Abortion Ethical Dilemmas

Abortion is one of many cringe-worthy topics that most are afraid to discuss.
It is a moral dilemma that many women face daily, and their partners and families are along for the heavy heart that comes along with it. It is a topic that many people disagree upon because of what some consider to be ethical. This dilemma is examined and researched with many case studies to prove either side right or wrong in an ethical debate. In discussing both sides, it will always be up to the person involved on whether it is truly ethical or not to end the existence of what some consider “just some cells” or a baby.
One of the many dilemmas surrounding this topic is whether or not abortion is considered murder. Is it really life? How can we define life and who is to say it is or isn’t?
On both sides there is an answer. For many advocates the life of the mother is the only life that matters. Pregnancy is strenuous to the mother and sometimes unwanted, causing the woman discomfort and she needs to be relieved of it. An abortion in some cases is necessary, especially if the pregnancy was caused by rape or if it can cause the woman death. The rights of the woman aren’t limited to just those two circumstances. In some cases the woman just made a mistake and the proper precautions were not taken to prevent the pregnancy or even the inability to support the child financially or emotionally due to age or economic standing.
On the opposing side, this would be considered selfish on the woman’s part.
Is it though? Committing to an abortion is committing to murder a person, or so this side says. Those who consider abortion ethically wrong consider the life of the unborn baby the superior life. Those on the “pro-life” side would say that this human from the moment conceived is a person, which separates the two sides. This opposing group does also consider the emotional and financial bearing the abortion may bring to the mother. The intense depression that some women face post- abortion and the cost of the abortion itself being just has hard for the mother as the choice to end the pregnancy.
Being an advocate for abortion doesn’t mean that the person doesn’t believe in the value of life. Abortion is defined by the World Health Organization as “a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy carried out by either persons lacking necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards, or both.” With this definition one would consider the action of abortion unsafe, which in many parts of the world it is. Up to 13% of the maternal death is still associated with abortion (unsafe) in the sense of the definition above.
With the acceptance of abortion in our country, the woman is able to safely go to a clean clinic where all the proper utensils and the proper persons will be able to preform the procedure. The acceptance of abortion will be able to save lives of many women across the world. The ability to stand up for women and their freedom to choose a healthy life over one that can cause them pain and distress (emotionally and financially) needs to be the standard of life.
Many ethical theories go against being pro abortion because in many cases it only considers the ending of life as the ethical issue. When we consider the life being saved, like in the moral theory of Utilitarianism, we see the good that comes from the bad. In many cases for women, having an abortion brings the greatest good for the woman. This theory justifies the choice of the mother, not what many consider
“killing”, the act of abortion itself. Utilitarianism justifies that the choice to have an abortion, whether it be because of a family issue, medical issues, financial struggles, age of the woman, and all other reasons, is okay because it allows the
greatest possible outcome for the woman involved. The Utilitarian J.S. Mill allows us to apply the Utilitarian perspective by justify whether the action brings pleasure or pain. In the case of a woman aborting a baby for the future financial burden it may cause due to inability to support the child; this would be justifiable by Mill. He believes that the pain brought by having the baby would be unfair to the mother. The choice to abort would be supported by this moral theory. He even goes on to the pain that might be brought to the child. If the child is unwanted, the lack of nurture and love from the mother would cause the child pain, which again justifies the abortion of the child.
The moral theory justifies the choice of the mother. It allows her to think of herself while also allowing her to think of her child while choosing to abort it.
As an advocate, there is a right answer and the answer is freedom. The woman has the freedom to choose to be free from any burden brought about from an unwanted pregnancy. This right to choose is supported by our country as well as many others, the ethical theory of Utilitarianism, and those who believe in the rights of women. Being pro-choice allows a woman to safely end a pregnancy that will cause pain and discomfort. There are two sides to every debate, knowing both sides, and being able to justify the side that is yours’ allows for a better understanding and explanation for what is ethically right.