Villarreal 1

Paulina Villarreal

ENGL 1302 101

Dr. Sharity Nelson

5 December 2022

Abortion is Okay

Scholars have demonstrated abortion as a debatable subject on discourse (Banish 1).

Given the controversy and contentious nature of the topic, abortion is a difficult term to define.

Most commonly it is known as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy (Cioffi, et.al

3788). This paper will provide insight into different methods of abortion and why it should be

viewed as a medical procedure. It will also touch the conversation about why many people are

against abortion. Mainly, the responsibility of having a child and the response to unwanted

pregnancies, the different ways women can deliberately terminate their pregnancies, government

involvement within abortion, and the causes government involvement in abortion produces.

Women bringing a child into the world should be the happiest time of their life.

Experiencing pregnancy and raising a child of your own is what many women dream of. But for

other women this is not how they view pregnancy, or it is not how their pregnancy came to be

unfortunately. For others it may simply just not be the right time for them to bring a child into

this world as they want to offer their children more than they can in that point of their life. There

is a sizable number of unique reasons as to why women deliberately terminate their pregnancies.

Some of those reasons can include financially instability, mental health, or lack of a support

system. Having a child and going through pregnancy is a major responsibility. If the women are
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not ready for that or do not wish to carry out an unwanted pregnancy, abortion should always be

an option.

Carrying out an unwanted pregnancy can result in neglection or abuse to the child, it can

result in underfunded foster homes having too many children to care for and can grow our

already massive population. For women carrying out a pregnancy because of domestic violence,

incest or rape the child can be a constant reminder to the mother of a day she hopes to forget. In

the case of incest, the child can have birth defect as a result and overcomplicate the family tree

which will then confusion for the child.

The three main types of deliberately aborted pregnancies are: induction abortion, surgical

abortion, and medical abortion being the most common ways to abort with a medical

professional’s assistance (Cioffi, et al. 3788). Induction abortion is typically performed in the

early stages of pregnancy and is typically used to save the mother’s life if it is known that the

pregnancy will put her health at risk. This form of abortion is also used when decided by the

parents if the fetus is known to be developing with abnormalities or has a significantly low

chance of survival. Surgical abortions can be the suction-aspirating or vacuuming of the fetus in

very early stages of the pregnancy or can be a hysterotomy. If a suction abortion does not work,

it may be repeated (Wiley 384). A hysterotomy is a surgical procedure very similar to a

caesarean but with the difference of a smaller incision. This form of abortion is performed in the

later stages of pregnancy if the mother of the child wishes to abort her pregnancy.

In the last 20 years, pharmacologic agents capable of inducing abortion have become

available. Drugs that inhibit the synthesis of progesterone (epostane) or block its receptor

(mifepristone) reverse the dominant influence of progesterone during pregnancy (Baird 121). As

a result, a cascade of events is initiated, including influx of leukocytes and red blood cells into
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the decidua, release of prostaglandins and cytokines, and uterine contractions. Prostaglandins

cause powerful contractions of the uterus that lead eventually to expulsion of the fetal or

embryonic tissue (Baird 121). This can be acknowledged to be a medical abortion. Because so

many pharmaceuticals sell these types of medicines, it is now considered a useful alternative to

surgically induce abortion if performed safely.

From 2000 to 2008, the number of abortion facilities in the United States remained

relatively constant at approximately 1800 and then decreased somewhat to 1720 by 2011 (Quast,

et al. 1). A potential important factor leading to the closing of abortion facilities during this time

is state targeted regulation of abortion providers (“TRAP”) laws that require clinics to meet

certain conditions to operate. As of 2016, 28 states had enacted restrictions on abortion facilities,

the clinicians, or both (Quast, et al. 1). If abortion facilities are constantly closing, unsafe

abortions will be more likely to be performed at home with unsafe medical procedures because

of the mother’s intense desire for an abortion.

The government has a say in so many aspects of our lives. They should not have a say on

what a women’s life should look like because they do not agree with abortion. The government

has made laws to apply restrictions on abortion. In considering these responses to the issue, it is

evident that when a fetus is considered a human with basic human rights has yet to be

determined. Abortion should be viewed as a medical procedure only performed on women;

therefore, the decision to receive this procedure should be made by women (Oduro, Otsin 918).

Afterall the government will not be the barer of the child nor will they have to bear with the

responsibilities a child comes with. They government mainly consist of white males so it is

unethical for white male politicians to take part in what should be a scientific decision that only

affects women and the lives of those women.

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Abortion laws in the US have changed over the years. In 1973, Roe v. Wade ruled

abortion as a constitutional right. Scholars describe Roe as “America’s most controversial

decision,” “undoubtedly the best-known case that the Supreme Court has ever decided” (Ziegler

15). Many women agreed with this decision as pro-abortion women often live by the saying “my

body, my choice” (Oduro, Otsin 918). There is an inextricable relationship between human rights

and "being human", and if it is critical for our understanding of international and human rights

law to see how it can protect the individual, then it is also important to address the legal status of

the unborn from an international law perspective (Freitas 3, Cioffi 3789).

The legal status of abortion does not appear to affect levels of abortion in a population in

a straightforward way. For example, some of the lowest abortion levels in the world occur in

countries in which abortion is legal and some of the highest abortion levels occur in countries in

which abortion is illegal (Marston, et.al 11). This can cause the mother to attempt to self-induce

an abortion without the help of a medical professional nor proper medical equipment. Preforming

this procedure incorrectly can result in damage to internal organs, sepsis, or an incomplete

abortion (Banish 1, Cioffi 3788).

Unsafe abortions may also take place in the event of anti-abortion activist protesting

outside abortion facilities. Anti-abortion activist believe that pro-abortion women are clouded by

their emotions and are making the wrong decision (Ntonis, Hopkins 675). While exercising their

right to protest, there have been incidents where anti-abortion protesters have been arrested and

charged with harassment, assault, arson, stalking, or even attempted murder in extreme cases.

These violent acts have encouraged woman receiving an abortion to escape the facility out the

back with the help of an employee after their procedure or instill fear in them to the point of

preforming an unsafe abortion at home.

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Abortion will always be a bioethically and legally debated procedure. Nevertheless, there

are inalienable rights for which politics and scientific community must always fight. To try to

solve bioethical issues related to the topic of abortion it will be essential to define scientifically

when a fetus can be considered a human being with the right to life (Cioffi, et. al 3789). For the

betterment of women’s health this issue should be resolved quickly. If the government insist on

being involved, they should provide better healthcare for women and make it easier and cheaper

for women to receive birth control. If all women were taking birth control less unwanted

pregnancies would occur and consequently fewer abortions would be performed.

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Works Cited

Baird, DT. “Mode of action of medical methods of abortion.” Journal of the American Medical

Women’s Association, vol. 55, no. 3, 2000, pp. 121-126. Europe PMC,

https://europepmc.org/article/med/10846320

Banish, Roslyn. “Focus on Abortion: Americans Share Their Stories.” W W Norton, vol. 1, 2021,

pp. 1-1. EBSCOhost, Focus on Abortion-Introduction.pdf.

Cioffi, Andrea, et.al. “Reflections about abortion limitations.” Health policy, Implementation of

Practices, 2020, pp.3787-90. EBSCO, DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232021269.2.09012020.

Freitas, De S, et.al. “Seeking Deliberation on the Unborn in International Law.” Potchefstroom

Electronic Law Journal, vol. 14, no. 5, 2011, pp. 1-33. EBSCOhost, Seeking Deliberation

on the unborn in international law.pdf.

Marston, Cicely, Cleland, John. “Relationships between Contraception and Abortion: A Review

of the Evidence.” International Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 29, no. 1, 2003, pp. 6-

13. EBSCOhost, Relationships Between Contraception and Abortion.pdf.

Oduro, Georgina, Otsin, Mercy. “” Abortion—It Is My Own Body”: Women’s Narratives About

Influences on Their abortion Decisions in Ghana.” Healthcare for women international,

vol. 35, no. 7-9, 2014, pp. 918-36. EBSCOhost,

https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=3d084106-a01c-

4be8-bed2-993840b559d8%40redis.
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Quast, Troy, et. al. “Abortion facility Closings and Abortion Rates in Texas.” The Journal of

Health Care Organization, provision, and Financing, vol. 54, no. 1-7, 2017, pp. 1-7.

Sage pub, DOI: 10.1177/0046958017700944.

Wiley, John, et. al. “Abortion.” Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, vol. 62, no. 3, 2017,

pp. 383-384. John Wiley & Sons, https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12634.

Ziegler, Mary. “Beyond Abortion: Roe V. Wade and the Battle for Privacy.” Harvard University

Press, 2018, pp. 15-28. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

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