An abortion is one of the most lethal, alarming, and never-ending of the various legal and moral struggles faced by the world. This issue compels people to think about the ethical issues like the ethical status of fetus, the sense of “personhood” and human “life”.
The US constitution has declared “abortion” to be the fundamental right of a women. The constitution considers it as her own private decision to terminate or not to terminate her pregnancy. Let us look at the opinion of people for and against abortion.
Proponents who comes in the support of abortion believe that choosing abortion is the right of each and every woman. It should not be limited by any religious or government authority. According to their opinion a pregnant woman will resort to any dangerous unlawful abortions in absence of a legal option.
The drive to “permit abortion” rested on the below grounds:
- Illegal abortions have been killing women;
- It is the necessary action when other pregnancy control measures fail;
- The number of undesirable pregnancies should reduce. Only desired children should be given birth. This is necessary in terms of child welfare too.
- A pregnant woman should have all the liberty and free will to take the decision for abortion;
- Government should take measures to alter the domestic and economic circumstances that compels women into unsolicited pregnancies. All these arguments benefit not just a pregnant woman, but also the children, and society.
Opponents have the notion that the life of a human starts at fertilization. So, abortion is seen as an immoral assassination of an acquitted human being. According to them abortion inflicts misery and pain on the unborn. It is not legal to permit abortion when spouses who can’t conceive biologically waits to adopt.
Here are a few more statements that justifies Abortion:
- Reproductive choice sanctions women by providing them an authority over their own body. The choice to have a child or not is personal and central to any woman. Every woman is independent to make her own decision and shape her future.
- Science has proved that fetuses are not able to feel the painful sensation at the time of performing an abortion. This defeats the statement of opponents who says that abortion causes pain to an unborn.
- With an easy access to safe, professionally-performed and legal abortions, the number of maternal injuries and deaths caused due to risky, and unethical abortions is significantly reduced. Before legalization of abortion, women would try to induce it on their own with the help of coat hangers, radiator flush, knitting needles, or hazardous “back-alley” abortionists. In 1972, 39 cases of maternal deaths were recorded from unethical abortions. This figure reduced to 2 with the legalization of abortion in 1976.
- A lot of opponents believe that abortion causes a lot of damage to the woman’s body. On contrary to it, medical sciences have proved that modern procedures used to implement abortion are safe. They don’t cause any lasting health troubles such as infertility and cancer in a woman. In addition to it, woman who prevent undesired pregnancy are less susceptible to suffer from mental health issues than the ones who are denied from aborting their baby. It has been seen that women who are not permitted for abortions felt resentment, regret and less relief than the ones who had the liberty to carry out abortion.
- Abortion is one of the ways that gives a pregnant woman an option to choose whether or not to bring fetuses with deep abnormalities or incurable congenital imperfections to full term. A few fetuses with such acute disorders can die before or soon after birth.
- Reproductive choice of a women safeguards her from financial troubles. Many women who prefers to abort their baby do not have the adequate financial resources to assist a child. Nearly 42% of pregnant women who have abortions lies below the government declared poverty level.
- It is not sacred for a baby to enter into the world when parents do not desire it. In other words, it is not ethical to give birth to an unwanted baby. To have a child is a significant decision that needs preparation, planning and consideration. Unplanned pregnancies are linked with birth defects, low weight at birth, increased chances of child abuse, maternal depression, delayed prenatal care, lower educational attainment, dangers of physical violence at the time of pregnancy, and low rate of breastfeeding.
- Starvation, malnutrition, lack of educational and medical services, poverty, underdevelopment, pollution, and conflict over resources are the results of overpopulation. An abortion is acceptable as a way to control population.
- Most of the religious organizations also support the reproductive choice of women.
Conclusion
Abortion has been an endless topic of debate since many years. What is needed is realistic compromise and creative discussion. The above statement clearly shows that the decision of legalization of abortion is taken in the best interest of women, children and society.
