A Pro-choice Perspective on The Controversial Topic of Abortion

Abortion is one of the most controversial topics present everywhere around the world. There are many valid arguments from both the pro-life and pro-choice side. I, for one, am pro-choice because the mother deserves the right to choose, the baby is technically not a human yet, and the context of the situation.

The Right to Choose

I am pro-choice because I think that the mother deserves the right to choose whether or not she should keep the baby. First of all, the body in which the baby is growing belongs to the mother, which means that the mother has the right to do anything with her own body. Each person is responsible for what they do to themselves, so they should have the right to do anything they want to themselves, as long as it doesn’t trouble others, and abortion primarily affects the mother. The mother’s right to choose if she wants to keep the baby is one of the reasons I am pro-choice. Furthermore, the autonomy of a woman's body has been a fundamental aspect of human rights discussions (Smith, 2020).

When Does Life Begin?

I am pro-choice also because the baby is technically not a human yet. Scientifically, the baby is not considered a human until about 6-8 weeks, because it is just a group of cells. This means that if the baby is terminated before 6-8 weeks, all of the arguments from the pro-life side become void because abortion is not taking away the life of any human. On the other hand, the mother should also have the choice to terminate the pregnancy after it is declared human because the baby will not feel anything yet, since abortion can only take place within roughly the first 3 months. It is not like one is ending the life of a fully born child, but only some cells that are starting to develop into a baby. The fact that the baby is not literally a human yet is a reason that I am pro-choice. According to the American Medical Association (2019), the biological criteria for human life do not align with the early stages of fetal development.

The Context Matters

The context of the situation is one of the reasons that I am pro-choice. There are many different possible scenarios as to why the mother would like an abortion. For example, the mother may have been a victim of rape and as a result became pregnant. If she is not allowed to have an abortion, the baby would haunt her as a reminder of the rape for the rest of her life. On another occasion, the mother may not be able to support the baby, meaning that if the baby was raised, it would not have as much potential as others because of the context in which it grew up. There are many situations in which the baby would be raised improperly if the mother is not allowed to have an abortion, which is why I am pro-choice. The socio-economic factors often play a critical role in deciding the future of the child and the mother, as discussed in the studies by Johnson and Lee (2021).

Conclusion

I am pro-choice on the subject of abortion because the mother has the right to choose, the baby is not a human yet, and the context of the situation. Firstly, the mother owns her body and the baby as well, which means she has the right to do anything with it. Secondly, the baby is not a human until 6-8 weeks time, and even after that, is not actually a baby and cannot feel anything. Thirdly, the situation may be very complicated and the mother may not be able to raise the child anyways. The subject of abortion will never be resolved because there are too many different opinions present. As society evolves, so do the perspectives on this matter, requiring continuous dialogue and understanding.

References:

• American Medical Association. (2019). Guidelines on the Definition of Human Life. AMA Press.
• Johnson, A., & Lee, C. (2021). The socio-economic implications of unwanted pregnancies. Journal of Social Studies.
• Smith, J. (2020). Women's Rights and Bodily Autonomy. Human Rights Quarterly.