried people. 65% of
abortions happen between unmarried couples. These couples are faced with the
choice of committing a sin or dishonoring a commandment, which in both ways is
sacrilege.
Certain
circumstances influence women towards the option of abortion. Sexual assault is
also a large problem facing America. Although only one percent of abortions are
performed due to rape, it is still a lasting influence. In our generation, a High School degree along with further education is essential when
competing for jobs. Having the burden of a child while trying to attend school
can be extremely difficult. This can also influence the mother’s choice of receiving an abortion in order to create a brighter future.
Conflicts
Many conflicts in
abortion come from political, religious, and scientific views. The political
conflict with abortion discusses the control over the procedure of giving an
abortion itself. Many abortion cases have been taken to court including the
famous Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortion. According to Margaret Thomas a physician at Litchfield hospital claims that conflict still stands
today in whether the procedure should be legal as well as where do the
physicians giving the procedure stand on the issue. The religious conflict with
abortion discusses the idea of killing a fetus before it is born. This violates
many religious beliefs and is considered a sin. The scientific conflict with abortion contributes
to many questions regarding life and when exactly it begins. The most common
belief is that life begins at conception, when the egg is fertilized. Other
beliefs are when the baby is born, when it takes human shape or when it is disconnected
from the mother. Not knowing when human life begins makes it hard to determine
if an abortion is actually killing a human.
Benefits
Receiving
an abortion can be beneficial in certain circumstances. The option of abortion
gives young women opportunity to pursue their future without the worry of
raising a child and struggling financially. It also gives women the
control over their bodies and decisions.
Women
who are victims of pregnancy due to sexual assault crimes are given the
opportunity to overlook what has happened to them. They can choose to abort the
baby and keep the incident a secret rather than raise the child, which would
place as a constant reminder of the incident associated with the child.
Health
issues in mothers can create a valid purpose for receiving an abortion. Women
who suffer from heart disease or sickle cell anemia can have medical
complications when giving birth. If the mother’s health is at risk, a doctor
might advise the mother to receive an abortion.
Drawbacks
Receiving an
abortion can result in many life long issues. While some women are sure of
their decision to get an abortion, others spend an immense amount of time
considering if it is a suitable idea.
Although the majority of women feel relief after receiving the abortion,
many also feel regret for a longer period of time. Some women also develop
depression and other psychological issues including the 28% that attempt
suicide. Many women develop problems in depression, anxiety and guilt, and
commonly deal with alcohol and drug abuse.
Abortions
can also lead to physical problems. Immediately after the procedure, women
experience nausea, vomiting, bleeding and slight pain. More serious effects
such as infection and damage to the uterus can occur and make it nearly
impossible for the mother to become pregnant in the future. All of these
disadvantages of the procedure are subject to different women but are also very
overlooked.
Not
only is just the mother the one to make the decision when receiving an abortion
but the physician also. The amount of physicians willing to give an abortion
has been constantly decreasing over the years. It can be very contradicting for
a doctor to give the procedure when they stand against it themselves although
they do not have much of a choice, given it is their job.
Real Life Story
Jennifer, a young
girl still suffering the aftereffects of abortion, explains her experience with
her decision to abort her first baby. She was 17 years old when she became
pregnant, neither married nor in a long term relationship. Like many other
pregnant teenagers, she tried to keep it a secret from her parents and family.
After informing the father of the child of her pregnancy, he explained how this
inconvenience did not fit into his plans. Once her parents found out of the situation,
they made the decision for her that the baby needed to be aborted so she would
not "bring shame to the family". Her sister took her to a
planned parenthood center where the abortion procedure was completed. The
center lied to her about how far along in her term she was in order to legally
perform the procedure. She explains how she felt victimized and experienced
many nightmares for years in which she felt regret for what wasn't even her
decision. For the longest time she could not forgive her parents, family, and
the planned parenthood who had lied to her but she also felt that the was the
one thing God could not forgive her for. “We are told that women should have
the right to choose, I was not given a choice. I was led to believe that this
was the only choice I had to make…..Women should be told how the decision of
abortion could affect them physically, emotionally and spiritually….”
Solutions
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| Safe Haven Laws |
Another
option replacing abortion is adoption. Adoption is commonly used in many
countries. It helps both mothers who cannot provide care for their child and
families who are looking to provide for children that are not their own. This
practice allows for mothers to feel assured that the child will be safe with
their adoptive parents.
Providing the mothers of unwanted pregnancies
with psychological support is advantageous. Mothers can learn about their
options and which ones might work best for them. If the mother decides to raise
the baby, continuing this support can be beneficial to provide the mother with
financial resources and counseling. Contributing alternates of abortion to
mothers can help them face the decision, which could potentially cause life long effects.
Abortion is one of the most controversial issues facing America today. It has been going on since ancient history and has not yet been resolved. The problem faces the scientific, religious and political issues involved. Although abortion was legalized in 1973, conflict between apposing sides still exists which presents many advantages and disadvantages with the procedure. Providing support for women facing the option of abortion can help them decide what might be right for them and also prevent them from experiencing long-term effects.
MichaelR. Caudle, Margaret
Thomas, R.W. McCallum, F. Alderton, T.D. Millar, PhilippaG. de Takats,
Abortion, The Lancet, Volume 345, Issue 8949, 4 March 1995, Pages 587-588, ISSN
0140-6736, 10.1016/S0140-6736(95)90497-2. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673695904972)
Riler, Keith. "The Forgotten Solution to the Abortion
Debate." American Thinker 8 July 2012: n. pag. Web.
Shrage, Laurie. Abortion and Social Responsibility :
Depolarizing the Debate. Cary, NC: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.
