Essay on Abortion

Lucinda Seongbae
Eng : Persuasive essay on abortion
Prof. Fitzgerald
A Positive View on Pro Abortion Abortion has been a controversy for many years and viewed in many different perspectives. Some individuals see it from a very positive point when this is being caused by the nature of the woman 's health, the age and others. It may also be seen as a way of getting rid of an unwanted or accidental pregnancy for reasons that are positive and beneficial for most women. According to feminist perspectives on reproduction and the family, in some cases abortion can be a positive act depending on the cause. For instance, in the case of a rape, health reasons or in the case of having an unwanted child for reasons of age, marital status, and economical reasons abortion is a potent tool to undo some mistakes. However, whichever ways it is perceived abortion gives a woman the right to choose and should not be viewed as a negative act but instead can be seen as a positive act in most circumstances. Based on the many positive reasons for abortion, abortion should be supported. Concerning the woman 's health an abortion can be performed when the woman cannot hold the fetus for health reasons. For example a woman who has AIDs and the fetus infected already can obtain an abortion because there is no life for the baby. Also a woman who has cancer at an advanced stage cannot keep a child in her womb or she will risk dying at birth. In the case of some diseases, kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle-cell anemia, severe diabetes, etc that can be life threatening, an abortion often helps to avoid serious medical complications from childbirth. This also brings emphasis to Roe V. Wade (1973), which granted women the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, based on an implicit fundamental right to privacy and argued that it must be weighed against competing state interests in maternal safety and the protection of prenatal life; it protected this right during the first trimester of pregnancy (Thompson, 50). At this juncture the person has very good justifications of her action and is considered a positive act on her part. Another positive issue concerning abortion is a situation where girls below fifteen years are pregnant. In such situation abortion is possible because the girls are too young for child bearing. Also in situations where very young girls have little or no health facilities to ensure safe delivery, such as in developing countries, abortion is the only possible answer in order to avoid some major complication. According to researcher Mayor, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in young women aged fifteen to nineteen in developing countries. An estimated 70,000 adolescent mothers die each year because they have children before they are physically ready for parenthood, and more than 90% of these births are in developing countries the report says (www.bmjjournals.com). In this case, if a girl of these ages chooses to get an abortion to avoid complications of childbirth and/or death she is only making a positive decision for her life. According to those against abortion or those who perceive abortion as a negative act, one would argue 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. In contrary, most abortions take place in the first trimester, when a fetus cannot exist independent of the mother. As it is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb. Therefore, in this case abortion cannot be considered murder. According to Thomson (1971), “if women have rights over their own bodies, then they have rights not to have their bodies used by others against their will” (Thompson, 35-65). Therefore, even if it is argued that the fetus is a human life, the state has no right to force someone to donate use of their body to another person, even if that person is in extreme need. Another may argue that those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterwards. In defense to that, teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave school; receive inadequate prenatal care; rely on public assistance to raise a child; develop health problems; or end up divorced. Teenage births are associated with lower annual income for the mother. According to researcher Stanley, eighty percent of teen mothers must rely on welfare at some point. Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school. Only about one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma. Teenage pregnancies are associated with increased rates of alcohol and substance abuse, and lower educational level (www.womenshealthchannel.com/teenpregnacy.index).
In the modern world, abortions have become a norm of life and should not be looked upon as a negative act but an act of making a positive decision to undo some mistakes in life. Though women have been endowed with the gift of bearing a life form, an abortion gives them the option of whether they want to keep the present or not. However, an abortion should not be misunderstood for a convenience, as it does have its own advantages and disadvantages. The bigger picture that is being stressed is bodily integrity and self-ownership. Therefore, if we accept these premises we can only allow fetuses to use women’s bodies with women’s consent.

References: 1. Mayor, S ( 2004). Pregnancy and childbirth are leading causes of death in teenage girls in developing countries. Retrieved from http://www.bmjjournals.com 2. Thomson J (1971). A defense of abortion. Philosophy and Public affairs, 1(1): 47-66 3. Stanley J (2007) Teen pregnancy overview. Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy retrieved from www.womenshealthchannel.com/teenpregnacy.index

References: 1. Mayor, S ( 2004). Pregnancy and childbirth are leading causes of death in teenage girls in developing countries. Retrieved from http://www.bmjjournals.com 2. Thomson J (1971). A defense of abortion. Philosophy and Public affairs, 1(1): 47-66 3. Stanley J (2007) Teen pregnancy overview. Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy retrieved from www.womenshealthchannel.com/teenpregnacy.index