Morality of Abortion

Morality of Abortion

For the past couple of decades, the issue of abortion has been the most heated topic debated in the United States. When considering this topic, one must look at three things: ethics, emotions and the law; for all of these are important to this issue. Like any debate, there are two sides to this issue: pro-choice and pro-life. The people who are pro- abortion say that the mother is the ultimate person to decide to abort a pregnancy and that the government should not get involved. On the other hand, a person against abortion would state that from the time of conception, the embryo/fetus is considered a human being. By aborting one is committing murder and taking away that human being’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as stated in the United States Constitution. When investigating the topic of abortion many questions come up. Can abortion be morally justified? What about in the case of therapeutic abortion or rape?

Eighteen days after conception, the fetus contains its own heartbeat. After three months the fetus has already developed all the organs and all the systems in their body needed. They are able to move around and do many other things. When I look at these facts and think about abortion, it seems evident that this is murder. In my opinion abortion is immoral, but on the other hand there are specific conditions and circumstances where abortion can be morally justified. Every year there are about 1.2 million abortions and out of those only 1-2% are because of therapeutic abortion or the cause of rape. That 1-2% is the group that I believe are justified in aborting their pregnancy, because I believe in the protection of life the mother who is already a fully developed human being should be saved first, and in the case of a rape victim why should they suffer even greater consequences of such a violent act to begin with?

Most abortions take place because of failure in the contraceptive or just because the woman suddenly decides she does not want to have a baby for whatever various reasons. I feel that if a woman, or a couple, is/are ready to have sexual intercourse, they should also be capable of bearing the potential responsibilities that come along with ‘negative consequences.’ Granted this seems to lay a greater burden on the woman’s...

... middle of paper ...

... Having an abortion can also cause emotional unsuitability. There are many women who have post-abortion syndrome due to the abortion. The woman starts to feel guilty, starts to understand the repercussions of her actions, and may start to regret her previous decision. Many studies show that more than 80% feel lonelier and had increased tendency towards anger and rage. More than 50% start to use drugs or start drinking and about 30% of them try to commit suicide. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and suicide are all common symptoms a woman will encounter after an abortion.

Abortion may seem enticing to some, but there are many other better options available. In my opinion, abortion is just a legalized form of murder. The woman is just depriving the child of a life that is worth living. This child could have been the next president or could have been the one to cure HIV. By aborting a pregnancy, this future will never take place. But even with an issue such as abortion there are circumstances when abortion can be morally justified, in the case of therapeutic abortions and rape. And in these, and only these, circumstances the woman has the moral right to choose to abort the pregnancy.