Abortion

Abortion is a highly controversial issue worldwide. Currently in the United States, the issue has come up quite a few times, with the upcoming federal election. The Republican party has considered making abortion illegal. What will that mean for women with unwanted pregnancies? Is it a womans right to be able to abort her baby? Should abortion be recognized as murder? For abortion there are advantages and disadvantages.   Even if abortion was made illegal, in secret some people would still have abortions. I believe that in  certain cases abortion should be allowed, but I do not believe that abortion should be fully legalized or banned.

 

        Abortion is a term that refers to the removal of a fetus to end a pregnancy, spontaneous abortions are generally called miscarriages. Every year there are  approximately about 40-50 million abortions worldwide, equating to about 125000 abortions per day.Women can use pills, injections or have surgery, to induce abortion medically.  Abortion has been in practice for a long time, in fact  the first recorded abortions took place in ancient Egypt in 1150 BCE. Since then abortions have been practiced in every time period and every civilization. In the 19th century the Catholic Church restricted abortions in Europe and North America. However, some abortions were performed in secret. Currently in Africa and Libya abortions are highly restricted. Now, in most countries abortions are legal, but how long will it stay like that for?

 

            The principal issue for religious people associated with abortion is when ensoulment occurs. Ensoulment is when it is believed a human being acquires a soul. While some views are that it happens the instant of conception, some people believe it occurs some time during the development of the fetus, while others believe ensoulment occurs  the second a baby is born. An important question to ask someone considering an abortion is why. Is the woman a victim of rape? Is the pregnant woman’s life in danger if she gives birth? Can the woman and her partner afford to take raise the child? Is it an abnormal pregnancy, or will the baby be handicapped?

 

            I believe that in some, but not all cases women should have the right to abort the fetus. I think that if the government allows all women to abort the fetus they many of them would have afterthoughts or regret, which could lead to depression. There are also health risks assumed with abortion, including cancer, handicaps with later pregnancies, infertility, uterine damage, pelvic inflammatory disease, or even death.  In special cases, such as health risks for the mother or baby, economic trouble,  and pregnancy due to rape, I believe those pregnant women should be able to choose if they want an abortion.

 

            In conclusion abortion is very controversial topic. For now, in North America abortion is legal, but how long will it stay like that for? I hope sometime in the future, the government will put more restrictions on abortions, so that only in very important cases women can have one.  I believe that if less women were allowed to have abortions, there would be much less depression and attempts of suicide. Even if women don’t want to raise their baby, they can still always put the baby up for adoption. Once abortion has taken place, you cannot go back. The fetus has died. You don't want to live with a lifetime of regret.

 

           

http://www.worldometers.info/abortions/  http://find.galegroup.com/gic/docRetrieve.do?searchPageType=BasicSearchForm&inPS=true&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=edmo88552&docId=CP3208520001 http://find.galegroup.com/gic/docRetrieve.do?searchPageType=BasicSearchForm&inPS=true&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=edmo88552&docId=CP3208520001