Should Abortion Be Illegal

Abortion is one of the most argumentative topics of all times. Abortion is defined as the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy (dictionary.com). Aborting has caused innumerable confrontations between individual’s opinions. There are two types of common abortions the in-clinic abortion, and the abortion pill. The in-clinic procedure is a suction-aspiration abortion the opening to your womb (cervix) must be stretched open wide. This is difficult because the cervix is closed tight and is hard. Sometimes the abortionist uses long cylindrical rods ("Abortionfacts.com," ). The abortion pill is called mifepristone it is a medicine that ends an early pregnancy. In general, it can be used up to 63 days “9 weeks” after the first day of a woman's last period (Cullins, 2012). An abortion results in the death of an embryo or a fetus, and destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children. Many people believe abortions are based on moral beliefs and issues, but others consider it a constitutional issue. There are many reasons why I’m totally against abortion 1) it ends the life of a living child (murder), 2) it can have devastating effects on your body, for example: never having children again, or complicated pregnancy, 3) It can emotionally scar you mentally for a long time, regretting the decision you made. There are many people who are for abortion, and just as many against it, they usually base their opinions on their religious beliefs and the situations they are in. I strongly disagree with abortion and feel that it should not be legal unless the mother’s life is at risk! As I sit and think about the innocent lives that have been taken it is devastating, and I wonder how the women feel after making such a terrible decision, and if they ever told the father of the child that they were pregnant. Women who are thinking about making such a substantial decision such as this should at least give the father of the child an option of rather he did or didn’t want to appoint himself to be the caretaker and ask the mother to sign all her rights away. All women seem to think about themselves, and not considering the thoughts and feelings of others. Yes, there should be certain steps made before women encounter a procedure such as abortion. Overall, abortion puts a woman's life at risk during the procedure and in many other ways, drastically increasing her chances of breast cancer, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and other mental and emotional problems.
To begin with abortion ends the life of a living child; many consider this “murder”, due to taking the life of an innocent child who can’t defend for itself. I imply the word “murder” simply being everybody knows right from wrong, and abortion is wrong because it’s actually killing another living being considering the baby has a heartbeat. The baby's heart starts beating around 5 weeks, or around the time you'd find out you were pregnant. It can move, and its "major" body systems are already developing. My family and I take in consideration our religious beliefs and one of Gods Ten Commandments is “thou shall not kill’. God is the one who give us life, so he should be the only one to take it away. The Bible plainly states that human life begins prior to birth. While Rebekah is pregnant with the twins Esau and Jacob, for example, Genesis 25:22 states that "the children struggled together within her." Also, when Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist and met the Virgin Mary, it stated "the child leaped in her womb" (KJV, Luke 1:41). I’m positively sure that if anyone who practices any type of religion rather it be Christianity, Buddhism, etc… Neither of them would agree to such a horrid decision. On the other hand, mothers need to ponder rather than making a hasty decision when considering the lives of others. There are many couples who aren’t able to have children, so why would a mother take the life of a living being their own fleshing blood, when they have other options to choose, such as putting the child up for adoption. Choosing adoption is the best option to consider, just thinking you’re saving a child’s life and given he/she a chance to live and experience life, and also helping a family whom is unable to have kids. Imagine the look on a married couple’s face that hasn’t been able to conceive, you couldn’t buy their smile, or their new bundle of joy for a million dollars. A personal experience that I’ve encountered is my brother and sister-n-law, they had been married for four years and could never ever have a child, and my sister-n-law went to the doctor and is now currently taking fertility medicine, but still hasn’t conceived. This couple has to decide to adopt, because they have a great chance of not having a child of their own. There are many couples across the United States who truly want kids of their own, but due to some physical problems with either the male or female their unable to conceive a child, so the best chances of them ever being parents is to simply adopt. I asked my sister-n-law what was her opinion on abortion and she stated “that abortion should be against the law unless the mother’s life is in danger, and that the women who are pregnant that want an abortion should think about adoption, rather than choosing abortion. That they could be helping married couples like me, I’m heart broken when I think about these innocent lives that are being taken, and never having a chance to live” (Oxendine, 2012).
Next, abortion could have devastating effects on your body, for example: never having children again, or complicated pregnancy. Common physical side effects after a surgical abortion include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but side effects on your body that may occur and need immediate attention is intense pain, punctured uterus, excessive bleeding, infection, parts of baby left inside, shock/coma, damage to other organs, or even death. Symptoms that may occur later on in life after an abortion could be inability to become pregnant again, miscarriage/stillbirths, tubal pregnancies, pelvic inflammatory disease, hysterectomy, and delivering a premature baby in the future, which may cause the baby to develop cerebral palsy, respiratory and bowel problems, and conditions of the brain. Cramping similar to an intense period and spotting or bleeding might occur. The American Pregnancy Association states that serious complications occur in less than one out of 100 early abortions and one in 50 late-term abortions. These complications include damage to the cervix, scarring of the uterine lining, infection or sepsis, and perforation of the uterus. Although death from abortion is rare, any surgery is potentially fatal (Jones, 14 J). These side effects can result in complications during future pregnancies, premature birth of future babies, or even never being able to conceive another child. Can you only imagine making a decision that might have a negative effect on your future, maybe you decide to marry, and your spouse wants a child, then the previous decision that you made about aborting your first pregnancy might have ruined your body and you’re unable to carry a child. Mothers should take all these situations in consideration when making a hasty decision such as abortion. Before you decide to have an abortion or give advice to someone else to have one, get the facts straight. There are many alternatives that may be safer and healthier for the mother and baby, rather than abortion. Adoption is made to be the number one chose to choose when planning to abort, there are many myths, but also facts when choosing to put your baby up for adoption such as one myth is a really caring mother would never give up her child and she don't deserve to be a mother if you choose adoption, but the true fact is a mother unselfishly creates an adoption plan for her child is placing her child’s best interest above her own. It is an ultimate sacrifice for a mother to choose life for her child and realize what is best for her child. Adoption is a caring and responsible process that is as natural and loving as parenting ("American adoptions," 2012). The question is would you rather be physically damaged, hurting yourself and risking future pregnancies or helping a family who is unable to conceive a child, by putting your child up for adoption?
Last, but not lease it can emotionally scar the mother mentally for a long time, regretting the decision she made. Women that usually feel like this have had previous emotional problems in the past, their parents, spouse, etc… pressured them into getting an abortion, or their religious beliefs have played a part. Usually when this happens they feel regret, angry, shame, loneliness, that follows by nightmares, anxiety, depression, and sometimes eating disorders. While an abortion affects a woman physically, its emotional effects are highly disturbing, as deciding to give up a pregnancy is not an easy task. The guilt, the anger, and the depression, may haunt her after undergoing an abortion. This is no way to have to feel, when the mother could have simply stood her grounds and carried the baby full term and then put the child up for adoption. After being scared mentally and emotionally it can take years to overcome. Sometimes it can be overcome with love shown from the family, spouse etc… or even another pregnancy and the mother decides to keep that child. On the other hand sometimes it takes seeking professional help and medications; it all depends on how depressed or mentally sick the mother may be. Women with emotional problems usually develop eating disorders, or may suffer from alcohol and drug abuse, as a response to the depression that occurs after an abortion. In some cases, women may have repeated flashbacks of the entire procedure of abortion, which excessively increases the guilt to the point where women may begin to contemplate suicide, and have a spate of suicidal thoughts. An abortion also affects the relationships that were associated with the unborn child.
The emotional stress may also affect a woman's sex life, leading to sexual dysfunction (Lalwani, 2011). According to Dr. Anne Speckhard, Ph.D., in her study on Post Abortion Syndrome, found the following effects on women: Events related to abortion 23% had hallucinations related to the abortion, 35% perceived visitation from the aborted child, 54% had nightmares related to the abortion, 69% experienced feelings of "craziness", 73% had flashbacks of abortion experience, 81% had a preoccupation with the aborted child. She also studied that the most common behavioral problems after abortions where 61% increased their use of alcohol, 65% had thoughts of suicide, 69% were sexually inhibited, 73% had flashbacks of the abortion, 77% experienced an inability to communicate, 81% experienced frequent crying (Rue, 2009). I personally wouldn’t wish this feeling on my worst enemy, I would suggest adoption, rather abortion any day of the week, because when dealing with a decision with so much negativity, I think that the best interest would be adoption. The mother then would know that the child has been well taken care and getting to live a life that he/she deserves.
In conclusion, I ask the question should abortion be legal? My answer is no, it’s cruel, cold murder of a living being, it may harm the mothers body physically resulting in never conceiving another child, or having a full term pregnancy which may result in a premature birth, and scaring the mother mentally and emotionally. All three reasons are legit and making the decision to abort shouldn’t be taking likely. Mothers should think of other options rather than abortion, this could alleviate a lot of pain and suffering throughout the years to come. I personally think, the only case that abortion should be made legal is if it is dealing with incest or some type of serious birth defect which will seriously affect the quality of life for the child, or in some cases, complications which may be necessary for the safety of the mother. On another note, you have a healthy developing baby that could potentially be a Noble Prize winner. Every fetus grows into a baby who has so much potential to do great things. But a dead fetus doesn't do anything. My recommendation to anyone who is debating on rather to abort or adopt weigh your pros and cons, and whichever one outweighs the other then that’s the choice you should make. I guarantee if this is done absolutely right adoption will be your number one answer. "Abortion has a painful aftermath, regardless of the woman's religious beliefs, or how positive she may have felt beforehand about her decision to abort." Vincent Rue, Ph.D. - Psychologist
Jones, A. (14 J). livestrong.com. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/231837-how-abortions-could-harm-the-mother/
(1989). Abortion. (Vol. 19). Washington: Off Our Backs, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/197135209?accountid=32521 (Abortion, 1989)
Abortionfacts.com. Retrieved from http://www.abortionfacts.com/literature/literature_904AO.asp
Cullins, V. (2012). Planned parenthood. Retrieved from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp
The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: American Bible Society: 1999; Bartleby.com, 2000. www.bartleby.com/108/.
Oxendine, K. (2012, November 10). Interview by A. Oxendine [Personal Interview]. Should abortion be illegl?., Lumberton, N.C.
American adoptions. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.americanadoptions.com/
Lalwani, P. (2011, September 20). Buzzle. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/abortion-side-effects-of-abortion.html
Rue, D. V. (2009). Prolife america. Retrieved from http://www.prolife.com/ABORT12.html