The Pros And Cons Of Abortion
If we took a moment of silence for each baby lost to abortion, we would be silent for over 100 years” (Frank Pavone). Many people who are pro-abortion continuously argue that abortion is not murder. However, if abortion is not murder, then why is it considered double homicide when a pregnant woman is killed? Unfortunately, over one million abortions are performed each year, which is a fifth of all pregnancies in the United States. Abortion should be illegal because not only does it hurt and kill the innocent baby, but it can also physically and emotionally hurt the mother as well. Everyone deserves the right to grow up, laugh, make mistakes, and live his or her life fully. No one deserves to have his or her life brutally ripped from them. Abortion is the greatest act of cowardice, because it preys on those who cannot defend themselves. Pro-abortionists argue that the fetus is not yet a human life, but this has been scientifically proven to be wrong numerous times. It is illegal to destroy a bald eagle egg, and doing so can result in a $250,000 fine and up to two years in prison. However, killing an innocent human baby is not only legal, but liberals
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are forcing taxpayers to pay for this nonsense. Many argue that an embryo or “fetus” is not considered life. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, life is, “a material complex or individual characterized by the capacity to perform certain functional activities, including metabolism, growth, reproduction, and some form of responsiveness and adaptation.” After conception, human embryos exhibit all of these features. Not only is abortion murder, but it can also cause a great deal of pain for the unborn child. With the emergence of sonograms and live-action ultrasound images, doctors are able to see that unborn babies at twenty weeks’ gestation react physically to outside stimuli such as sound, light, and touch. The unborn baby’s sense of touch is so acute that even a single human hair drawn across an unborn baby's palm causes the baby to make a fist. Surgeons entering the womb to perform corrective procedures on tiny unborn babies have seen those babies flinch, jerk, and withdrawal from sharp objects and incisions. “The neural pathways are present for pain to be experienced quite early by unborn babies,” explains Steven Calvin, M.D. Unborn babies at twenty weeks’ development actually feel pain more intensely than adults. This is because babies in the womb have a higher density of nerve receptors than adults. In the suction-aspiration method of abortion, the abortionist inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like edge into the uterus. The suction tears the baby’s body into pieces. Many women getting abortions aren’t aware of how horrific the procedure is. Abortion can also drastically harm the mother physically and emotionally.
Women who have had abortions suffer an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide. A study published in a recent edition of the “Journal of Anxiety Disorders” found that women who aborted their unintended pregnancies were thirty percent more likely to report all the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder than those women who had carried their unintended pregnancies to full-term. Abortion can also hinder future reproductive success. It substantially increases the risk of subsequent preterm birth, which seriously threatens the lives and health of newborn children. The risk of premature delivery increases with each additional abortion. Abortion is also associated with an increased risk of infertility, miscarriage, and ectopic
pregnancy.
Other long-term risks of abortion include breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers. In addition to its risks to a woman’s physical health, abortion can have negative psychological consequences as well. Studies within the first few weeks after the abortion have found that between forty and sixty percent of women reported negative emotional effects. Within eight weeks after their abortions, fifty-five percent expressed guilt, forty-four percent complained of nervous disorders, thirty-six percent had experienced sleep disturbances, thirty-five percent had regrets about their decision, and eleven percent had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. Many people are not aware of the serious dangers associated with abortion. Severe and long term effects on the mental and emotional well-being of a woman can be caused by abortion. People who are pro-abortion will argue that abortion is okay in cases of rape, but there are always better options, such as adoption. Worldwide, there are over 105 abortions per minute. Without a doubt, abortion should be illegal if murder is illegal. It should never be “lawful” to kill any innocent human being. “A Nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope” (Pope John Paul II).
are forcing taxpayers to pay for this nonsense. Many argue that an embryo or “fetus” is not considered life. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, life is, “a material complex or individual characterized by the capacity to perform certain functional activities, including metabolism, growth, reproduction, and some form of responsiveness and adaptation.” After conception, human embryos exhibit all of these features. Not only is abortion murder, but it can also cause a great deal of pain for the unborn child. With the emergence of sonograms and live-action ultrasound images, doctors are able to see that unborn babies at twenty weeks’ gestation react physically to outside stimuli such as sound, light, and touch. The unborn baby’s sense of touch is so acute that even a single human hair drawn across an unborn baby's palm causes the baby to make a fist. Surgeons entering the womb to perform corrective procedures on tiny unborn babies have seen those babies flinch, jerk, and withdrawal from sharp objects and incisions. “The neural pathways are present for pain to be experienced quite early by unborn babies,” explains Steven Calvin, M.D. Unborn babies at twenty weeks’ development actually feel pain more intensely than adults. This is because babies in the womb have a higher density of nerve receptors than adults. In the suction-aspiration method of abortion, the abortionist inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like edge into the uterus. The suction tears the baby’s body into pieces. Many women getting abortions aren’t aware of how horrific the procedure is. Abortion can also drastically harm the mother physically and emotionally.
Women who have had abortions suffer an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide. A study published in a recent edition of the “Journal of Anxiety Disorders” found that women who aborted their unintended pregnancies were thirty percent more likely to report all the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder than those women who had carried their unintended pregnancies to full-term. Abortion can also hinder future reproductive success. It substantially increases the risk of subsequent preterm birth, which seriously threatens the lives and health of newborn children. The risk of premature delivery increases with each additional abortion. Abortion is also associated with an increased risk of infertility, miscarriage, and ectopic
pregnancy.
Other long-term risks of abortion include breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers. In addition to its risks to a woman’s physical health, abortion can have negative psychological consequences as well. Studies within the first few weeks after the abortion have found that between forty and sixty percent of women reported negative emotional effects. Within eight weeks after their abortions, fifty-five percent expressed guilt, forty-four percent complained of nervous disorders, thirty-six percent had experienced sleep disturbances, thirty-five percent had regrets about their decision, and eleven percent had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. Many people are not aware of the serious dangers associated with abortion. Severe and long term effects on the mental and emotional well-being of a woman can be caused by abortion. People who are pro-abortion will argue that abortion is okay in cases of rape, but there are always better options, such as adoption. Worldwide, there are over 105 abortions per minute. Without a doubt, abortion should be illegal if murder is illegal. It should never be “lawful” to kill any innocent human being. “A Nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope” (Pope John Paul II).