In some states, abortion is illegal whereas, in some, it is legal. Several debates have been held as to whether abortion should be legalized or illegalized. Some people argue that illegalizing abortion is not right since it denies the women their freedom of choice. Furthermore, they assert that it is not upon the government to make laws on whether a woman should carry that child or not basing that it could have resulted from rape. Bringing up a child is quite a demanding task and, therefore, requires emotional and social commitment as well as financial support. However, this does not dictate that a woman should abort an innocent baby because she is not in a position to raise it. The government of some states has, thereby, taken it upon themselves to illegalize abortion not just to protect the innocent babies but for several reasons.
Firstly, abortion is considered as murder, be it in the first trimester or at a later stage of fetus development. Several women, who carry out abortion, do so during the early stages arguing that the fetus is not scientifically or legally a human being or a person and therefore, aborting it cannot be equated to taking a life or murder. This is not true in any way because in as much as it has no consciousness or self awareness, it has life and when left to grow it will develop into a mature human being. In El Salvador, three women were charged with homicide of their fetus or newborns to illustrate the judicial overreach (Viterna, Jocelyn, and Bautista, Pg 81). The fetus should not be subjected to abortion as that terminates their lives not unless it poses health risks to the mother. Such abortions are legal as they can end up protecting the mother’s life when she is in danger because of the pregnancy.
Abortion most likely affects a woman’s fertility. Several women, who carry out abortion, definitely have a hope of getting children in future. In as much as it is not a guarantee that abortion leads to infertility, it can also be a cause. The decrease in fertility has been accompanied by a six percent increase in the predicted number of abortions during the child bearing years (Claus Pg 96). Unsafe, illegal abortions can result in permanent or short term fertility problems depending on how it is done. Surgical abortions whereby an instrument is inserted into the cervix can lead to damages either the uterus or the cervix. This commonly happens to women who have had several abortions. Having countless abortions can lead to risks such as abnormal implantation of the placenta in future pregnancies which can as well cause difficulties in carrying the baby or in worse cases can lead to the death of the baby at birth. In as much as the fertility problems can be corrected, it is advisable to completely avoid it since some of the fertility problems cannot be treated thoroughly.
Consequently, abortion permits a man to act against God’s will. Several religions are against abortion, for instance, according to Christians, the Bible states that right from conception, a fetus is considered as a person. The Bible instructs explicitly that a person should not kill and since a fetus is well thought-out as a person, it is not right to terminate it. Likewise, the Hindu religion states that abortion is not in a way different from murdering one’s parents and also considers one who terminates the fetus as a great killer and sinner. Moreover, the Buddhists tend to believe that life initially commences at conception and that anyone who has aborted has committed murder. It is, therefore, clear that abortion is not permitted in various religions as it promotes a belief whereby the lives of a human being is viewed as disposable whereas that of an infant is regarded as unnecessary.
Also, abortion can lead to psychological trauma for women as well as health complications. In as much as most people believe that life begins at birth and not conception, anyone who terminates a pregnancy, be it the mother or the doctor is held responsible for it. Women who carry out an abortion live with the fact that they have aborted a healthy fetus, thereby, denying it the opportunity to birth and life. This in some cases can later haunt them on the birth dates as expected as well as memories of the abortion which can lead to high risk of suffering from depression and trauma which can last for as long as five years. Furthermore, women who have aborted are likely to commit suicide after the act due to guilt. However, it is not just women who feel the impact but their partners as well, and in some instances, it can lead to separations in a case whereby the other partner was not aware. Therefore, abortion can cause psychological as well as physical trauma and in some cases can lead to miscarriages in the following pregnancies.
Abortion should be illegal because the fetuses are also able to feel the pain during an abortion. A close look at the 4D scans indicates that as early as twelve weeks, although small in size, the fetus is already wholly developed human beings. This is because they have fingers, eyes, a heart, toes, and a nervous system. When it is two months, it can flex its spine which indicates that some nervous systems exist which can make it feel the pain. In general, it is accepted that the minimum necessary neural circuitry for pain involves a connection from the periphery to the central nervous system and that connection is available from as early as 8-to-12 week gestation, which sets a lower limit for the possibility of fetal pain at 8-week gestation (Stuart, Pg 125). According to the research, abortion inflicts pain on the fetus and should, therefore, be avoided at all cost.
Last but not least, abortion also lowers the number of babies who are available for adoption. Currently, several families go through misery and trauma of infertility and are willing to do anything it takes to get babies even if it means adopting one. Abortion, however, reduces this chance since most women and young ladies abort their unwanted pregnancies. Initially, the babies born from unwanted pregnancies were fairly large in number and were put up in supportive and happy homes. However, this number has dropped drastically because the fetuses are being terminated at a very tender age denying them the opportunity to liberty, enjoying life, and the pursuit of happiness.
However, according to some extents, legal abortion is generally necessary. According to an American Journal of Public Health, illegalizing abortion harms the people living in poverty. This is because denying women a chance to abort, often lead to long-term penalties. Most women opt for abortion when either spouse is unemployed, abusive, unsupportive, or absent. This can lead to panic on how they will raise the baby on their own. When these ladies are denied access to abortion and end up having the babies, their life conditions can worsen forcing them to seek full time employment or criminal activities just to bring up their babies. This can also result to class struggle since the rich can always access good health facilities for the abortion whereas the poor will opt for cheaper options which can lead to further complications such as infertility and or miscarriages in the subsequent pregnancies.
Moreover, a woman’s right to pick on abortion is her fundamental right and denying her that can lead to a violation of her rights. Illegalizing abortion can also result in teenage pregnancthe ies which can also lead to an increase in the number of school dropouts. On the another hand, it can result in permanent health problems or death, joblessness, poverty, dependency, or hopelessness. Access to professionally performed or legal abortions can lower the risks of death or injuries caused by illegal or unsafe abortions. Unlike in the olden days, the modern procedures for abortion are safe, and the risk of possible death rate is low. Therefore, legalizing abortion is also considerable as it can help in the reduction of crimes. Unmarried women, teenage girls, as well as poor women should have access to legal abortion so that they do not bring forth unwanted pregnancies which can lead to high crime rates to raise them.
In as much as abortion should be legalized, a lot of measures have to be taken to discourage it due to the health problems that it can lead to. Unintended pregnancies can heighten tensions, interrupt families, and push the involved into poverty below the line of strategic economic survival. Instead of waiting up to the time of the abortion, people should sit down prior and strategize their families. Societies, on the other hand, should take the initiative to educate women on the importance of using contraception or other family planning methods. In rape cases, the victim should be taken to the hospital immediately, and the doctors will handle her accordingly. Family planning is the best answer to all unwanted pregnancies since one can have children only when they are ready. Currently, nine states require that women seeking an abortion be counseled on the negative psychological and emotional response to abortion (Antonia, Pg 172). Therefore, the individual should be advised on the importance of keeping the pregnancy and the consequences of aborting it.
Definitely, there are precise occasions whereby heartbreaking and difficult decisions such as abortion are considered necessary. This could be to save the mother’s life. However, such situations should be discussed with both partners, and an agreement has to be made that is comfortable for each party. Abortion, be it through partial birth or in any other way is dreadful. The contraceptives are always readily available and, therefore, abortion should be avoided when possible. The doctors who agree to carry out an abortion cuts short the lives of a living human being who is capable of crying and breathing and probably has a great future ahead of it. Equally, the mother who is supposed to protect and love her baby agrees and contributes to its sufferings, pain, torture, and death. Abortion is thereby, should be avoided and considered an illegal act.
Work Cited
Biggs, M. Antonia, et al. "Women’s mental health and well-being 5 years after receiving or being denied an abortion: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study." JAMA psychiatry 74.2 (2017): 169-178.
Derbyshire, Stuart WG. "Fetal Pain." Prenatal and Preimplantation Diagnosis. Springer, Cham, 2015. 119-130.
Pörtner, Claus. "Sex-selective abortions, fertility, and birth spacing." (2015).
Viterna, Jocelyn, and Jose Santos Guardado Bautista. "Pregnancy and the 40-year prison sentence: how “abortion is murder” became institutionalized in the Salvadoran judicial system." Health and human rights 19.1 (2017): 81.
