Abortion: A Solution Or A Problem

Chasity Weatherspoon

Professor Baran

ENG111, section O01p

17 November 19

Abortion: a solution or a problem

Introduction

Arguments on whether abortion should be legal, or illegal have been circulating very heavily lately. A woman may get an abortion for various reasons, whether it be because conception was an accident, financial difficulties, or even health-related issues (Francome 55). Plenty of options in contraception are offered that could prevent or eliminate the option of abortion. According to an article on Contraceptive use in the United States, “Among U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy, the 68% who use contraceptives consistently and correctly throughout the course of any given year account for only 5% of all unintended pregnancies.” (Mosher & Jones 1). Learning to use contraceptives such as; birth control pills, IUDs, etc.; could cause the number of unplanned pregnancies to drop dramatically. For the individuals who end up pregnant with the use of contraception; adoption is another option. Adoption over abortion should be put into consideration when dealing with an unwanted/ unplanned pregnancy. Some may argue that women have a right to their bodies, so therefore abortions should be legal. Others may argue that since life began at conception, abortion should not be a legal option. Although, as human beings having rights to one’s own body is considered ethical; believing that the unborn has a right to life is also considered ethical. If murder, in general, is considered foul and against ethics, then why should abortion be thought of any different? Therefore, abortion should not be legal, just as murder is considered illegal.

Arguments

Abortion reduces the number of babies available for adoption. Fertility issues are very common for women that are of “childbearing” age. “Abortions should be illegal, because not only is it murder but it is also in a way taking away a child that could’ve very well been placed into a home with a woman who suffers from fertility issues.” (Mosher & Jones 1). Banning abortion would just overall create another crime that is punishable by law, and result in more citizens going to prison. “Once abortions become illegal people will just find another way to have it done illegally; back-alley abortions would just resurface and become more popular, which could cause an increase of early death among women.” (Basset 1) There are various reasons as to why abortions should be legal. For instance, marijuana is still illegal in a few states, but it does not stop its citizens from selling, distributing and using this illegal substance. "We know that prohibition and criminalization will never stop women from having abortions," said Lynn Paltrow, executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women. "Illegal, self-abortion is a form of civil disobedience. Women will violate unjust laws and bear the health risks and the legal consequences, without causing harm to the people or institutions that make their decisions criminal." (Bassett 1)

It has been observed that some women go through abortions for medical reasons; some pregnancies become high- risk pregnancies, where life or death may come into play (Marchick 1). If abortion was banned, then a woman would have no choice but to go into labor regardless of known complications. Which could result in the death of the mother, and possibly the fetus also? That is why it is important to be able to have a choice when considering abortion. “There are instances in pregnancy when it is clear a miscarriage is going to happen. Typically, within the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, this most often occurs when no fetal heartbeat can be detected by ultrasound or heartbeat monitor.” (Marchick 1). Denying someone an abortion when it is concerning one’s health is unethical. In general, a woman should have rights to her own body. It is contradictory that when a pregnant woman is killed, it is considered a double homicide. Why would it be considered a double homicide if the baby inside the womb is not considered human? Recently, there was a case where a soon to be mother was charged with manslaughter because she got into an altercation, which resulted in her getting shot in the stomach and losing her baby. "A 27-year-old Alabama woman was indicted on manslaughter charges Wednesday in the loss of her pregnancy, even though, police say, another woman pulled the trigger." (Michael & Horton, 1) Abortion in such a scenario cannot be vindicated and should be considered as “manslaughter,” which is illegal and punishable by law.

Conclusion

In conclusion, abortion is a sensitive subject for many. Although abortions are unethical, and a form of murder. Abortions could also be deemed as ethical when obstacles such as medical conditions come into play. Everyone can agree that abortions in general consist of taking away life without fetal consent whether proven to be alive at conception or not. The pros and cons of abortion are never argument. Abortion, a problem or a solution?

Works Cited

Mosher WD and Jones J, Use of contraception in the United States: 1982–2008, Vital and Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, 2010, Series 23, No. 29, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_029.pdf. Accessed 14 Nov 2019

Michael Brice-Saddler and Alex Horton "A pregnant woman was shot in the stomach. She was charged in the death of the fetus." The Washington Post, Birmingham, Alabama, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/06/27/pregnant-woman-was-shot-stomach-she-was-indicted-her-babys-death/ Accessed 15 Nov 2019

Francome, Colin. Abortion in the USA and the UK. Routledge, 2017.

Laura Bassett “The Return Of The Back-Alley Abortion,” Huff post, 03 April 2014, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/back-alley-abortions_n_5065301. Accessed 15 Nov 2019.

Rose Marchick, “Medical Reasons for Abortions” Live strong, https://www.livestrong.com/article/100407-medical-reasons-abortions/ Accessed 15 Nov 2019