Abortion
Pro-Choice
Abortion is a very tough issue to discuss. Contrary to what some believe, it is not an issue that can be clearly seen as black and white. It's not that simple. It never will be, and to say it is that simple is to live in a world not based on reality.
I was recently asked on which side of the fence I stood – pro-life or pro-choice. I would have to say that without a doubt I am pro-choice. I would not personally undergo an abortion. I am at a stage in my life where I would whole-heartedly welcome a child of my own. Because I have the support of people who love me I feel that, for me, the procedure would be a risk I would have no reason to take. That would be my choice. I feel that others are entitled to their own choice too.
Let me state that I don't think anyone is 'pro-abortion.' No one wants to be put in a position where they have to make that kind of decision. Often times it is a very difficult decision for someone to make and, believe it or not, a lot of thought goes into the decision.
Roe vs. Wade was an extremely important ruling in the United States. It gave women the right to have an abortion to end unwanted pregnancy under any circumstances. It's a decision I support. Women should be able to have control over their own bodies and that includes the option of pregnancy.
I, for one, am thankful that I have the option of this right and I am afraid of losing it. I don't feel that I have the moral or legal right to judge someone's decision to have an abortion – no matter the circumstances or reasoning. The majority of the world, however, stands in the middle on this issue. Most people feel that the decision to have an abortion is a little more forgivable and understandable of a choice in some situations – such as rape or risk to the mother's life, and not a suitable choice for reasons of vanity or accidental pregnancy. It is mainly those who avidly and defiantly stand on just one side (pro-life / pro-choice) who argue the issue the most. I'm going to cover my views on abortion and the aspects that I see involved.
The Right to Life…
I'm going to start off by saying that I despise those who protest outside of clinics. Yes, they are practicing a first-amendment constitutional right – usually for moral / religious reasons. I despise it because I see a lot of hypocrisy in it. I understand the desire to save the lives of unborn children, but if you do so in the name of a moral or religious cause then you should act the part. I fail to see how it is morally ethical to shout vulgar names and obscenities, to purposely try to make someone else feel bad, or to shove your opinions in someone else's face. Nor, do I think that people have the right to judge others for seeking an abortion. The Bible states in John 8:7 “let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”
You Shouldn't Get Pregnant to Begin With…
That is very true; however, you can't just assume that everyone who seeks an abortion was irresponsible to begin with. There are many methods of birth control and the majority of sexually active couples who aren't actively seeking to get pregnant use at least one of them. As effective as these birth control methods are, they are not at all 100% effective. Someone could take all the precaution of using birth control pills or condoms correctly and still a woman can find herself pregnant. No matter how careful you are, accidents do happen and when they do people are going to be faced with the consequences.
(Understand that I do not under any circumstance advocate abortion as a sole means of birth control. Other methods should be used. If you are not responsible enough to take precautions to prevent pregnancy or STIs, you are not responsible enough to have sex. The only 100% effective method of birth control is abstinence.)
On the Issue of Rape…
If a woman was raped and became pregnant as a result of that rape, should she be legally forced to carry the pregnancy to term? In that case her entire decision was taken away. She did not make the decision to engage in sex and did not willingly submit herself to the possibility of pregnancy. Those decisions were made for her against her own will. Rape is a traumatic experience for anyone. A woman may not necessarily want to have a physical reminder of the fact that she was raped. How is it fair to her to say that she absolutely has to carry the pregnancy to term? Pregnancy is difficult and carries with it its own risks. Is forced pregnancy not another violation of her body?
While we are on the subject of rape, I'm going to cover the fact that many rapes go unreported. Your life is placed under a microscope and every part of it is dissected. The victim often gets victimized again. It's a terrible and difficult ordeal for everyone involved. It's easy to understand why more people don't come forward. Besides that, there are some instances where there was actual rape and it becomes difficult to nearly impossible to prove. If a rape goes unreported for several weeks and the woman finds herself pregnant, in most cases, it is just reduced to her word against his. The physical evidence would have disappeared. Also as sad as it is, there are instances where husbands rape their wives. Should a woman have to prove beyond a doubt that she was raped in order to have an abortion?
Automatic Death Sentence?
Another circumstance that makes this issue difficult is when the pregnancy creates a life-or-death situation for the mother. To force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term under these circumstances could end up being an unfair death sentence. The option of abortion should absolutely remain open here. Even if you argue that the woman chose to get pregnant, you could not argue that she chose to give up her life. The large majority of women do not enter into pregnancy with the belief that there could be complications. Yes, women know there could be complications, but no one believes anything could ever happen to them until it actually does. If you wanted to argue the fact that all pregnancy carries risks, then answer the question “Would you trade places with her?” If you honestly in your heart would not, then shut your mouth, you have no right to say anything. It's easy to make a judgment and decision like that when it isn't your life on the line. Yes, pregnancy carries risk both to the mother and child. If the mother lost her life then it is most likely the child would too. Should they both be condemned or should the woman be given the option to save her life?
Financial Reasons…
Some families can not afford anymore children or some women would be forced to raise the child on their own. You would be surprised to learn the number of people who take into account the type of lives that their unborn child would lead if they were born. Financial concerns plague every new or expecting parent. Prenatal care can be expensive in and of itself.
(As a nursing student, I know that there are many effective programs to help off-set some of the expense of prenatal and early child care – regardless of income level. However, lack of knowledge of the existence and opportunities of these programs is still an ongoing problem in the United States.)
Abnormal Test Results
Some times the decision is reached to have an abortion after learning that some prenatal tests were abnormal – for example, chromosomal abnormalities like Down's syndrome. Many, if not most, children with Down's Syndrome do go on to live happy lives, but caring for a child with an abnormality can be very stressful and not everyone feels that they can do it. The severity of some birth defects can lead to life-long care with the parents – which can be very financially and emotionally stressful. No parent wants to have to worry about what will happen to the welfare of their child if anything were to ever happen to them. With most parents of healthy children, their children grow up to take care of themselves by themselves and that worry lessens. My heart honestly grieves for any parent who finds out that there is something potentially wrong with their child.
You're so Vain…
Another reason for abortion is vanity. Some women simply do not want to go through pregnancy. Pregnancy is without a doubt very taxing on the body of a woman. It creates many changes in the body both during and after pregnancy.
Reasons Deeper Than Reasoning…
I'm sure there are more reasons women seek an abortion, but I can't think of any right now. I just know that each reason is as complex and different as the individual circumstances that the women find themselves in.
Put the Child up for Adoption…
There is always the decision to put the child up for adoption as an alternative to abortion. That is an alternative, but not everyone wants to live knowing they have a child somewhere and not knowing in what condition the child is in. Not everyone wants to go through everyday wondering what that child is doing or if that child is doing well. Abortion is used to give some people a sense of finality. I'm hesitant to compare it with parents who have missing children but I will do so even though the situations are a little different. Parents who have a child who is missing are never really at peace. They never begin to be at peace until their child is found – regardless of the condition in which they return home. Parents often times find peace even when their child is found no longer alive. You know where your child is. You don't have to wonder.
Also, let's face it, many children are never adopted and spend their lives going from one foster home to the next. Our system is not the greatest and needs much improvement.
But God says…
Religion is an issue that fuels a lot of the debate over abortion. Many religions consider abortion to be murder and therefore a sin. Whether or not this is true is irrelevant in my opinion. When law and religion combine the combination can be dangerous. I don't feel that religion should play a part in this. Not everyone is of the same faith and not everyone shares the same views. To say that someone can not have an abortion because you think it is a sin is a violation of the other person's rights.
What about the child's rights?
Until the child is viable enough to live on its own, I side with the mother. If the child were already born, the courts would not force the woman to keep a child she did not want and would not look after. When the child is unborn, the courts still should not force a woman to keep a child she doesn't want and would not look after. It is possible to neglect a child even in the womb (think alcohol and drugs).
It's not Safe…
One other issue that fuels the debate over abortion is the issue of safety. The procedure of abortion carries with it great risks and could possibly affect the woman's future fertility. As a nursing student, I know well the risks that are of concern with the issue of abortion.
Accurate statistics on abortion-related injuries and deaths are hard to come by since most are biased in one way or another – which is a shame. You really can't report in one direction or the other without correct data to back up and prove what you are saying. There is no doubt that the procedure itself can be dangerous, but to be honest, so is every other surgical procedure. It is for this reason that I feel that abortion should be kept a legal procedure and held to the same standards and regulations as any other surgical procedure.
I also feel that is the place of any health care professional to explain these risks to any woman seeking an abortion in a clear and unbiased fashion. Women have the right to know all options available to them. Health care professionals should not allow their personal views to influence their patients.
They should make abortion illegal and end abortions forever…
To be honest with you, if Roe vs. Wade is over turned it would not end abortion. The number of abortions would be reduced but it wouldn't end them. Abortions were committed even when it was illegal. Those who wish to seek it would find away to have one. This would force the women to go underground or out of the country to places that possibly have unsanitary and unsafe conditions. They would end up going to places that do not have to answer to the heath regulations of the state and federal governments. Though the rate of abortions would have decreased, the death rate of women because of abortion would rise.
In Conclusion…
I guess what I've been trying to get at is that people shouldn't be judged because of their decision to have an abortion. We will probably never know the full story surrounding the situation. Women should be able to make that decision on their own and the right to make that decision should be protected.
Last Updated: August 12, 2008