Debates on Abortion: Arguments Against and for

Abortion is one of the most highly debated issues in our country. Abortion is defined as “ the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy”. Abortion is also known as the termination of a pregnancy by a mother’s wishes. Doctors that perform these surgeries are known as abortionist. People differ from being either pro-choice or anti-choice. Pro-choice means that you believe abortion should be decided privately between the female and her doctor while being anti-choice is being opposed to a women having the option to have an abortion. Abortion should be limited to women due to certain circumstances, such as rape, rather than as a source of birth control for women.

Abortion can lead to mental harm as well as physical harm. Abortion can lead to mild regret as well as depression and suicidal thoughts. The mother can receive flashbacks of the pregnancy and have the need to replace the fetus. The guilt and vulnerability to the negativity can make the mother believe the baby is still inside her. The physical harm of an abortion ranges from damage to the cervix, scarring of the uterus lining, infection or sepsis and perforation to the uterus. Damage to the cervix can hinder the ability to carry a pregnancy to term, increase the chances of premature birth or a miscarriage. Uterine scarring decreases the ability to get pregnant because it decreases the blood supply to the endometrial lining.

Sepsis is the presence in tissues of harmful bacteria and their toxins,and are caused from typically infection of a wound. Perforation to the uterus is a possible complication of any intrauterine. rable to the negativity and can even have a belief that the baby is still inside her. What most people do not know is that during the abortion, depending on how far along the mother is, the baby can feel pain. It is proven that at 20 weeks nurses can see the unborn baby post-fertilization or younger to react physically to outside stimuli. The baby can react to light, sound and touch. The baby's sense of touch is so delicate that even a single human hair drawn on the baby’s palm can cause it so clench a fist. Unborn babies can come out of the womb and survive at 21 weeks.

At 14 weeks the baby is capable to be sensitive to pain on it’s body except on the top and back of the head. Some surgeons have said that when they entered the womb to perform procedures on the unborn child that have seen some babies flinch, jerk or move away from sharp objects and incisions. Dr. Ranilli, neurologist at University of Toronto said that babies at 20 weeks development can feel pain more intensely than adults. “This a vulnerable time since the pain system is fully established, yet the higher level pain-modifying system has barely begun to develop.”