Is abortion ever acceptable? – Term Paper

Introduction

Abortion has been a subject of contention for many years over many regions of the world. Societies and individuals all around the globe are differed in their stand of whether abortion should be accepted or not, or whether there are some cases that abortion should be acceptable. This paper purports to argue that there are not conditions whatsoever that can make abortion to be permissible. It intends to provide information that bases abortion as illegal and immoral under any and all circumstances. This is intended to rally up information and advocacy against abortion across the globe by making people aware of the facts against abortion thus creating a unified front.

Background

Abortion refers to the intentional termination or removal of a pregnancy before the conception time. In many countries, abortion is rendered to be illegal while in a few such as the United States it is accepted as legal and offered in specific medical facilities (Thomson 21). Arguments placed against abortion are mainly based on the moral grounds. Arguments against abortions have the largest support of people because it generally goes against the various cultures and religions across the world. However, even in those countries where it is termed as legal it is still guarded by various regulations which determine the various conditions at which abortions can be rendered permissible.

Main arguments

Arguments made against abortion are arguments that relate to the issues of ethics and morality of life. They provide for various alternatives and answer to the contentions that pro-abortionists raise to support their course. According to scientists, cultures, and various religious views life begins at conception. Once a child in conceived, then at that particular moment that is a life that has begun. According to Noonam (138), life begins at conception and everything that has life, has a right to live. This is also related to the fact that once conception has occurred there is a fair possibility that it would develop to a healthy fetus and delivered into a baby that will grow into a normal human being. As such, abortion would be terminating that possibility of an individuals life for reasons that are not the childs fault. It is thus vital to ensure that as everyone is alive, fair chance and efforts are made to give the same possibility to every fetus that is conceived. On this, religious and cultural views establish that life is not mans to give and should thus not be mans to take away under any circumstance. As such, abortion is a moral situation that should be shunned by the society (Noonan, 139). It is in relation to this that the fundamental human right to life is protected under all statutory laws. Furthermore, legal frameworks in most countries abolished executing the death penalty in relation to this same foundation. As such, no matter what the reasons may be it is vital to protect the value of human life at any stage of life from conception to death.

Looking at the issue of unwanted pregnancies, arguments made on this basis are unfounded and flawed within the current times. Currently, there have been numerous developments in medical research and technology that limits the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy. There are various methods of contraception that are widely available across all regions globally at either free or very low affordable rates. At the same time, there are strategies that can be applied to ensure that in the case of un-consensual or forced sexual intercourse an individual does not get pregnant. With all these strategies available to the public there should b absolutely no reason for one to claim they have an unwanted pregnancy that should be removed or aborted. It should actually be constituted by law that any pregnancy that is termed an unwanted should be deemed as the fault of the mother for not seeking the appropriate measure to protect them. Once such a motion is passed by law and deemed punishable, there will be instilled a sense of responsibility among individuals and couples to ensure they do not conceive when they are not ready or planned for it. According to Noonan (139) there should be no point where the law states that before some point, a fetus has no life. Nooman feels that not even the law is right to determine at what point the fetus should be terminated. His second argument since the fetus is dependent on the surrounding to exist, does not make it unfit for life. As such, abortion is a moral situation that should be shunned by the society.

There are various risks and challenges that come with abortions that are not worth and are immoral to be subject to either willingly or unwillingly. Performing abortions, like any other intrusive medical procedure carries with it the risk of harming the mother. Abortions carried at different stages of the pregnancy use different methods. They can either be through the use of strong medical drugs or through surgical operations. Both of these methods pose the risk of reacting negatively with the mother leading to further medical complications and at severe cases even to the death of the mother. Statistically, most of the abortion cases reported in many regions of the world are those performed by the self or by another unqualified personnel leading to very drastic medical risks to the mothers and in some severe cases deaths (Mellor 10). Additionally, most women who prefer to have abortions are ones who are either underage or within the teenage level. At this stage, pregnancies come as a shock and the decision to abort is normally not a well thought one. In result, cases have been documented of the physiological and mental stress and torture that abortions have cause women throughout their lives after they abort. While some are usually hit by the physiological stress immediately after they abort, with some it usually comes later on when they are much older. This is especially crucial when a woman unknowingly gets her reproduction system damaged during an abortion and discovers she is unable to conceive many years later when she is an adult.

Counter arguments

Most pro-abortion arguments made are made in line with the protection of the life of the mother. It is argued that once a fetus or pregnancy is seen to be endangering the life of the mother then it should be removed. The rationale placed behind this reasoning is that the mother is already a living being as opposed to the fetus that is still yet to be born. As such, these forms of arguments are ones based on explaining biological processes involved in the creation of a fetus from the period an egg is fertilized to the period a baby is born. It places a time limit to the point where life is said to begin. According to pro-abortionists, life begins at birth and not in the womb. Taking this point of view makes it morally correct for one to perform an abortion as they are not harming any life since it has not begun.

Other arguments placed forth on pro-abortion are ones that are based on protecting unwanted pregnancies from leading to a life of suffering when they are born. Unwanted pregnancies are classified as those unplanned for and the parents are not ready to rear a child and those that result from forced sexual contact such as rape. Arguments are made that pregnancies originating from rape are result into a lot of moral and psychological torture for the woman (Thomson 32). The pregnancies and the children born form such pregnancies are in most cases unwanted and mistreated as they remain a constant reminder of the rape they originated from. Arguments are made that in such a condition abortion is permissible and should be allowed upon the will of the affected mother. The same argument is made for the position of couples or individuals who get unwanted pregnancies from consensual sexual intercourse. Arguments are made that since they are not ready nor willing to raise a child they are going to subject that child to unfair conditions. In such a case, abortion should be permissible for the sake of saving the child from an unfair life.

Extreme pro-abortion advocates present an even greater argument that abortion should be permissible to any individual who wishes to abort their child. The rationale for this is based on ensuring that children who are born are born to parents and conditions that are prepared and conducive for their wellbeing. This argument combines all the other arguments based on unwanted pregnancies, rapes, unwilling parents, and unstable economic conditions. Furthermore, it goes to establish that parenthood is a personal decision that is the right of each individual. In result of this, the right to have children should be respected in cased where an individual feels pressured or forced in any way to have a child.

Conclusion

Abortion is morally and ethically wrong. It is a practice that goes against the fundamental right to human life. Abortion is also a risky procedure to the health and life of both the mother and child. Though pro-abortionists provide various arguments towards cases where abortions should be permissible there are various solutions to those cases. Cases of unintended pregnancies should not arise with current level of contraception medical research has provided across the world (Mellor 9). As such, there are no conditions that would or should make abortion to be considered as permissible. However, abortions are being conducted in many regions of the world at grounds that are termed as legal or permissible in other illegal or hidden cases. The results or these have been the endangerment and in some cases losses in the lives of the child and the mother. It is vital that there be established laws that govern against abortions. It should be established illegal and punishable by law for any individual found to be partaking in any form of abortion at any level. Various check points and strategies should be established in societies to flush out all the illegal abortions that are taking place. It is only through this that people will take up their responsibility and role in ensuring cases of unwanted pregnancies dont arise.

Works Cited

Thomson, J. “A Defense of Abortion.” Philosophy and Public Affairs 2008 1:1.

Noonan, J. The Morality of abortion: legal and historical perspectives, Harvard University Press, 2007.

Mellor, D. et.al. “The importance of ‘awareness’ for understanding fetal pain”. Brain Research Reviews 2010, 49(3): 571.