Abortion

The topic of abortion has always been a controversial one. There are many differing
opinions about if or even when a woman should be allowed to terminate a pregnancy. Most of
these opinions are based off of one's own moral perspective and beliefs, which is why it is such
a complicated issue. Who decides when life begins? Who decides when a woman loses
complete autonomy of her own body, and must submit it to the rights of the fetus growing inside
of her?
Possibly the most frequently voiced argument against abortion is that even an embryo or a
fetus, is a person, and that by having an abortion, a woman is murdering a child. However the
case of abortion is very different from murder. The fetus is a part of the woman's body. It
depends completely on her nurturance to survive. It is not until about 21-22 weeks, the
beginning of the third trimester, that a fetus is considered viable, or could possibly survive
outside of the womb. Essentially, the fetus is taking from the woman's body in order to survive.
She puts her health and even her own life at risk. By not allowing a woman to terminate a
pregnancy, we are forcing her to give up her bodily autonomy.
Consider this; When a person, infant, child or adult, is in need of a life saving organ
such as a kidney or a liver. The man across the hall is an exact match. Without the organ
donation, the person in need will surely die, but even so, the man cannot be forced to give the
life saving organs. It is illegal to take to organs of someone who is already deceased if they had
not already given consent, even if it would save the life of someone who is unquestionably alive
today. Shouldnt women be allowed to same rights to
bodily autonomy as the deceased?

On January 23, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled

that any law prohibiting abortion was unconstitutional
(Munson 239).This decision came after a woman,
Norma McCorvey, became pregnant in Texas where
abortion was strictly outlawed. Throughout her life,
Norma had been raped and abused both sexually and
emotionally. She herself abused drugs and alcohol. She
had already given birth to two children. The first of
which was from an abusive marriage she entered into
at sixteen, and was raised by her mother. The second,
under the care of the father. She did not want, nor did she have the means to have another
child. Because of the supreme court decision McCorvey was able to receive an abortion. The
Roe V. Wade decision decided that states could not completely prohibit abortions, however, it
did not prevent them from regulating or restricting abortions (Munson 239). These restrictions
usually impact funding for abortion, and at what time during the pregnancy a woman can
terminate.
Timing is often at the center of the abortion debate. Again, this goes back to opinion
about when life really begins. Science does not dictate this fact, except after the child is born.
Until then, it is a matter of opinion, often based on morals and religious beliefs. Some believe
that from the moment of conception a life has formed, and abortion would be murder. Others
moral objection increases along with gestational age. Opposition is most prevalent among
cases in which an abortion is performed after 21 weeks of gestation. Medically, this procedure is
called intact dilation and extraction. Late-term abortion is often the basis for anti-abortion
arguments However, only about 1.4% of abortions are done after the 21st week, which is often
considered the stage of viability. Often, these late term abortions are due to the pregnant
woman's own health being compromised, or a severe fetal defect. 59.1% of abortions are done
before the 9th week of pregnancy, another 19% done between the 9th and 10th week, 10%
before the 11-12th week, 6.2% between week 13-15 and 4.2% between week 16-20 (Munson
243).
We must consider who is getting abortions and also why they are doing it. Abortions are
most common among young adults. About 52% of women who have abortions are in their
twenties. Teenager account for about 18% of those who choose to terminate a pregnancy each
year. In the U.S, European Americans have the highest rate of abortions at about 36%, African
Americans follow at 30% and then Hispanics make up about 25%. Of the women who get
abortions, 75% say it is because a child would interfere with their educational and career plans.
75% say that they chose to get an abortion because they cannot afford to have a child, and 5%
say that chose to terminate because they didnt want to be a single parent, or that they are not
getting along with their partner and don't want to introduce a child to the picture. (Munson 242)
Then there is the scenario when a woman is forced
into sexual activity with another man, and becomes pregnant
with his child. De Medeiros Guimares et al. interviewed
victims of sexual violence who chose to terminate the resulting
pregnancy in the article Feelings of Women in the Experience
of Legal Abortion Due to Sexual Violence. Sexual violence is
defined as any action in which a person in relation to power
uses physical force, coercion or psychological intimidation to
force another to engage in sexual intercourse again his will
(pp. 2350). At least 18% of women report experiencing at
least one type of sexual violence in their lifetime, and of these
case approximately 7% of women will become pregnant. Each
year about 12,000 women in the U.S have an abortion as a
result of rape (Munson 242).Should these women be denied
an abortion, and be forced to sacrifice their bodies , their
health and the life that they previously knew for this fetus?
They lost the right to their own bodies when they were raped,
and now must they lose the right to their bodies concerning
the pregnancy?
Some say that there is always the option to put the child up for adoption. This is true, but
that doesnt account for the months of pain that come with pregnancy, along with the costs of
prenatal visits and childbirth, which can be upwards of $18,000 for a vaginal birth and $27,000
for a cesarian section, which is sometimes required in emergency cases. Even with insurance, a
woman is looking at around $4000 in costs just for the delivery. Now consider if the woman
does have the finances to give birth, and then give the baby up for adoption. What does life look
like for a child in the system? Of course, there is the possibility that the child will be adopted and
cared for by a new, better equipped family, but this is not always the case. Everyday, there are
about 428,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, about 107,000 of them
eligible and waiting to be adopted (Adoption Statistics). On average, a child waits to be adopted
for more than 8 years, long after they begin to develop their sense of attachment, which can
affect all their relationships and outcomes throughout life. In 2015, more than 20,000 young
adults became too old for the system, and were forced out on their own. These people are far
more likely to experience homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment and incarceration
(Foster Care).
I often hear the argument, from anti-abortionists, that if a woman doesn't feel she is
ready or capable of having and raising a child, she should not participate in sexual activity. To
me, this implies that a woman is solely a vessel for a fetus, a living, breathing incubator. So if
she does not wish to have children, she should never be able to have sex? Now not only should
a woman lose rights to her body after she becomes pregnant, but also anytime that she is not
pregnant, and wishes to stay that way. Of course there are contraceptive options, designed to
prevent the pregnancy from ever occurring, but they are not 100% effective. Should a woman
not have second option when facing a decision that will change her life and her body forever?
Shouldnt she have the right the make such a decision?

Works Cited

Adoption Statistics. Adoption Network, adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics

De Medeiros Guimares, Anieta Cintia, and Karla Da Silva Ramos. Feelings of Women in the.
Experience of Legal Abortion Due to Sexual Violence. . Journal of Nursing, June 2017, pp.
23492356., doi:10.5205/reuol.10827-96111-1-ED.1106201713

Foster Care. Children's Rights, www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care/.

Munson, Ronald. Abortion. Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Bioethics. St. Louis: Clark
Baxter, 2014, 239-274. Print.