By Yusra Qadir
The most heated discussions on sexual and reproductive health revolve around abortion. A few participate in the debate, but many read the messages and follow the passionate arguments put forth by the pro-choice and pro-life forum members. Interestingly, there’s a female/male split in the debate, with women consistently representing one view and men vehemently taking the other side.
Though the points that can be made in opposition to and in support of abortion are many, here are ten that represent a range of topics as seen from both sides:
Pro-Life
- Since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life
- No civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without punishment, and abortion is no different.
- Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. And with 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.
- An abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies doubles, and the chance of a miscarriage and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease also increases.
- In the instance of rape and incest, proper medical care can ensure that a woman will not get pregnant. Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be punished.
- Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception.
- For women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence.
- Many people who pay taxes are opposed to abortion; therefore it’s morally wrong to use tax dollars to fund abortion.
- Those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterwards.
10. Abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress.
Pro-Choice
- Nearly all abortions take place in the first trimester, when a fetus cannot exist independent of the mother. As it is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb.
- The concept of personhood is different from the concept of human life. Human life occurs at conception, but fertilized eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives and those not implanted are routinely thrown away. Is this murder, and if not, then how is abortion murder?
- Adoption is not an alternative to abortion, because it remains the woman’s choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Statistics show that very few women who give birth choose to give up their babies – less than 3% of white unmarried women and less than 2% of black unmarried women.
- Abortion is a safe medical procedure. The vast majority of women – 88% – who have an abortion do so in their first trimester. Medical abortions have less than 0.5% risk of serious complications and do not affect a woman’s health or future ability to become pregnant or give birth.
- In the case of rape or incest, forcing a woman made pregnant by this violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. Often a woman is too afraid to speak up or is unaware she is pregnant, thus the morning after pill is ineffective in these situations.
- Abortion is not used as a form of contraception. Pregnancy can occur even with responsible contraceptive use. Only 8% of women who have abortions do not use any form of birth control, and that is more due to individual carelessness than to the availability of abortion.
- The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to civil rights. Take away her reproductive choice and you step onto a slippery slope. If the government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy, what about forcing a woman to use contraception or undergo sterilization?
- Taxpayer dollars are used to enable poor women to access the same medical services as rich women, and abortion is one of these services. Funding abortion is no different from funding a war. For those who are opposed, the place to express outrage is in the voting booth.
- Teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave of school; receive inadequate prenatal care; rely on public assistance to raise a child; develop health problems; or end up divorced.
10. Like any other difficult situation, abortion creates stress. Yet the American Psychological Association found that stress was greatest prior to an abortion, and that there was no evidence of post-abortion syndrome.
The 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade – the Supreme Court ruling that made abortion legal in the United States -was observed January 22nd this year with celebrations, protests, marches, and vigils. Throughout its 35-year history, Roe has never moved from the front burner of national political debate.
Where else passionate, powerful, and influential pro-life and pro-choice movements nationwide continue to wage war in public and strategize in private, we in developing countries are still thinking which stance to support.
Desperate attempts by women (and men) to end unplanned pregnancies took place in the US before legalization of abortion and they still do in other parts of the world, and the loss of mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives who die from illegal abortions, terrified and – in many cases – abandoned and alone needs to be put an end to.
Brown recounts the story of Gerri Santoro, a mother of two who had separated from her abusive husband. Santoro was building a new life for herself with a new boyfriend when she found out she was pregnant. Fearing her soon-to-be-divorced husband would kill her; Santoro rented a motel room and tried to end the pregnancy herself:
“Santoro’s boyfriend, a World War II fighter pilot, showed up. He came with some baggage: a speculum, forceps and a medical textbook (borrowed from a co-worker whose wife was a doctor) that outlined how to perform an abortion.
He wasn’t a doctor. He had no medical training. Santoro bled all over the bed and the floor of the sparse motel room. Then she began to hemorrhage. The boyfriend panicked and abandoned her without summoning for help. Santoro bunched up a towel and knelt on the carpet, placing the towel beneath her in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
When the cleaning crew arrived the next morning to make the bed, that’s how they found Santoro, keeled over nude and dead.”
For many years, abortion rights activists carried the police photo of Santoro’s death as a reminder of what life was like before legalization of abortion. Similarly, anti-abortion protesters carried photos of aborted fetuses showing what has been made legal.
Considering that we are following the course of development, we need to make an informed choice about opting a stance; which one; we should think of it together not neglecting our religious teachings but putting welfare first simultaneously.
References:
- Critchlow, Donald T. (1996). The Politics of Abortion and Birth Control in Historical Perspective. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271015705.
- Critchlow, Donald T. (1999). Intended Consequences: Birth Control, Abortion, and the Federal Government in Modern America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195046579.
- Stroebel, Ken. (March 9, 2001). “Sister: Story of photo that galvanized a movement needs telling.” Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
- Maslin, Janet. (March 31, 1995). “Film Festival Review: The Woman Behind a Grisly Photo.” New York Times.Retrieved January 15, 2008.
- “Leona’s Sister Gerri.” (1995). The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
- http://www.lifeandlibertyforwomen.org/about_gerri.html
- http://www.cais.com/agm/main/index.html