Pro-Choice, The Right Thing

Pro-Choice, The Right Thing

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Pro-Choice, The Right Thing

A person who supports pro-choice believes that everyone has a right over their body and this is one of the fundamental rights of every person. In the context of abortion rights, being a pro-choice means that a person advocates the right of women and respects their decision of choosing abortion. Being pro-choice is the right approach to adopt because it opposes pro-life, supports women's rights, reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancies and promotes safe abortion practices.

Pro-Choice supporters even advocate the right of women to have an abortion when they do not want to consider this option. This is a positive and contemporary approach to reaching the issue whereas people who support the notion of Pro-Life strictly oppose this practice. Moreover, they remain concerned with the fetus and its safety inside the womb whereas they do not care about women safety and choice. These people demand enforcement of capital punishment to stop abortion, they show restraint against the child safety lawmaking. Similarly, these people also deny the self-medicated abortion practices such as the use of birth control pills and they mistake pregnancy as the fertilization of the egg. Such people associate the completion of uterus lining as an obvious sign of carrying the pregnancy till the end. On legal grounds, they are against the legal legislation in the U. S constitution that supports safe abortion (Niswander, 1965). They want to overturn the ruling of Roe v. Wade decision so that it is considered illegal altogether. Furthermore, these people even assert that pregnancies that occur as a result of rape or forced penetration should also be carried by women (Reardon et al, 2003). On the other hand, Pro-Choice provides a rational thinking avenue regarding abortion, they support it as a legal practice. They back the ideas of self-medicated abortion, birth control pills, abortion terminating drugs and promotes sex education. They even show a positive outlook towards such health centers where pregnancies can be safely terminated. Such belief creates a safe space for the pregnant woman and she can decide for herself if she wants to continue the pregnancy or terminate it for whatsoever reasons. Quite the contrary, Pro-Life school of thought, being a society shows a narrow response towards the consent of a pregnant woman. They decide for the woman that she should not and will not terminate the fetus because it is a moral, ethical and religious sin. These people often manifest their ideologies by converting into a violent mob and open fake health care centers where they can persuade women through fake treatment or counseling sessions.

Abortion is a matter of personal choice and a woman cannot be used as a reproductive machine when it comes to the equal rights of women. The feminist school of thought preaches the authority of a woman over her body, moreover, she is an individual first and if she views pregnancy as a risk to her health, she can terminate it. Many Non-profit organizations are fighting against the anti-abortion campaigns because media and political debates only use the idea of abortion as a prop in their hands to gain electoral votes. After elections, they too join the anti-abortion activists and in America, states such as Georgia or Alabama are getting administrative support to consider abortion as a legal offense. Continuing an unwanted pregnancy is very much similar to suffering abuse and violence. World Health Organization also advocates this practice and encourages self-medicated abortion through pills if a person cannot get the help of a qualified professional (O'Connell et al, 2009). In 2019, many American women marched together dressed in the costumes of Handmaid's and protested against the Gilead like tyranny that the state has silently adopted (Latimer, 2011). Women who oppose abortion become the part of internal misogynist hierarchy and negate the fundamental principle of female autonomy over her body. According to societal and origin related bifurcations, some states in the United States of America, consider abortion as a threat against the sanctity of motherhood whereas the liberal part demands autonomy over judgment. The Personal control principle proclaims that the affected party has to have the last say in this matter. This resolves the mater on both the liberal and humanist grounds but the issue remains the same. In society, where women have to struggle in a male-dominated society for equal wedges and representation, they face some inner resentment from fellow women as well. Feminists also take into account male liberty and patronizing behavior when they want their partners to continue carrying the pregnancy (Latimer, 2011).

Unwanted pregnancies are a significant issue and according to a survey, In America, women on an average scale want to give birth to two children whereas unwanted pregnancies, often result in complications. According to statistics, women who belong to lower classes, develop the risk of unwanted or unintended pregnancies more, the age group ranges from 20-24 years on an average scale. The abortion industry is thriving and making profits whereas an average woman having a low socioeconomic status can neither afford highly expensive periods nor can she terminate it through self-medication because of the scarcity of drugs. Moreover, unwanted pregnancies also result in poverty and widen the socioeconomic gap between the social classes (Connel, et al, 2009). Abortion is a safe practice when it comes to unwanted pregnancies but it can only be made cost-effective when people show more consideration regarding legalizing this practice. It also poses certain medical and health risks to women, for instance, anxiety issues, depression, infection, and cervical injury. Loss in weight, premature births, and mid-trimester abortion are among the few casualties that may come if unwanted pregnancies are continued. Delaying the process also results in posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD as a result of suffering the pain of mid trimester abortion (Coleman, 2011). Moreover, the role of political leadership and judiciary can be seen passive over here, when on the other hand awareness is increasing among women, especially young women. Their this passive approach encourages the Pro-Life activists to legislate abortion as an illegal offense. Furthermore, minor girls suffer more through the trauma of unwanted pregnancies because of their young age and lack of guidance. Such critical situations, result in the fragmentation of family values and personality development. In a tender age, medically administered abortion, poses serious life threats towards them, in such a way, self-medicated abortion practices nullify these risks (Fisher, 2005).

Safe abortion is even more important than legalizing because unsafe abortion may result in death and permanently dysfunctionality of reproductive organs. Each year, 20 million unsafe abortive practices occur and according to a close estimate, this number has reached 22 million per year since 2008. Almost 47,000 women die as a result of this whereas around 5 million women suffer infirmities due to lack of professional assistance. Contraceptive pills play a role in controlling the risk of getting pregnant but it is still not a permanent solution to the issue. The contraceptive pill users have to consider getting an abortion at some point (Wiegerinck, et al, 2008). If abortion is legalized, unsafe practices will reduce and fewer casualties will be reported. Abortive practices cannot stop be it safe or unsafe but death risks can be avoided by legalizing abortion. Some women are even reported to self-harm themselves to terminate their pregnancies, this takes a toll at their mental health and safe health care centers are the possible solution. Moreover, The World Health Organization urges all the state heads to stop putting charges on women who abort their pregnancies, even in the case of safe termination (Wiegerinck, et al, 2008). Safe abortion practices should also be made cost-effective for the masses without any racial and class discrimination. Moreover, rape victims and minors who suffer abuse can also be treated at an early stage if this practice is normalized. On ethical grounds, abortion is a medical treatment and it should be made readily available to women all over the world to save their health. It also falls under the human and civil rights of women that state provides them the facility of safe abortion instead of taxing or penalizing them.

Being a Pro-Choice promotes the rational solution of abortion and it also impacts the overall well-being of women on many grounds. Firstly, on societal grounds, the pro-life activists ought to be discouraged because society cannot decide for a woman and her right on her body cannot be subjugated. Secondly, viewing abortion as a normative practice eradicates the internal misogynistic attitude and strengthens the concept of sisterhood in feminism. Thirdly, on medical grounds, abortion is a medical treatment and like any other medical treatment, it should be made accessible to women because it is their legal right. Unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion practices result in a lot of mental and health-related issues. On the socioeconomic level, it denies equal rights of welfare and subsidy to women belonging from the lower classes. On ethical and moral grounds, this practice should be legalized because it is the matter of a woman’s health and her autonomy cannot be taken away from her both ethically and legally. As much as its legislation is essential, the social perception about it also needs to be reworked. Lastly, such behavior results in violating the human rights of women and further present them as submissive beings. Extreme anti-abortion opinion promotes chaos and turbulence in society because this behavior gives rise to unhealthy abortion practices.

References

O'Connell, K., Jones, H. E., Simon, M., Saporta, V., Paul, M., & Lichtenberg, E. S. (2009). First-trimester surgical abortion practices: a survey of National Abortion Federation members. Contraception, 79(5), 385-392.

Wiegerinck, M. M., Jones, H. E., O'Connell, K., Lichtenberg, E. S., Paul, M., & Westhoff, C. L. (2008). Medical abortion practices: a survey of National Abortion Federation members in the United States. Contraception, 78(6), 486-491.

Latimer, H. (2009). Popular culture and reproductive politics: Juno, Knocked Up and the enduring legacy of The Handmaid's Tale. Feminist Theory, 10(2), 211-226.

Niswander, K. R. (1965). Medical abortion practices in the United States. W. Res. L. Rev., 17, 403.

Fisher, W. A., Singh, S. S., Shuper, P. A., Carey, M., Otchet, F., MacLean-Brine, D., ... & Gunter, J. (2005). Characteristics of women undergoing repeat induced abortion. Cmaj, 172(5), 637-641.

Coleman, P. K. (2011). Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(3), 180-186.

Reardon, D. C., Cougle, J. R., Rue, V. M., Shuping, M. W., Coleman, P. K., & Ney, P. G. (2003). Psychiatric admissions of low-income women following abortion and childbirth. Cmaj, 168(10), 1253-1256.