Abortion Should NOT Be Legal In The US
We were all once children. A small baby that would giggle at a strangers funny face, and amuse a whole room of people just because you were new and adorable. Babies are definitely precious, but caring for a baby involves a lot of time, money, and love. Raising a child can be stressful on your own, or with a partner when you have a healthy relationship. How would you feel if today you discovered you were going to be a parent in less than a year? Most would feel overwhelmed and confused. Even though contraceptives are very protective these days, people can use them improperly or not use them at all. This results in a pregnancy for a large number of women every year. When a woman finds out she is pregnant it can be scary, especially when she is not ready for this sudden, life-long commitment. We need to change our laws to make abortions less accessible, more safe,
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and decrease the pregnancy rate.
Most people can agree that abortion is currently one of the most debated issues in America. Today, abortion is legal in the U.S., but that has split us into two sides. The pro-life side believes that “abortion is murder,” pro-choice supporters say that those opposed to abortion are against free choice and the rights of women (“Abortion” 5). Despite the fact that abortion was illegal in the United States before 1973—except in extreme circumstances involving the health of the mother—many women were able to find someone who would help them end their pregnancy. Often performed by untrained individuals in unsanitary conditions, these illegal abortions harmed women physically, increased the risks associated with future pregnancies, and even resulted in death (“Abortions” 1). About 13 percent of all maternal deaths are attributed to unsafe abortions (“Abortions” 13). Woman should not be dying as a result of their fear. If that abortion is necessary it needs to be in a clinical
setting As of February 2016, twenty-eight states had required waiting periods between a woman obtaining counseling and undergoing an abortion procedure, with several states mandating a seventy-two-hour waiting period (“Abortions” 20). This waiting period can be very difficult for some women, due to the fact some states have only one abortion clinic. This turns a quick procedure into a 3-4 day process. Although, I think it is very beneficial for her to make this decision with a lot of consideration and knowledge available. But we do not want to make getting the operation too difficult, because she will find another way if needed. Every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (“The global cost of unsafe abortion” 2). Woman should not be dying from these preventable complications that arise from them taking the abortion into their own, untrained hands.
Sadly, most abortions are due to partners not practicing safe sex. In fact, over 99% of all pregnancies are the result of sexual relations in which both partners have willingly participated ("The Rights of a Woman” 8). This means that it is rare for a person to get an abortion as a result of sexual assault or a medical emergency. In 2005 there were around 1.2 million abortions in the United States, and 1.2% (15,600) of these abortions occurred after the 20th week (Davenport, 1). Peggy Jarman of the Pro-Choice Action League stated that about three-fourths of these late-term patients were teenagers who denied to themselves or their families that they were pregnant until they could no longer hide it (Davenport, 5). Consequently, these unborn children are aborted at a time in their development where they have major organs, their sex, and the ability to feel pain. It is tragic, but what if abortion was completely illegal? Let us say that not even the small percent of women who need the operation because their life is at stake could get one. Despite the fact abortion is illegal in the United States many women would be able to find someone who would help them end their pregnancy. This actually happened often in the United States before 1973. These abortions were usually performed by untrained individuals and unsanitary conditions, and were very dangerous to the woman physically and sometimes resulted in death (“Abortion” 1).Therefore, in a Roe v. Wade the United States Supreme Court ruled that laws against abortion were unconstitutional and violated a woman's right to privacy (“Abortion” 15). But at what point do the rights of the unborn child outweigh the rights of the mother? Interestingly, unborn children have the right to inherit property, and if one is wrongfully killed the person at fault can be charged with manslaughter (“Abortions” 17). Yet, the mother can get rid of the child without consequence, even when the baby is 5-6 months old. This is a very complicated situation that most people feel the need to be on an extreme side with. Women deserve the right to have control over their bodies, but a clear line needs to be drawn to indicate when and unborn child has that same freedom. Right now, a child can legally be aborted at a time where they can feel pain, and that is disturbing. Furthermore, it is equally saddening to think that a mother would be so desperate for help, that she would allow an untrained stranger to dangerously take away her unwanted fetus. There must be a middle ground and it needs to be stated and executed.
Pro-life and pro choice are the two sides we are told to choose from. The pro-life side believes that abortion is murder and should not be legal. Although, what about in cases where a woman was raped or if the woman's body can not give birth without harming the mother? If we cut off all types of abortions, it will force many parents to raise a child that they truly can not feel a connection towards. This would lead to an unhealthy household for the child to grow up in. The pro-choice side believes that any restrictions on abortion is a violation of a women's rights (“Abortions” 5). Restricting abortion does not imply that the fetus is more valuable than the mother. It recognizes that an unborn child's right to live outweighs the woman's right to not be pregnant (“The Rights of A Woman” 42). Keep in mind, the vast majority of these aborted pregnancies were created by two partners that gave consent to have sex before they were ready to deal with a potential baby. Although it may not make either side happy, there is certainly a middle ground.
There needs to be more regulations on when an abortion is acceptable. An abortion should be allowed up until eight weeks, under normal circumstances. Abortion should be legal up until the end of the first trimester (twelve weeks) when the baby was created as a result of rape. When a pregnancy is truly harmful to the mother's health, an abortion can be allowed at any time because health concerns are not always detected in the first few months. A mother and father should be able to decide if they want to keep the baby when her life is at risk. Also, sometimes when a child is created in cases of sexual assault, it can be hard for the mother to feel a connection towards the child because it will only bring up terrible memories. Therefore, if she feels her psychological health is at risk and she could harm the baby after birth, then abortion is acceptable. The price of birth control and condoms should decrease, especially in areas with poverty. When a High School was surveyed, only 68.5% of males used a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse (Doak, 1). Schools need to teach sex education early on, and be honest about safe sex, pregnancy, and abortion in their lessons. Due to the fact there would be an increase in women keeping their babies until birth, the adoption process needs to be more efficient. The adoption process can sometimes take years, and this results in fewer families wanting to adopt. Furthermore, agencies should lower their prices to allow more children to be adopted by loving families for when a woman can not handle a child. If all of these changes were made I truly believe that the amount of abortions would dramatically decrease and many more children would be adopted every year.
Abortion is sometimes necessary for a woman who cannot handle the responsibility of a child, or in cases where their health is at risk, or if they were sexually assaulted. Some forms of abortion are cruel, therefore we need to make sure our methods are as painless as possible. Shaming a woman is not the way to solve this problem. We need to find a middle ground between pro-life and pro-choice. If we compromise, neither side will be entirely happy, but at least some goals from each side will be met. A woman's rights to privacy and health are truly important, and so are the rights of an unborn child. We need to take both into consideration without depriving one's rights completely, and that is where the solution lies.
and decrease the pregnancy rate.
Most people can agree that abortion is currently one of the most debated issues in America. Today, abortion is legal in the U.S., but that has split us into two sides. The pro-life side believes that “abortion is murder,” pro-choice supporters say that those opposed to abortion are against free choice and the rights of women (“Abortion” 5). Despite the fact that abortion was illegal in the United States before 1973—except in extreme circumstances involving the health of the mother—many women were able to find someone who would help them end their pregnancy. Often performed by untrained individuals in unsanitary conditions, these illegal abortions harmed women physically, increased the risks associated with future pregnancies, and even resulted in death (“Abortions” 1). About 13 percent of all maternal deaths are attributed to unsafe abortions (“Abortions” 13). Woman should not be dying as a result of their fear. If that abortion is necessary it needs to be in a clinical
setting As of February 2016, twenty-eight states had required waiting periods between a woman obtaining counseling and undergoing an abortion procedure, with several states mandating a seventy-two-hour waiting period (“Abortions” 20). This waiting period can be very difficult for some women, due to the fact some states have only one abortion clinic. This turns a quick procedure into a 3-4 day process. Although, I think it is very beneficial for her to make this decision with a lot of consideration and knowledge available. But we do not want to make getting the operation too difficult, because she will find another way if needed. Every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (“The global cost of unsafe abortion” 2). Woman should not be dying from these preventable complications that arise from them taking the abortion into their own, untrained hands.
Sadly, most abortions are due to partners not practicing safe sex. In fact, over 99% of all pregnancies are the result of sexual relations in which both partners have willingly participated ("The Rights of a Woman” 8). This means that it is rare for a person to get an abortion as a result of sexual assault or a medical emergency. In 2005 there were around 1.2 million abortions in the United States, and 1.2% (15,600) of these abortions occurred after the 20th week (Davenport, 1). Peggy Jarman of the Pro-Choice Action League stated that about three-fourths of these late-term patients were teenagers who denied to themselves or their families that they were pregnant until they could no longer hide it (Davenport, 5). Consequently, these unborn children are aborted at a time in their development where they have major organs, their sex, and the ability to feel pain. It is tragic, but what if abortion was completely illegal? Let us say that not even the small percent of women who need the operation because their life is at stake could get one. Despite the fact abortion is illegal in the United States many women would be able to find someone who would help them end their pregnancy. This actually happened often in the United States before 1973. These abortions were usually performed by untrained individuals and unsanitary conditions, and were very dangerous to the woman physically and sometimes resulted in death (“Abortion” 1).Therefore, in a Roe v. Wade the United States Supreme Court ruled that laws against abortion were unconstitutional and violated a woman's right to privacy (“Abortion” 15). But at what point do the rights of the unborn child outweigh the rights of the mother? Interestingly, unborn children have the right to inherit property, and if one is wrongfully killed the person at fault can be charged with manslaughter (“Abortions” 17). Yet, the mother can get rid of the child without consequence, even when the baby is 5-6 months old. This is a very complicated situation that most people feel the need to be on an extreme side with. Women deserve the right to have control over their bodies, but a clear line needs to be drawn to indicate when and unborn child has that same freedom. Right now, a child can legally be aborted at a time where they can feel pain, and that is disturbing. Furthermore, it is equally saddening to think that a mother would be so desperate for help, that she would allow an untrained stranger to dangerously take away her unwanted fetus. There must be a middle ground and it needs to be stated and executed.
Pro-life and pro choice are the two sides we are told to choose from. The pro-life side believes that abortion is murder and should not be legal. Although, what about in cases where a woman was raped or if the woman's body can not give birth without harming the mother? If we cut off all types of abortions, it will force many parents to raise a child that they truly can not feel a connection towards. This would lead to an unhealthy household for the child to grow up in. The pro-choice side believes that any restrictions on abortion is a violation of a women's rights (“Abortions” 5). Restricting abortion does not imply that the fetus is more valuable than the mother. It recognizes that an unborn child's right to live outweighs the woman's right to not be pregnant (“The Rights of A Woman” 42). Keep in mind, the vast majority of these aborted pregnancies were created by two partners that gave consent to have sex before they were ready to deal with a potential baby. Although it may not make either side happy, there is certainly a middle ground.
There needs to be more regulations on when an abortion is acceptable. An abortion should be allowed up until eight weeks, under normal circumstances. Abortion should be legal up until the end of the first trimester (twelve weeks) when the baby was created as a result of rape. When a pregnancy is truly harmful to the mother's health, an abortion can be allowed at any time because health concerns are not always detected in the first few months. A mother and father should be able to decide if they want to keep the baby when her life is at risk. Also, sometimes when a child is created in cases of sexual assault, it can be hard for the mother to feel a connection towards the child because it will only bring up terrible memories. Therefore, if she feels her psychological health is at risk and she could harm the baby after birth, then abortion is acceptable. The price of birth control and condoms should decrease, especially in areas with poverty. When a High School was surveyed, only 68.5% of males used a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse (Doak, 1). Schools need to teach sex education early on, and be honest about safe sex, pregnancy, and abortion in their lessons. Due to the fact there would be an increase in women keeping their babies until birth, the adoption process needs to be more efficient. The adoption process can sometimes take years, and this results in fewer families wanting to adopt. Furthermore, agencies should lower their prices to allow more children to be adopted by loving families for when a woman can not handle a child. If all of these changes were made I truly believe that the amount of abortions would dramatically decrease and many more children would be adopted every year.
Abortion is sometimes necessary for a woman who cannot handle the responsibility of a child, or in cases where their health is at risk, or if they were sexually assaulted. Some forms of abortion are cruel, therefore we need to make sure our methods are as painless as possible. Shaming a woman is not the way to solve this problem. We need to find a middle ground between pro-life and pro-choice. If we compromise, neither side will be entirely happy, but at least some goals from each side will be met. A woman's rights to privacy and health are truly important, and so are the rights of an unborn child. We need to take both into consideration without depriving one's rights completely, and that is where the solution lies.