Introduction
In many instances, such as the TV shows, public forums, Newspapers and even through the websites, the issue of abortion has been the major topic of discussion whereby some people support the act of abortion while the others are against the act. For example, the majority of Americans believe that abortion should be allowed, if pregnancy occur because of rape or if the mother’s life is at risk, this was according Huff Post/YouGov poll. The religious groups have greatly resisted the legalization of abortion, since they argue that it is against the biblical teachings.
The arguments as to whether abortion be legalized or not, will only depend on the instances or the purpose of its application. In this argument, abortion should be legalized in cases of unintended pregnancy and as a measure to reduce crime rates, while on the other hand, it should not be legalized when it applied to an intentional pregnancy and when the maternal health is affected greatly by the negative consequences of post-abortion.
Unintended pregnancy
Abortion should be legalized because Coleman (2006) argued that the majority of the pregnancies occurring in at the adolescent stage are unintended, from 75% to 86% (as cited in AGI, 1994; Squires, 1995; Henshaw, 1998). In addition, she also said that the unintended pregnancy is one of the contributing factors of stress to women of any particular age (as cited in Olson, 1980; Cohen and Roth, 1984; Adler and Docini, 1986). Other researchers have correlated the unintended pregnancy and came up with a conclusion indicating that the unintended pregnancy which is carried to birth is associated with a serious risk on the maternal health (Coleman, 2006 July 21).
Furthermore, Coleman stated that unintended pregnancy has also been associated with the late prenatal care (as cited in Braveman at al., 2000; Hulsey, 2001; Mayer, 1997; Pagnini and Reichman, 2000), the use of substance (as cited in Hellerstedt at al., 1998; Kost et at., 1998) as well as the depression (as cited in Leathers and Kelley, 2000).
According to Coleman, when women are feeling that significant people they lives with are supporting their decision to abort, then their post-abortion adjustment is going to be more positive and thus will not suffer the guilt (as cited in Moseley et al., 1981; Shustermamn, 1979).
These facts are tending to support the inducement of abortion at the instance where the pregnancy is unintended so that the maternal health would be protected.
Abortion reduces crime rates
Another evidence of legalizing abortion has shown that by legalizing abortion, the crime rate is is going to reduce. According to Donohue and Levitt (2001) in their Quarterly Journal of Economics reported that evidences have shown that the United States has experienced a sharp decline in the rates of murder since 1990 onwards as from the time when the prohibition of abortion ended in 1933. The report further indicated that the homicide rates had gone down by 40%, while property crime and violent crime had each reduced by more than 30%. There are many articles which have appeared in popular press and academic literature and they are involved in the discussions of these changes (as cited in Blumstein and Wallman, 2000; Blumstein and Rosenfeld, 1998; Kelling and Bratton, 1998; Donohue, 1998; Butterfield, 1997a).
Argument against legalizing abortion
According Coleman (2006), earlier researches have indicated that at least 10 percent of those women who opt to abortion during pregnancy will suffer negative psychological effects ( as cited in Adler et al., 1990; Lewis, 1997; Zolese and Blacker, 1992). Moreover, the adverse impact of abortion among the affected women that relates to the maternal health, have been published and it includes anxiety (as cited in Cougle et al., 2005; Franco et al., 1989). Secondly, depression (as cited in Cougle et al., 2003; Reardon and Cougle, 2002; Torp et al., 2003). Thirdly, sleeping disturbances (as cited in Barnard, 1990) and finally, the use or abuse of substances (as cited in Coleman et al., 2002a; Reardon and Ney, 2000; Yamaguchi and Kandel, 1987).
Based on these findings, abortion is associated to several negative effects that affect those who practice them. Those who have had the experience of abortion will suffer mostly from these consequences and thus it should not be legalized at all.
Negative effects of post-abortion on the maternal health
Furthermore, Coleman noted that approximately 25% of abortions in the U.S are conducted on women who are under the age of 20 (as cited in AGI, 1996) and these same young women are the ones that experiences difficulties after the abortion (as cited in Franz and Reardon, 1992; Osofsky and Osofsky, 1972). She said that the attempt to explain this heightening possible risk of emotional difficulties at adolescent stage after the abortion focuses on the pressure that others exerted. This means that when women are feeling that they forced to commit abortion by the circumstances in life or other people, they tend to suffer more from the negative consequences of post-abortion.
References
Coleman, Pricilla K. (2006, July 21). Resolution of Unwanted Pregnancy During Adolescence Through Abortion Versus Childbirth: Individual and Family Predicators and Psychological Consequences. Browling Green: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.
Donohue III, J. J. & Levitt, S., D. (2001 May). The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, CXVI (2). Retrieved from
