Abortion: Comparison of The Pro-life Vs Pro-choice

Introduction

Abortion is a worldwide issue defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often within the first 28 weeks. This is controversial around the world due to different moral principles based upon religion and ethics of mankind. As of now, safe abortion is provided in only 60 countries around the world. Many religions believe that abortion is wrong and therefore never ethical. Religions against abortion include Roman Catholic Christians, Buddhists, and Hinduism. I chose this issue because I have a strong personal interest in medical ethics and I have previously studied this specific topic in Religious Studies for GCSE. This topic falls under the category of medical ethics as it is a debate based on medicine. Abortion is a global issue because, in some countries where abortion is illegal, such as Ireland, unsafe abortions are being carried out illegally due to mothers who are desperate to receive this treatment for a variety of valid reasons. Also, there are some countries where abortion is currently legal but there are debates and protests to make it illegal. The first perspective is that abortion is ending a human life, thus considered murder and therefore never ethical. The second perspective is that abortion is ethical depending on the circumstances that the woman is in. Campaigners and supporters are identified as either pro-life (against abortion) or pro-choice (in favor of the woman’s right to choose).

Pro-life vs Pro-choice

Pro-choice supporters believe that the woman should always have the right to choose. This is quite simply because they support the idea that the woman has the right to control her own body and if she wishes not to be pregnant, then it should be her human right to have an abortion if she chooses. MPs believe that no woman should be able to get out of pregnancy unless she has a “good” reason. But once we’ve started judging “good” and “bad” reasons, will anything ever be good enough? Is fear of losing your job a “good” reason? Cutting ties with an ex? Planning to finish your education? How about just not wanting to? Lots of families are desperate for children; why shouldn’t women with unwanted pregnancies have the baby and give it up for adoption? The answer is that the physical and emotional trauma of having and surrendering a child is more than any woman should have to bear unless she chooses to bear it – denying a woman abortion so others can have children is nothing more than compulsory surrogacy (Ditum, 2014). This idea of Sarah Ditum illustrates to us that denying abortion is against our rights as we shouldn’t have to use our bodies for other people’s benefits. The idea that being denied abortion leaves the only other option for the woman being adoption is the same as “compulsory surrogacy,” which in turn abolishes our human rights.

Pro-life Perspective

Pro-life is defined as opposing abortion. Therefore, pro-life supporters believe that abortion is never ethical for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is that since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life (ProCon.org, 2023). This reason outlines the idea that every human life is sacred and that everyone is equal. Since some people believe life starts at conception, this would mean that the child is equal to the mother and thus they have equal rights. This idea that the child has full human rights from the moment of conception relates abortion to murder, which is never ethically acceptable, and therefore a strong argument as to why abortion is never ethical.

Health Considerations

In some circumstances, a woman's health is threatened by the pregnancy. A teenager is denied a life-saving termination because abortion is illegal in her country (The Guardian, 2022). There are serious medical reasons as to why a woman shouldn't give birth or be pregnant. These reasons could include cardiovascular disease or cancer. In this instance, a woman would require an abortion as her chances of surviving pregnancy or labor become slim, also the chances of the child's survival are significantly lowered. The problem with this is that only 60 countries worldwide provide legal and safe abortion. This means that millions of women of a variety of ages have died because their country doesn't provide safe abortion, if at all. This then comes down to the question: 'Is an unborn fetus more valuable than a living woman who already has a family and accomplishments?' Pro-choice believers would argue no. This argument would prove that abortion is ethical as it would save a family from the grievance for a much-loved daughter, mother, sister, or niece.

Conclusion

Pro-life believers could argue against a woman's right to abortion due to the right to control their own body. This is because if they control their bodies, then they would've taken multiple necessary precautions to prevent becoming pregnant in the first place. Ultimately, the debate between pro-life and pro-choice is deeply rooted in personal, ethical, and religious beliefs. As societies evolve, the challenge remains to find a balance that respects both the potential life of the fetus and the rights and health of the woman.

References

Ditum, S. (2014). Denying Abortion is Against Our Rights. The New Statesman. Retrieved from https://www.newstatesman.com

ProCon.org. (2023). The Ethics of Abortion. Retrieved from https://www.procon.org

The Guardian. (2022). Teenager Denied Life-Saving Abortion. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com