Abortion: Life, Right To Choice
Right to Life, Right to Choice
Abortion remains one of the most contested issues as far as social and moral obligations are concerned. It has been a controversial topic for a long time. In the United States, abortion has been made legal and even after the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the 1973, the controversy still continues. Unfortunately, abortion is a liberty and right that some wish to eradicate. Some consider abortions immoral. They believe in misconceptions that are based off of skewed facts. They also believe it is a problem that must be stopped. Making abortions illegal will not sojourn anything. Abortions are a right. When a woman needs an abortion, she will do whatever it takes to have one. And it is sometimes the only option …show more content…
for disadvantaged women. Both sides in the debate present valid arguments to either support or refuse abortion. Pro-life arguments are mainly based on the concept of preservation of human life from the point of conception to that of giving full priority to unborn fetus’ life over that of the mother. On the other end, pro-abortionists challenge that women possess ultimate control of their bodies to that point of prioritizing their lives over the natural observable fact of the development of a new human being. Pro choice abortion refers to the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete right over her fertility and guarantees a woman her reproductive rights. I am a contender for pro choice abortions and as the fetus cannot live without the support of its mother, it has no real constitutional rights. Unlike pro life supporters whose stance supports that carrying out an abortion is violating the sanctity of life, I believe that life does not begin until the fetus can survive naturally outside of the womb.
There are those that oppose abortion that believe it is being use purely for profit. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, estimates that there were 1.21 million abortions performed in the U.S. in the year 2005. The average cost of a first trimester abortion (before 10 weeks) is $413 and the estimated average of a 2nd trimester abortion costs up to $3000. That means that each year in the U.S., the abortion industry brings in approximately $831 million through their abortion services alone. If you add in the $337 million that Planned Parenthood receives annually in government grants and contracts, the annual dollar amount moves well past 1 billion. Abortion is obviously a very lucrative business, and this has been true from the beginning. There are those that support abortion for the sole fact that it is a huge moneymaker for them. The owners of organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the abortion doctors that perform these procedures, and the business minded people that invest in these groups. Even so, whether financially motivated or not, the majority of people that support abortion are not supporters for the fact that they are profiting financially from it.
To really have an opinion or take a side on this matter, you must have a clear and well-defined understanding of exactly what abortion is, how it takes place, the emotions that go along with it, and the reasons for choosing it to begin with. No matter if you are pro choice or pro life, the act of aborting a fetus is all the same. Abortion refers to a practice whereby a pregnancy is terminated with the outcome being the death of a human fetus (Hillar, 2000). The matter at hand is not what abortion actually is, but is abortion morally right? Or is it completely unethical and downright evil? This is where the arguments begin.
Christians are particularly against abortions. They believe it is wrong. Many protest abortions and want to eliminate this right to all women. Even though many people practice pro-life because of their religion, it may be surprising to learn that catholic women are 29% more likely to get an abortion than Protestant women, though they are as likely as all women to do so2. In Christianity abortion has been considered homicide since Pope Sixtus V declared it so, but the debate didn’t become heated until the 19th century1. So even these pro-life supporters sometimes find the circumstances where abortion is necessary. However, not everyone is Christian. Just because it is an individual 's belief does not necessarily mean it applies to everyone. Thrusting personal beliefs unto is wrong and obnoxious. People have free will and they should have the right to decide whether or not to bear a child. No one else 's morals but hers should affect her personal choice.
The most common skewed argument against abortion is: "you are killing a baby". To pro life supporters, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking a human life. In their view, abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life. What is being eliminated is not a baby. Instead, an abortion in the first trimester is eliminating a group of cells and tissue from the uterus. The medical definition of a fetus is: a viviparous vertebrate having a basic structural resemblance to the adult animal after the gestational stage, or after about 11 weeks. A fetus in the womb cannot think, breathe, feel or do anything on its own. The controversy surrounding abortion is a product of differing morals. It was published in “Using Preimplantation Embryos for Research” (obstet) “if the preimplantation embryo is left or maintained outside the uterus, it cannot develop into a human being.” Therefore the baby is not a human being until it can survive outside of the womb.
Everyone has his or her own definition of when life begins but I believe that no matter what that point is for a woman, she should always retain the option of abortion up until a certain point of the pregnancy. Ultimately each patient determines the value and definition of life and that definition lies within her own mind and heart.
It is very important to understand why women opt for abortion. Women choose to abort due to a lot of difficult circumstances. Nobody aborts without a valid reason. These reasons would include age, society, responsibility, and a lot of many other causes. Unlike pro life believers would like to assume or think, women do not resort to this drastic measure nonchalantly and contrary to pro life belief, these women do care very much for the lives of their babies, hence why they may be choosing to not bring that child into a world where they know their offspring will only suffer and go through hardship. There are hundreds of explanations as to why women need abortions. The long list includes: she was a victim of rape/incest, she is not ready or too young for a child, she is financially incapable of having a baby, the fetus has a health problem, the woman has a health problem, she wants to avoid being a single parent, etc. The social aspect to these problems is not frivolous, but very serious. The only way to understand these reasons is to be in that woman 's shoes. They are legitimate reasons and cannot be solved in most cases. To think otherwise is incredibly naïve.
As part of an ever changing and chaotic world, there are many things that take place unexpectedly in our lives. Unwanted or unexpected pregnancies can be and are all too often one of these events. Not everybody, however, is capable, or even remotely ready for the tasks of being a parent. In an unstable economic world, the thought of supporting a family is impossible for most people to conjure. Children and pregnancy are a financial burden. An abortion within the first trimester cost ranges from $350-500. The average cost of a natural birth is anywhere between $ 9,000 and $17,000. A Cesarean section surgery can range from 10,000-20,000. It could cost an additional 1-2 thousand dollars for an epidural. Then, there is the cost of prenatal care, maternity clothes, etc. Even with insurance, people pay thousands of dollars out of pocket. Pregnancy itself is expensive; many people do not realize this until they themselves become pregnant. In addition, women don 't get paid on maternity leave. So, for a low income woman who cannot afford a pregnancy, let alone a child, has very little options. She will likely seek out an abortion as an act of desperation and a last resort. The financial burden could cause her to go hungry, fall into debt, or lose her home.The cost of diapers alone for a Newport into its toddler year “averages an American family $60 a month, and formula, another $200” (Gilden) A lot of people that face unwanted pregnancies can barely make their rent each month without the added expense of diapers, formula, and school for a child they were not even expecting. It would only be logical that unfit mothers have the right to decide whether or not to bring their unborn child into a world they could never properly care for them. Would it not be the only responsible choice for these women to make to fix and make up for their irresponsible actions of getting pregnant to begin with?
For women that find themselves in the especially heartbreaking predicament of having to choose whether or not to give birth to their own child, they have an extravagant amount of circumstances and positions to think over and consider. All too often, women bring children into a world where they end up neglected and poorly taken care of. This unjust and unfair circumstance can be avoided. There is a distinct difference between an unwanted pregnancy and unwanted child. Unwanted pregnancies, more often than not, lead to children who are inevitably abused and neglected due to the fact that the parent or parents were not mentally; emotionally, or financially ready to be responsible for another life. Some pro lifers say that once becoming a parent, your natural parental instincts will kick in and you will somehow magically transform into a loving parenting figure. If this were true, there would not be so many neglected and poor children that every day are released into foster care because their parents were not able to care for them. Numerous children are tossed from one foster home to the next because of this. If children are considered expendable before birth, then depriving these mothers of that choice will only make them view their children as expendable even after birth. Some psychologist will contend that both unintended and unwanted childbearing can have extremely negative health, social, and psychological consequences. Health problems include much greater chances for illness and death for both mother and child. Unwanted and unintended childbearing has also been linked with a variety of social problems like divorce, poverty, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency. It was found that unwanted children who had an insecure family life grew up to be adults that were more likely to engage in criminal behavior, be on welfare, and receive extensive psychiatric services. These same children also showed much lower self esteem than their peers. All of these negative and torturous outcomes are not the unborn child’s fault, but it is, nonetheless, the most likely outcome for all children that are born into a world their parents never wanted them to enter. Access to abortion continues to play a major role in the prevention of unwanted births around the world and in developed countries, of the 28 million pregnancies occurring every year, an estimated 49 percent are unplanned, and 36 percent end in abortion. To this discerning matter, pro life supporters offer a grand and seemingly simple solution; adoption. This is a somewhat presumptuous and highly optimistic point of view, which in the end just does not make sense statistically or realistically. It is a great alternative to abortion, and if it was physically possible to guarantee each child born and given up to adoption instead of aborted would have loving families and have a fair shot at the American dream, then I agree there would be no need for abortion at all. Sadly, this is not the truth at all and more often than not, children, even babies do not get adopted and spend the majority of their young lives bouncing from foster home to foster home where they may be neglected or abused. Moreover, the adoption process in the United States is not simply attainable and a lot these unwanted babies and kids never end up getting adopted. Too many times, orphaned babies end up in homes where they are abused or neglected, or pushed from foster family to foster family never finding a forever home their whole childhood. They are then released into the reality of a confusing world at the age of 18 without any proper and substantial direction. A lot of these children end up traumatized or confused and have lasting emotional problems that last them the rest of their lives and will effect every aspect of their adulthoods including their future relationships. Moreover, it is not even remotely realistic to say that we can replace the option of abortion with the reality of adoption. “More than a million abortions are performed yearly in the U.S…approximately 3,250 abortions per day.” (Duncan) That number is only on the rise every year. It is not practical or sensible to suggest that there be over a million babies put up for adoption a year when the reality is that there were only “72,000 adoptions per year of non-kin babies” (childwelfare.gov) What will happen to the babies that don’t get adopted? They will most likely find themselves in the discerning position of foster care. If it were possible, then it would be a wonderful alternative but reality does not agree with it and there would never be enough adoptive families for these babies and the majority of them will sustain lives of loneliness and confusion. Knowing these numbers and the statistics behind adoptions in America, I can understand why and how women would choose to not put their children through the chaos of adoption. Is abortion not a better alternative to not knowing where your child could be and in whose hands? In some ways, abortion can even be seen as a way of saving the child from an imminently horrible way of life. In this grisly debate of pro choice or pro life, it is imperative that a person deciphers fact from fabrication. A common misconception is that women use abortion as a form of birth control. However, every clinic offering abortions strongly stresses that abortions are not the solution to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. They instead, inform women on reliable sources of birth control as well as abstinence. Abortion is never advertised by pro choice believers as just another form of birth control. Unlike pro lifers like to argue, most women do not abuse abortion as a casual form of contraceptive. I find this argument quite disconcerting. They debate that “even school kids nowadays have access, so there is absolutely no reason to use abortion as the chosen method of birth control.” (NettN) Firstly, just because there are many forms of birth control available, it does not always mean that they are always successful or that human error never occurs in an unwanted pregnancy. In a perfect world, of course birth control would always prevent unwanted pregnancies, but in our reality, that is not always the case so abortion must be a viable option after the point of conception. The majority of women that resort to abortion do so on the premise that they have come to a standstill in their lives where abortion is the only option left. Perhaps they could not afford contraceptives or they missed their dosage. As human beings we are not perfect. Unlike how they are often portrayed, women who resort to abortion are not heartless nor emotionless beings. Ultimately, it is their body and their choice and they govern these choices by many factors and elements only they can explain and understand. They will be the ones that have to live with their choice, but they must be allowed to make those choices for themselves. These women do not just use abortion as a casual form of birth control or another contraceptive. They use abortion as a last resort and sometimes desperate last chance. It is also a myth that women will always regret getting an abortion. Studies show that “the most common emotion felt by women post abortion is relief and not depression or trauma.” (PRF) Unlike the misconception that abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress on mothers to be, there is scientific proof and many studies conducted that prove “women who are denied abortion and keep their child are likely to experience more emotional distress than those who have the procedure.” (betterhealth.org) In one study, more than half of women who were denied an abortion reported long periods of mental disturbance and emotional strain after the birth of the child. I agree with the findings of these studies and even though there is proof that women who have abortions go through emotional and mental distress as well, I believe that the level of disturbance may be higher if they had not gotten the procedure done. It would be traumatizing for a woman to be denied what she wants for her baby and for her own life. As it may be, I don’t think anyone on the pro life side is considering the inevitable trauma and stress the unwanted baby must endure once born into a world where they are not wanted. Children should never have to suffer and endure the mistakes of their parents. If the mother has the instinct to know that she may not provide for her child or care for it even before birth, then she should obtain the right to abort the pregnancy instead of putting her child through that kind of torture. Not only will the baby suffer during the pregnancy but it will also suffer through the rest of its life. It is also scientifically proven that mothers who are stressed during pregnancy give birth o babies that are more likely to have mental disabilities and emotional difficulties in life. What is stress but an unwanted pregnancy that a woman must withstand for nine months? Justifiably, Women have the right to their own body, just like people have the right to make their own decisions. If the government controls women 's choices on abortion, sooner or later, the government will control other personal options and decisions that people will make. For instance; like how much they weigh, getting plastic surgery, etc. The government should never be allowed to dictate people 's judgments and resolutions to their problems. In addition, 77% of pro-life leaders are male. They have never experienced the agony of labor, childbirth, or a C-section. Telling a woman she cannot have an abortion is akin to telling a someone they cannot have a liver transplant. Both are necessary procedures. Without the procedure it can pose a physical threat. And sometimes people are responsible for their condition. A person has the right to seek medical attention. Why should an abortion be any different? It is estimated that 43% of women worldwide will have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old2. It is also estimated that there are 43 million abortions a year2. Imagine that those abortions had not occurred with the current population issue in the world, there are over 7 billion people on the planet and we have limited resources, which are depleting quickly. So in a strange way abortion is beneficial to the world. Pro-life supporters do not see the situations, reasons, and benefits from abortions. They are somewhat ignorant to the reason why many women choose to make the decision they do. Making abortions illegal will not solve anything. If a woman wants an abortion, she will do whatever it takes to get one. If we take the right to choose away from women, is it safe at all to presume that they will not go elsewhere to obtain, by their own measures, the means to an abortion? To this day, in states that don’t allow abortion, women are being arrested for the crime of ending their own pregnancies. History shows that women have always tried to terminate unwanted pregnancies. When safe medical procedures are banned by law, they have resorted to dangers, sometimes deadly “back alley” abortions. Women are determined enough to risk prison, sexual molestation, and their existence. If a woman is willing to go through that for an abortion it clearly affects her more than those against it. No one against abortions is willing to lose their life to make it illegal. Thousands of women have died during an illegal abortion; even though the exact number is impossible to determine, because it is illegal. If abortions are illegalized, women will resort to this again. If people are so concerned with life, they shouldn 't outlaw abortions. It is clear abortion should remain legal; even if it seems immoral it can often be the best situation for the people that have to make that tough decision. Pro-choice defends and protects the people, it is ultimately the woman’s life that would be affected and no one else’s, who would the government be to take that away from us the people? Abortions should only be a last resort; however, they should be available to all women. Its availability should not discriminate. People shouldn 't restrict other 's rights based on personal values. Free will is a precious thing that no one should control. Sometimes, an abortion is the best or only solution for a woman. If abortions are illegalized they could potentially kill more than they intend to save. We live in a country based on freedoms, and women have and should continue to have the freedom to that choice. For as long as abortion exists, there has been and always will be an endless debate on whether it is morally correct to perform such a task. As proven throughout this essay, although there are numerous arguments for both sides, no one is really right or wrong in the end. It still boils down to each and every individuals views and beliefs. Whether it be for moral, financial, emotional, or religious reasons, the war will wage on this topic. There will, however, always be women willing to stand for their right to make the choices they feel necessary for the lives and their bodies. All of this unnecessary pain and emotional agony could have and should have been avoided by never criminalizing abortion from the beginning. Women have every right over their bodies and it does not boil down to whether it is right or wrong, or good or bad. It boils down to the fact that as human beings, we have the right to a choice and a decision on what we want for our own well-being. It is wrong to deprive a person of choice. As our own persons, we must decide for each of ourselves whether we believe the act of abortion is right or wrong, but we must be able to make that choice for ourselves and not take that right from anyone else.
No matter where you stand on this debate, both pro life supporters and pro choice believers can agree on one thing; We can prevent the problem before it even begins.
Both sides of the argument can agree that Schools should implement sex ed. classes that teach about safe sex. This gives teenagers the right knowledge that they need to make a healthy decision and reduce the amount of abortions needed in the future. Perhaps as a society, we should concentrate less on fighting each other over legalizing a last resort, and deliberate more time and effort to implement better education and preventive measures. Abortion is really just that; a last resort. There can be so much done before hand in preventive instruction as to limit and reduce the number of abortions a …show more content…
year.
Works Cited
“10 Arguments in Favor of Pro-Choice Policy – Amplify.” Amplifya A Project of Advocates for Youth. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.
"Abortion - Emotional Issues." Better Health Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
"Abortion: MedlinePlus." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web.
"Adoption Statistics." Adoption Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013.
Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-life vs. Pro- choice. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2001. Print.
Coppens, Charles.
"Abortion." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 07 May 2013. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm>.
Gordon, John-Stewart. "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Abortion []. N.p., 18 June 2008. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/abortion/>.
Hinman, Lawrence M. "Ethics Updates - Abortion & Ethics." Ethics Updates - Abortion & Ethics. UCSD, n.d. Web. 21 December 2007. <http://ethics.sandiego.edu/Applied/Abortion/index.asp>.
"Lawmakers Ask If Taxes Fund Abortion; Planned Parenthood Targeted in Inquiry." The Washingtion Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 April. 2003.
“LifeNews.com.” Philosophical Arguments Destory “Pro-Choise” Case on Abortion. N.p., n.d. 26 June. 2012
Oswald, Sylvia H., PhD, Katharina Heil, and Lutz Goldbeck, PhD. "History of Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems in Foster Children." (n.d.): n. pag. Jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org. Web. <http://jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/5/462.full.pdf>.
"Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 15 May 2007.
"Some Thoughts on the Adoption Option." Some Thoughts on the Adoption Option. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May
2011.
Abortion remains one of the most contested issues as far as social and moral obligations are concerned. It has been a controversial topic for a long time. In the United States, abortion has been made legal and even after the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the 1973, the controversy still continues. Unfortunately, abortion is a liberty and right that some wish to eradicate. Some consider abortions immoral. They believe in misconceptions that are based off of skewed facts. They also believe it is a problem that must be stopped. Making abortions illegal will not sojourn anything. Abortions are a right. When a woman needs an abortion, she will do whatever it takes to have one. And it is sometimes the only option …show more content…
for disadvantaged women. Both sides in the debate present valid arguments to either support or refuse abortion. Pro-life arguments are mainly based on the concept of preservation of human life from the point of conception to that of giving full priority to unborn fetus’ life over that of the mother. On the other end, pro-abortionists challenge that women possess ultimate control of their bodies to that point of prioritizing their lives over the natural observable fact of the development of a new human being. Pro choice abortion refers to the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete right over her fertility and guarantees a woman her reproductive rights. I am a contender for pro choice abortions and as the fetus cannot live without the support of its mother, it has no real constitutional rights. Unlike pro life supporters whose stance supports that carrying out an abortion is violating the sanctity of life, I believe that life does not begin until the fetus can survive naturally outside of the womb.
There are those that oppose abortion that believe it is being use purely for profit. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, estimates that there were 1.21 million abortions performed in the U.S. in the year 2005. The average cost of a first trimester abortion (before 10 weeks) is $413 and the estimated average of a 2nd trimester abortion costs up to $3000. That means that each year in the U.S., the abortion industry brings in approximately $831 million through their abortion services alone. If you add in the $337 million that Planned Parenthood receives annually in government grants and contracts, the annual dollar amount moves well past 1 billion. Abortion is obviously a very lucrative business, and this has been true from the beginning. There are those that support abortion for the sole fact that it is a huge moneymaker for them. The owners of organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the abortion doctors that perform these procedures, and the business minded people that invest in these groups. Even so, whether financially motivated or not, the majority of people that support abortion are not supporters for the fact that they are profiting financially from it.
To really have an opinion or take a side on this matter, you must have a clear and well-defined understanding of exactly what abortion is, how it takes place, the emotions that go along with it, and the reasons for choosing it to begin with. No matter if you are pro choice or pro life, the act of aborting a fetus is all the same. Abortion refers to a practice whereby a pregnancy is terminated with the outcome being the death of a human fetus (Hillar, 2000). The matter at hand is not what abortion actually is, but is abortion morally right? Or is it completely unethical and downright evil? This is where the arguments begin.
Christians are particularly against abortions. They believe it is wrong. Many protest abortions and want to eliminate this right to all women. Even though many people practice pro-life because of their religion, it may be surprising to learn that catholic women are 29% more likely to get an abortion than Protestant women, though they are as likely as all women to do so2. In Christianity abortion has been considered homicide since Pope Sixtus V declared it so, but the debate didn’t become heated until the 19th century1. So even these pro-life supporters sometimes find the circumstances where abortion is necessary. However, not everyone is Christian. Just because it is an individual 's belief does not necessarily mean it applies to everyone. Thrusting personal beliefs unto is wrong and obnoxious. People have free will and they should have the right to decide whether or not to bear a child. No one else 's morals but hers should affect her personal choice.
The most common skewed argument against abortion is: "you are killing a baby". To pro life supporters, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking a human life. In their view, abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life. What is being eliminated is not a baby. Instead, an abortion in the first trimester is eliminating a group of cells and tissue from the uterus. The medical definition of a fetus is: a viviparous vertebrate having a basic structural resemblance to the adult animal after the gestational stage, or after about 11 weeks. A fetus in the womb cannot think, breathe, feel or do anything on its own. The controversy surrounding abortion is a product of differing morals. It was published in “Using Preimplantation Embryos for Research” (obstet) “if the preimplantation embryo is left or maintained outside the uterus, it cannot develop into a human being.” Therefore the baby is not a human being until it can survive outside of the womb.
Everyone has his or her own definition of when life begins but I believe that no matter what that point is for a woman, she should always retain the option of abortion up until a certain point of the pregnancy. Ultimately each patient determines the value and definition of life and that definition lies within her own mind and heart.
It is very important to understand why women opt for abortion. Women choose to abort due to a lot of difficult circumstances. Nobody aborts without a valid reason. These reasons would include age, society, responsibility, and a lot of many other causes. Unlike pro life believers would like to assume or think, women do not resort to this drastic measure nonchalantly and contrary to pro life belief, these women do care very much for the lives of their babies, hence why they may be choosing to not bring that child into a world where they know their offspring will only suffer and go through hardship. There are hundreds of explanations as to why women need abortions. The long list includes: she was a victim of rape/incest, she is not ready or too young for a child, she is financially incapable of having a baby, the fetus has a health problem, the woman has a health problem, she wants to avoid being a single parent, etc. The social aspect to these problems is not frivolous, but very serious. The only way to understand these reasons is to be in that woman 's shoes. They are legitimate reasons and cannot be solved in most cases. To think otherwise is incredibly naïve.
As part of an ever changing and chaotic world, there are many things that take place unexpectedly in our lives. Unwanted or unexpected pregnancies can be and are all too often one of these events. Not everybody, however, is capable, or even remotely ready for the tasks of being a parent. In an unstable economic world, the thought of supporting a family is impossible for most people to conjure. Children and pregnancy are a financial burden. An abortion within the first trimester cost ranges from $350-500. The average cost of a natural birth is anywhere between $ 9,000 and $17,000. A Cesarean section surgery can range from 10,000-20,000. It could cost an additional 1-2 thousand dollars for an epidural. Then, there is the cost of prenatal care, maternity clothes, etc. Even with insurance, people pay thousands of dollars out of pocket. Pregnancy itself is expensive; many people do not realize this until they themselves become pregnant. In addition, women don 't get paid on maternity leave. So, for a low income woman who cannot afford a pregnancy, let alone a child, has very little options. She will likely seek out an abortion as an act of desperation and a last resort. The financial burden could cause her to go hungry, fall into debt, or lose her home.The cost of diapers alone for a Newport into its toddler year “averages an American family $60 a month, and formula, another $200” (Gilden) A lot of people that face unwanted pregnancies can barely make their rent each month without the added expense of diapers, formula, and school for a child they were not even expecting. It would only be logical that unfit mothers have the right to decide whether or not to bring their unborn child into a world they could never properly care for them. Would it not be the only responsible choice for these women to make to fix and make up for their irresponsible actions of getting pregnant to begin with?
For women that find themselves in the especially heartbreaking predicament of having to choose whether or not to give birth to their own child, they have an extravagant amount of circumstances and positions to think over and consider. All too often, women bring children into a world where they end up neglected and poorly taken care of. This unjust and unfair circumstance can be avoided. There is a distinct difference between an unwanted pregnancy and unwanted child. Unwanted pregnancies, more often than not, lead to children who are inevitably abused and neglected due to the fact that the parent or parents were not mentally; emotionally, or financially ready to be responsible for another life. Some pro lifers say that once becoming a parent, your natural parental instincts will kick in and you will somehow magically transform into a loving parenting figure. If this were true, there would not be so many neglected and poor children that every day are released into foster care because their parents were not able to care for them. Numerous children are tossed from one foster home to the next because of this. If children are considered expendable before birth, then depriving these mothers of that choice will only make them view their children as expendable even after birth. Some psychologist will contend that both unintended and unwanted childbearing can have extremely negative health, social, and psychological consequences. Health problems include much greater chances for illness and death for both mother and child. Unwanted and unintended childbearing has also been linked with a variety of social problems like divorce, poverty, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency. It was found that unwanted children who had an insecure family life grew up to be adults that were more likely to engage in criminal behavior, be on welfare, and receive extensive psychiatric services. These same children also showed much lower self esteem than their peers. All of these negative and torturous outcomes are not the unborn child’s fault, but it is, nonetheless, the most likely outcome for all children that are born into a world their parents never wanted them to enter. Access to abortion continues to play a major role in the prevention of unwanted births around the world and in developed countries, of the 28 million pregnancies occurring every year, an estimated 49 percent are unplanned, and 36 percent end in abortion. To this discerning matter, pro life supporters offer a grand and seemingly simple solution; adoption. This is a somewhat presumptuous and highly optimistic point of view, which in the end just does not make sense statistically or realistically. It is a great alternative to abortion, and if it was physically possible to guarantee each child born and given up to adoption instead of aborted would have loving families and have a fair shot at the American dream, then I agree there would be no need for abortion at all. Sadly, this is not the truth at all and more often than not, children, even babies do not get adopted and spend the majority of their young lives bouncing from foster home to foster home where they may be neglected or abused. Moreover, the adoption process in the United States is not simply attainable and a lot these unwanted babies and kids never end up getting adopted. Too many times, orphaned babies end up in homes where they are abused or neglected, or pushed from foster family to foster family never finding a forever home their whole childhood. They are then released into the reality of a confusing world at the age of 18 without any proper and substantial direction. A lot of these children end up traumatized or confused and have lasting emotional problems that last them the rest of their lives and will effect every aspect of their adulthoods including their future relationships. Moreover, it is not even remotely realistic to say that we can replace the option of abortion with the reality of adoption. “More than a million abortions are performed yearly in the U.S…approximately 3,250 abortions per day.” (Duncan) That number is only on the rise every year. It is not practical or sensible to suggest that there be over a million babies put up for adoption a year when the reality is that there were only “72,000 adoptions per year of non-kin babies” (childwelfare.gov) What will happen to the babies that don’t get adopted? They will most likely find themselves in the discerning position of foster care. If it were possible, then it would be a wonderful alternative but reality does not agree with it and there would never be enough adoptive families for these babies and the majority of them will sustain lives of loneliness and confusion. Knowing these numbers and the statistics behind adoptions in America, I can understand why and how women would choose to not put their children through the chaos of adoption. Is abortion not a better alternative to not knowing where your child could be and in whose hands? In some ways, abortion can even be seen as a way of saving the child from an imminently horrible way of life. In this grisly debate of pro choice or pro life, it is imperative that a person deciphers fact from fabrication. A common misconception is that women use abortion as a form of birth control. However, every clinic offering abortions strongly stresses that abortions are not the solution to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. They instead, inform women on reliable sources of birth control as well as abstinence. Abortion is never advertised by pro choice believers as just another form of birth control. Unlike pro lifers like to argue, most women do not abuse abortion as a casual form of contraceptive. I find this argument quite disconcerting. They debate that “even school kids nowadays have access, so there is absolutely no reason to use abortion as the chosen method of birth control.” (NettN) Firstly, just because there are many forms of birth control available, it does not always mean that they are always successful or that human error never occurs in an unwanted pregnancy. In a perfect world, of course birth control would always prevent unwanted pregnancies, but in our reality, that is not always the case so abortion must be a viable option after the point of conception. The majority of women that resort to abortion do so on the premise that they have come to a standstill in their lives where abortion is the only option left. Perhaps they could not afford contraceptives or they missed their dosage. As human beings we are not perfect. Unlike how they are often portrayed, women who resort to abortion are not heartless nor emotionless beings. Ultimately, it is their body and their choice and they govern these choices by many factors and elements only they can explain and understand. They will be the ones that have to live with their choice, but they must be allowed to make those choices for themselves. These women do not just use abortion as a casual form of birth control or another contraceptive. They use abortion as a last resort and sometimes desperate last chance. It is also a myth that women will always regret getting an abortion. Studies show that “the most common emotion felt by women post abortion is relief and not depression or trauma.” (PRF) Unlike the misconception that abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress on mothers to be, there is scientific proof and many studies conducted that prove “women who are denied abortion and keep their child are likely to experience more emotional distress than those who have the procedure.” (betterhealth.org) In one study, more than half of women who were denied an abortion reported long periods of mental disturbance and emotional strain after the birth of the child. I agree with the findings of these studies and even though there is proof that women who have abortions go through emotional and mental distress as well, I believe that the level of disturbance may be higher if they had not gotten the procedure done. It would be traumatizing for a woman to be denied what she wants for her baby and for her own life. As it may be, I don’t think anyone on the pro life side is considering the inevitable trauma and stress the unwanted baby must endure once born into a world where they are not wanted. Children should never have to suffer and endure the mistakes of their parents. If the mother has the instinct to know that she may not provide for her child or care for it even before birth, then she should obtain the right to abort the pregnancy instead of putting her child through that kind of torture. Not only will the baby suffer during the pregnancy but it will also suffer through the rest of its life. It is also scientifically proven that mothers who are stressed during pregnancy give birth o babies that are more likely to have mental disabilities and emotional difficulties in life. What is stress but an unwanted pregnancy that a woman must withstand for nine months? Justifiably, Women have the right to their own body, just like people have the right to make their own decisions. If the government controls women 's choices on abortion, sooner or later, the government will control other personal options and decisions that people will make. For instance; like how much they weigh, getting plastic surgery, etc. The government should never be allowed to dictate people 's judgments and resolutions to their problems. In addition, 77% of pro-life leaders are male. They have never experienced the agony of labor, childbirth, or a C-section. Telling a woman she cannot have an abortion is akin to telling a someone they cannot have a liver transplant. Both are necessary procedures. Without the procedure it can pose a physical threat. And sometimes people are responsible for their condition. A person has the right to seek medical attention. Why should an abortion be any different? It is estimated that 43% of women worldwide will have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old2. It is also estimated that there are 43 million abortions a year2. Imagine that those abortions had not occurred with the current population issue in the world, there are over 7 billion people on the planet and we have limited resources, which are depleting quickly. So in a strange way abortion is beneficial to the world. Pro-life supporters do not see the situations, reasons, and benefits from abortions. They are somewhat ignorant to the reason why many women choose to make the decision they do. Making abortions illegal will not solve anything. If a woman wants an abortion, she will do whatever it takes to get one. If we take the right to choose away from women, is it safe at all to presume that they will not go elsewhere to obtain, by their own measures, the means to an abortion? To this day, in states that don’t allow abortion, women are being arrested for the crime of ending their own pregnancies. History shows that women have always tried to terminate unwanted pregnancies. When safe medical procedures are banned by law, they have resorted to dangers, sometimes deadly “back alley” abortions. Women are determined enough to risk prison, sexual molestation, and their existence. If a woman is willing to go through that for an abortion it clearly affects her more than those against it. No one against abortions is willing to lose their life to make it illegal. Thousands of women have died during an illegal abortion; even though the exact number is impossible to determine, because it is illegal. If abortions are illegalized, women will resort to this again. If people are so concerned with life, they shouldn 't outlaw abortions. It is clear abortion should remain legal; even if it seems immoral it can often be the best situation for the people that have to make that tough decision. Pro-choice defends and protects the people, it is ultimately the woman’s life that would be affected and no one else’s, who would the government be to take that away from us the people? Abortions should only be a last resort; however, they should be available to all women. Its availability should not discriminate. People shouldn 't restrict other 's rights based on personal values. Free will is a precious thing that no one should control. Sometimes, an abortion is the best or only solution for a woman. If abortions are illegalized they could potentially kill more than they intend to save. We live in a country based on freedoms, and women have and should continue to have the freedom to that choice. For as long as abortion exists, there has been and always will be an endless debate on whether it is morally correct to perform such a task. As proven throughout this essay, although there are numerous arguments for both sides, no one is really right or wrong in the end. It still boils down to each and every individuals views and beliefs. Whether it be for moral, financial, emotional, or religious reasons, the war will wage on this topic. There will, however, always be women willing to stand for their right to make the choices they feel necessary for the lives and their bodies. All of this unnecessary pain and emotional agony could have and should have been avoided by never criminalizing abortion from the beginning. Women have every right over their bodies and it does not boil down to whether it is right or wrong, or good or bad. It boils down to the fact that as human beings, we have the right to a choice and a decision on what we want for our own well-being. It is wrong to deprive a person of choice. As our own persons, we must decide for each of ourselves whether we believe the act of abortion is right or wrong, but we must be able to make that choice for ourselves and not take that right from anyone else.
No matter where you stand on this debate, both pro life supporters and pro choice believers can agree on one thing; We can prevent the problem before it even begins.
Both sides of the argument can agree that Schools should implement sex ed. classes that teach about safe sex. This gives teenagers the right knowledge that they need to make a healthy decision and reduce the amount of abortions needed in the future. Perhaps as a society, we should concentrate less on fighting each other over legalizing a last resort, and deliberate more time and effort to implement better education and preventive measures. Abortion is really just that; a last resort. There can be so much done before hand in preventive instruction as to limit and reduce the number of abortions a …show more content…
year.
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Oswald, Sylvia H., PhD, Katharina Heil, and Lutz Goldbeck, PhD. "History of Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems in Foster Children." (n.d.): n. pag. Jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org. Web. <http://jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/5/462.full.pdf>.
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