Discussion of Abortion: Pro Life and Pro Choice

Introduction

Abortion is a very controversial topic that contains two different groups of people: those who are pro-choice and others that are pro-life. It refers to the termination of a pregnancy by removing or expelling the fetus or embryo from the uterus before it is ready for birth. People who are pro-choice believe that abortions are a woman’s choice as it is the woman’s body and believe that abortions should be legal everywhere, whereas people who are pro-life believe the opposite and that abortions are murder. Different views on the topic can lead to many violent and non-violent riots outside abortion clinics, which could harm the women who have made the decision to abort. In countries where abortion is legal, it is usually only permitted before 24 weeks unless there is a medical emergency, such as the mother’s life being at risk or the child being born with a severe disability.

Reasons for Abortion

Abortions can be the result of rape, incest, medical emergencies, or not being able to give proper care to a baby; so why force a woman to keep the baby when it’s not your body? According to an article from USA Today, only 1% of abortions were due to rape in 2019 (USA Today, 2019). However, statistics from Central MN Sexual Assault Centre show that in the last 5 years, 60% of rape victims have not reported to police, 90% of 60 million survivors of child rape have not reported to police, and 1 out of 6 women in America have been a victim of attempted or completed rape (Central MN Sexual Assault Centre, n.d.). These statistics indicate that we may never truly know the number of abortions that are a result of rape.

Unsafe Abortions

An argument that many pro-choice people make is that you can never ban abortions, only safe ones. If a country bans abortion, people may resort to dangerous methods like throwing themselves down the stairs or using coat hangers. This could cause serious medical problems, potentially resulting in death for both the mother and the baby. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one-third of maternal deaths are due to complications arising from illegally induced abortions (World Health Organization, 2021). Each year, an estimated 25 million unsafe abortions are performed worldwide, with 95% occurring in low-income countries. This shows that even if all countries banned abortions, people would still turn to unsafe, illegal abortions, resulting in many deaths.

Adoption and Foster Care

Pro-life advocates argue that if someone does not want the child, they can give them up for adoption or to foster care. This could be a good choice for children who go to loving foster families or get adopted. However, according to the BBC, in 2011 there were more than 65,000 children in care in England, but only around 3,000 of those children had been adopted, and roughly 6,800 were identified for adoption but it never went through (BBC, 2011). This does not mean the child would never get adopted, but it could take years, potentially resulting in a traumatic childhood. They may not receive the care they need until they are over 18. An evidence review from the UK Government Department of Education states that children in care are significantly more likely than other children to suffer adverse outcomes, including physical and mental health issues, education, employment, homelessness, offending behaviors, substance abuse, and general wellbeing (UK Government Department of Education, 2015).

Potential and Opportunity

Pro-life individuals believe that abortions are murder and could potentially take the life of a child who might grow up to make a world-changing discovery. However, pro-choice advocates argue that if a woman is forced to go through with a pregnancy, it may interfere with her education, potentially preventing her from making a world-changing discovery. According to the National Center for Student Life, 30% of women drop out of school because of pregnancy (NSCL, n.d.). Not all of these pregnancies are unwanted, but any of them could have changed the future, and a pregnancy that may not have been their fault might have prevented that.

Religious Perspectives

A significant reason some people are pro-life is because of religion. Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that life starts at conception, while some Protestants believe that life begins after the first 14 days, as the embryo is considered a living human being from this point. Therefore, an abortion would be considered murder. They may make an exception if an abortion is essential to save the life of the mother, assuming all efforts have been made to save the fetus. Some Christians believe that a woman has a right to a safe abortion, and that it shows compassion if the law allows this. An absolute moralist would believe that abortion is wrong in every circumstance, but a relative moralist believes that abortion is permitted under certain circumstances. For Muslims, all human life is precious and a sacred gift from Allah. The Qur’an states, “Do not kill your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. The killing of them is a great sin” (Qur’an 17:31). Many Muslims believe abortions may be permitted if the reason is valid and it’s before ensoulment, which varies between 40 days or 120, depending on personal belief. However, some Muslim communities believe life begins at conception and do not tolerate abortion.

Human Rights

Where access to safe and legal abortion services is unreasonably restricted, several human rights may be at risk. These include:

• Right to life
• Rights to health and health care
• Right to information
• Rights to nondiscrimination and equality
• Right to be free from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
• Right to privacy
• Right to decide the number and spacing of children
• Right to security of person
• Right to liberty
• Right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress
• Right to freedom of conscience and religion

This shows that banning abortions would not only ensure that many unsafe abortions occur but also violate women’s human rights.

Conclusion

I believe that all women should have the choice of abortion without being judged, regardless of how they got pregnant, as the fetus exists inside the woman’s body, so she has the option to keep it or abort it. I respect other people’s values on the situation, as many pro-life individuals are brought up religiously to believe it’s murder. However, I believe that if you are a feminist, you should be pro-choice, as you focus on the promotion of women’s rights and interests, which is the opposite of what pro-life people believe in. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, said, “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother,” and that is what pro-choice is all about: the woman being able to make her own choice. I also believe that women need free access to abortion to achieve full political, social, and economic equality with men. The right to abortion allows women to have the same freedoms as men, and they need the right to abortion to have full rights over their own bodies, including the right to decide whether or not to carry a fetus to birth. Without this right, they do not have the same moral status as men.

References

• BBC. (2011). Adoption and children in care. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15136687
• Central MN Sexual Assault Centre. (n.d.). Statistics. Retrieved from http://cmsac.org/sexual-assault-statistics/
• National Center for Student Life (NSCL). (n.d.). Pregnancy and education. Retrieved from http://www.nscl.org/pregnancy-education
• UK Government Department of Education. (2015). Children in care. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-in-care
• USA Today. (2019). Abortion statistics. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/abortion-statistics
• World Health Organization. (2021). Unsafe abortion: Global and regional estimates. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/unsafe-abortion