Abortion is one of most debated issues in our society. Almost all debates on abortion, deal with rights, wrongs and ethical aspects of abortion. There are different laws in different societies that deal with this issue and further declare it right or wrong. This paper intends to discuss abortion, and further examines why abortion is good along with discussing other related aspects of the subject.
Abortion is a process of deliberately terminating a pregnancy by killing the foetus, before normal birth of a child. Abortion is painful for women as well as men, mainly due to moral predicament that is involved in this issue. This very predicament makes this issue debated and most people find themselves at one side or the other. Different People have different arguments on this issue and all of them seem to be logical. Let us examine some of these arguments in order to understand the issues in a better way (Mai).
Those, who are against abortions, say that human life starts at conception and any effort of terminating pregnancy is similar to murder. The logic behind their argument is foetus is a living thing and killing foetus is not different from killing any human being. Abortion undoubtedly contradicts the simple idea of sacredness of human life. Opponents of abortion further add that if killing a human being is not allowed in any civilized society, how abortion can be justified.
Opponents of abortion further argue that when adoption is available as a sufficient option, what is the need of abortion. There are thousands of families that aspire to adopt children. People further add that no child of this earth is an unwanted child and nobody has a right to prevent someone from coming in this world (BBC). A child should not be killed merely because her parents or any of them wants to do so.
Abortion is not in the interest of a woman and it may call several medical complicacies to the woman who undergoes abortion. Abortion may be legal or illegal but it is always bad for the mother. As soon as any woman conceives a foetus, her body starts preparing for the maternity. Several changes occur in her body as well as in her mind. Abortion interrupts the whole natural process and the woman faces some artificial and forced changes that are very harmful and leave a long lasting impact on her body as well as her psyche. The abortion impacts woman’s body in a negative way and also it impacts her emotions and thoughts.
Opponents of abortion argue that even in the heinous cases of rapes, abortion should not be exercised. Proper care should be taken of the victim and if a child has been shaped, he should be allowed to see this world. This child can be adopted by someone who has not been able to get the joyfulness of being mother. Abortion is not the solution of such problems and it has nothing to do with crimes. The rapist should be punished for his crime and not the innocent child who has committed no offense.
Abortion should never be exercised as an alternative of contraception. This is unethical and further harms the body of woman. Couples should never bring someone into this world if they are not ready for it. Bringing a child just in course of pleasure and killing him is highly unethical. There are a number of contraceptive measures available that may help young men and women in controlling unnecessary pregnancy (Blank et al.).
Woman, who does not want to give birth because it will disfigure her body, should use contraceptive and take prior care because abortion is not just her individual issue but every incidence of abortion affects the society. It has been found in a number of cases that abortion is used by a large number of teenagers or unmarried girls who are not willing to be ashamed in the society. These girls usually have an immature mind and become remorseful for their decisions at a later stage.
Supporters of abortion have different arguments and say that almost all abortions are done in first three months when a foetus is not in condition to survive independently. Since Foetus is attached to the placenta and depends completely on his mother for everything, it cannot be considered as an independent creature. Foetus cannot exist without the will of the mother and is unable to continue living outside the womb of the woman.
In the given circumstances, fouetus is different from a living creature and can be terminated if the same is required or desired by the one who holds it. Supporters argue that idea of a living entity is completely different from the idea of human life. Fertilized eggs, which are used for vitro fertilization, fall in the category of human lives and are frequently thrown if not implanted. If the same is not murder how abortion can be said to be act of murder.
Supporters further argue that adoption cannot be substitute of abortion. It is in fact oppression of a woman’s will because she only has the right of choosing whom to give her child. It has been found that very few women give their approval for adoption of their child. It has been observed in a number of cases that people adopt children but they fail to give them a good care and good life. Even incidents of child abuse have also been observed in cases of adopted children.
Abortion is completely safe and scientific medical procedure. The women health is not affected by abortion and in fact helps women in leading a life of their own choice. Abortions are exercised in earlier moths and have rare chances of any complicacies. Once abortion is done, it makes no negative impact on woman’s body or psyche in current or in future. Even it does not affect the ability of women to give births (Colker).
Abortion helps women in preventing child that comes into this world as a consequence of rape. It has been observed that often women are afraid or shy of revealing about their pregnancy and abortion is the only solution of preventing such child. It is beyond imagination for anybody to imagine the pain and suffering of a teenager who became pregnant accidentally. Does she have any option except Abortion to live peacefully in the society?
Having observed the succinct view and discussion of the abovementioned subject, it can be concluded that abortion should be exercised in a very cautious manner. Abortion is good when it is exercised for an appropriate cause but in no case, it should be exercised for trivial reasons.
Works Cited
"BBC." 2013. bbc. 6 December 2013 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/legal/introduction_1.shtml>.
Colker, Ruth. Abortion and Dialogue: Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, and American Law. USA: Indiana University Press, 1992.
Mai, Elisa. What Should I Do?: Philosophers on the Good, the Bad, and the Puzzling. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
R. M. Blank, C. C. George and R. A. London. "State abortion rates the impact of policies, providers, politics, demographics, and economic environment." Journal of Health Economics (October 1996 15(5)): 513–553.
