The Reasons Why Abortion Should Be Illegal in The United States

Throughout the United States, there are many life issues, such as euthanasia, capital punishment, economic rights, war and the list goes on and on. But one of the biggest issue is abortion. There tends to be a rift between accepting and prohibiting abortion because of knowing if they consider the fetus or embryo has a human being. I think abortion should be illegal and I will explain why in this essay later on as well as some facts on abortion. But first, what is abortion?

An abortion is terminating a pregnancy by removing the embryo or fetus from the uterus. It can be done either by medication or a procedure. Women usually have the abortion during the first trimester of the pregnancy and the average cost of an abortion is about $504-$1,000.

When speaking about abortion, some tend to think that they aren’t killing a human, but I beg to differ. From the moment the sperm and ovum meet, the cell that they form has its own unique human DNA. The embryo’s body is clearly differentiated from its mother’s body. As early as twenty-one days after conception, the embryo’s heart begins to beat. Some people may think that abortion is a great idea because of their specific situation but it comes along with a list of risks. Some of the risks include: heavy bleeding, infection, damage to the cervix, and damage to internal organs. Abortion also comes with emotional complications such as eating disorders, guilt, depression, relationship problems, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol/drug abuse. And this is the first argument why abortion should be illegal.

There are two sides of abortion: for and against it. My decision would be against it but not everyone can agree with me. For those who are for abortion, they don’t believe that in the first weeks or months after conception, the embryo or fetus is a human being. They think that every woman should control their body and choose what is “right” for them. These people don’t understand that, even if the child isn’t fully developed, it is already another human. What they focus on is the fact that women should decide for themselves and that the choice will liberate them, when in reality it won’t. People who consider that abortion should be illegal believe that in the first weeks or months after conception, the embryo or fetus is a human being. They believe that the embryo has its own set of DNA apart from its mother. Another factor that they believe that abortion damages women both physically and emotionally. After getting an abortion, it can cause the woman to become depressed which then leads to eating disorders and other problems. Some also claim that abortion is a male plot because they view it as the risk of pregnancy won’t allow men to have sex whenever they want, which they shouldn’t if they are committed to their wife or girlfriend.

I believe that abortion should be illegal because you are killing an innocent child. Yes, many women may say that they didn’t have the choice if they were raped or they say they aren’t ready for a child. What I think is that if that woman was raped, I think they should keep the child, not as a memory of what happened but as a reminder that life can be beautiful even after horrific events. If a woman says they aren’t ready, then why did you have sex in the first place? If you aren’t ready to have a child, then why put that unborn child’s life in danger if you aren’t willing to take care of it? I think that children are beautiful gifts from God, many may not agree but that’s what I think. The children have no fault in this, it’s the parents who do because when you have sex, you are committing to accepting that child that may be conceived.

According to Abortion No, there are approximately 56 million abortions per year meaning that there are approximately 153,000 abortions per day. In the United States alone, there were 926,200 abortions in 2014. Women aged 20-24 obtain 34% of all abortions; teenagers obtain 17%; and girls under 15 account for 0.2%. About 43% of women who have an abortion identify themselves as Protestants. 27% of women are Catholic and 1.3% are Jewish. Most patients, 75%, have an abortion due to low-income. 93% of all abortions occur due to the fact of social reasons while 1% occurs because of rape and 6% occur because of health problems.

Abortion is a serious sin against the moral law, society has a responsibility to prevent this tragedy. “It interferes with God’s plan for creation and destroys a human life. The women having an abortion and the people who perform it are all guilty of a seriously evil act and subject to excommunication. The Church actively reaches out to women who have had abortions to assist in their healing and reconciliation”. In Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, he states that the Bible forbids abortion, just as it forbids murder. He also declared that the Church’s teaching on abortion “is unchanged and unchangeable,” meaning that, under no circumstance, the Church will not support the idea of abortion.

With all the knowledge and information gained about abortion, I am now even more convinced that abortion should be illegal as it affects not only the mother, but her family. Abortion isn’t a good thing to do to an innocent life within you. If you weren’t ready to commit to that child, you shouldn’t have committed to having sex. That one mistake can lead to a life-changing experience, and not in a good way. 

Works Cited

1. Abortion No. (n.d.). Abortion facts. Retrieved from https://www.abortionno.org/abortion-facts/
2. Evangelium Vitae. (1995). Encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II on the value and inviolability of human life. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html
3. Pope John Paul II. (1995). Evangelium Vitae [Encyclical letter]. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html