Abortion is defined by Merriam-Webster as the termination of a pregnancy after accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus such as a spontaneous miscarriage, or induced expulsion of a human fetus. Abortions have been around for many years, dating all the way back to ancient times. In those times they used herbal medicines, and sharp too. Abortion has a history dating all the way back to civilizations China, Ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire. Abortions are one of the most common medical procedures performed in the United States each year. Even though it is performed so many times, it is still one of the most controversial procedures to date. Since being allowed by law, abortion has developed in the …show more content…
world as one of the safest procedures in medicine. Around 56 million abortions are performed each year in the world with almost half done unsafely. These unsafe abortions can result in infections or even worst death. The question proposed is when is abortion permissible, and in the situation, I have a liberal view, meaning abortion is permissible at any point during a pregnancy. The main argument that conservatives use to discredit abortions is that life begins at conception. The fetus is considered a person as soon as the sperm cell hits the egg. This is false being that there is a difference between personhood and being a person. According to Mary Anne Warren, personhood is defined by five characteristics; consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, the capacity to communicate, and self-concepts or self-awareness. A fetus at the moment of conception cannot be considered to have personhood or be a person because it cannot, at this point conduct any of the listed actions. At conception and further along into the pregnancy, a fetus can not develop the capacity to solve problems, or even communicate its views to others without the help of someone else. Thus, showcasing that as a fetus, the idea that it is a person with rights as soon as it has been conceived is far fetched. Another Pro-Life argument is that abortion is murder. Many conservatives believe that killing a fetus is killing an innocent person, which is wrong, so abortion should be considered wrong as well. An objection to that argument would be that a fetus cannot be considered a human person because it has no interest as of yet. Since the fetus has no interest it cannot be considered a human, nor can it be considered murder. Along with the murder of an innocent person, it is also said that you would be depriving the fetus of what they could have been. Don Marquis makes a statement about how killing the fetus takes away from giving them a “Future Like Ours”. “The loss of our future conscious life is what underlies the misfortune of premature death. Not any future conscious life qualifies, however. Suppose that I am terminally ill with cancer. Suppose also that pain and suffering would dominate my future conscious life. If so, then death would not be a misfortune for me.” (Marquis, 233) Marquis is saying that the loss of a person that could have been great is far worse than the life of someone who is terminally ill. The loss of a life whether terminally ill or not is a misfortune, but when a person is already living their conscious life the impact of the loss would be greater than the impact of the fetus’ life. The fetus has yet to exist, make connections, bring joy, anything that would cause the loss of its life to affect the world than the life of an actual human being. There are many objections to abortion, that also have no precedence. One example of that would be the claim that women must take responsibility for their sexual activity. Yes, if a female does not want to get pregnant she should take any and all precautions to prevent that from happening, but even after all of that, she can still end up pregnant. Judith Jarvis Thomson discussed an analogy in which she believes abortion is permissible. The last case that she speaks about is when a female takes all the precautions to not get pregnant but still ends up pregnant. She calls that the People Seed Analogy, in many cases females are not prepared for a child which is why things are set in place to prevent that. Females could take all the necessary actions and responsibility for their sexual lives, but it still somehow happens. Telling women that it's their job to make sure they don't get pregnant, but not also telling males as well basically negates everything that they are trying to prove. Conservatives have a very close-minded view on what should and should not take place when dealing with a pregnancy, and many of them happen to be male. I believe that men should not have a say in how or why females go about getting an abortion being that it is their body, so it should be their choice. Pro-Choice is the support of females having the right to choice what exactly they want to do with their pregnancy and body. One of the main arguments that pro-choice makes are that women shouldn’t be forced to carry a fetus to term if she does not want the child. Whether it was a situation like rape, or the pregnancy leading to health complications, women have the right to proceed with the procedure. Carrying an unwanted pregnancy can lead to both physical and emotional burdens on the mother. Thomson states, “Nobody is morally required to make large sacrifices, of health, of all other interest and concerns, of all other duties and commitments, for nine years, or even for nine months, in order to keep a person alive” (Thomson, 217). This quote speaks on the fact that nobody is obligated to take risks in their health, life, or duties to protect the life of anybody other than themselves. The duty they have is to make sure that they are okay and emotionally stable to carry the fetus, or honest enough to know they aren't ready and take all the necessary steps to rid themselves of the issue. There were many important court cases that helped to promote the acceptance of abortions.
Cases like Webster v. Reproductive Health Services in 1989, Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, but the most important one to acknowledge is Roe v. Wade in 1973. The Rode v. Wade case dealt with the right to privacy being extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Prior to the case, Norma McCorvey found out that she was pregnant with her third child, but at this point in her life, she was not ready to take on the responsibility of another child. The only way she could have gotten an abortion at the time is if she claimed rape, which she did try but the plan failed to be that she didn't file a police report. In 1970, Roe v. Wade reached the Supreme Court, and it took three years to come to a decision in which they agreed that the right to privacy does indeed extend to a women’s body. This court case laid the foundation for cases like Casey v. Planned Parenthood to make way, and also create history. That court case reaffirmed the fact that women have a right to an abortion until the fetus is viable or able to live outside of the womb on its own. Women have the right to get an abortion being that it pertains to their body and if that is the choice they decide to make, that is their decision. Pro-choice means giving women back the control over their body, allowing them to speak on issues that concern them, and allows them to choose what is right for them without being forced …show more content…
one way or another. In conclusion, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by induced explosion of the fetus.
There are many views on what is considered right when talking about abortion, whether you are conservative and believe that abortion is wrong, or liberal and believe that no matter what women should be allowed that option, abortion should always be an option. Many factors can be considered when deciding to get an abortion, if the female was raped, the pregnancy can harm the mother, or even if she's just not ready, abortion is never something to oppress. Saying that abortions should be banned is saying that we should rewind time to 1920 when women had to fight to have rights for themselves. Abortion is not a taboo, it is a solution for many women around the world, and choosing to support Pro-Choice means you support women as a
whole.
Pro-choice activists only focus on the positives of being able to choose whether a woman can keep her baby. They don’t look at the risks that come with abortion like “shame, guilt, and regret” (Chittom & Newton, 2015). Abortion doesn’t only effect a woman mentally, but also physically. There is a possibility of death or complications when having an abortion. Anything can go wrong even if it is rare for it to happen. I don’t believe a woman should put her physical health at risk in order to kill her own baby. It sound harsh saying the word “kill”, but that is the reality. Pro-choice supporters try to shy away from using phrases like “killing” and “baby” because of how harsh it sounds. They would rather use words like “fetus”, “embryo” and “annihilate”. Using those word make the reality of killing an innocent baby seem less harsh. They bring up reasons to support their stance like stating that “a woman must have the power to control a decision as significant as parenthood, and that individuals should be able to influence decisions to the same extent that those decisions affect their lives” (Anderson, 2015). Their reasoning isn 't good enough. A woman can have the power to make her own decisions at another time. She can decide many things for herself, but abortion shouldn 't be one of
What ever this instance is, the Roe v. Wade case set the stage for one of the most debated topics today. It will continue to be referenced on moral standpoints along with when privacy should be protected. Because the Roe v. Wade case ruled in favor of Roe, women today have the right to make an independent decision when they are incapable of parenting and caring for someone other than themselves.
Roe v Wade is a famous trial that made abortion within the first trimester of pregnancy legal nationwide. The final jurisdiction of the trial took place in 1973, a time when women had to fight especially hard for their rights and freedoms. The Supreme Court looked at three different cases, all centered around abortion. The parties included plaintiffs Jane Roe (Norma Leah McCorvey), husband and wife John and Mary Doe (David and Marsha King), and Dr. James Hubert Hallford; the defendant was Texas in all three cases (Pan). At first all of the issues were heard in Texas courts, and eventually all taken to the Supreme Court. Roe went to court because she believed that the state of Texas was infringing upon her personal rights to get a safe clean
Pro choice vs pro life has divided people for numerous reasons. Abortion is expected to date back to the 1800s, it is now seen as taboo and inhumane to some. Fact of the matter, whether abortion is wrong or not it is the fight for giving a woman a natural right to her own body. For decades, legislators that are full of man have created laws and regulations on abortion. Abortion ideally ought to be pro choice for women everywhere for the victims' own protection, expanding young girls life opportunities, and individual freedom.
The case that I decided to write about is one of the most controversial cases that have ever happened in the United States. The Roe v. Wade (1973) case decided that a woman with her doctor could choose to have an abortion during the early months of that pregnancy. However, if the woman chose to wait until the later months of the pregnancy then they would have certain restrictions based on their right to privacy. This case invalidated all state laws which limited women’s access to abortions during their first trimester of their pregnancy which was based on the Ninth Amendment of the Constitution. The Amendment states that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people” (Cornell University Law School, 2013).
...ions over her own body; whether it is parenthood, adoption, contraception, or yes, abortion. After all, it is entirely plausible for people to be personally pro-life but politically pro-choice – this suggests that they respect each individuals’ rights over his or her own body and recognize that each woman should be allowed to have options. Regardless of whether or not she chooses to have the child, it is the fact that she has a choice that is crucial, and it is imperative that each woman have the freedom of individual autonomy. In order for this to occur, abortion must continue to be legal. Ultimately, being pro-choice is not necessarily advocating the use of abortion – it is about ensuring that abortion is legal so that women may have the option to exercise their right to individual autonomy and make the decisions that best reflects their stance in life.
The historic case of Roe v. Wade was a pivotal case that changed the way the court system viewed a woman’s reproductive rights. To this day the topic of abortion has people torn between the legal rights of the woman and her right to choose what to do with her own body. This side is known as the pro- choice side. The other side of the debate wants to protect the moral rights of the fetus stating that the unborn child must have rights as well. The hard thing to do was to determine for some is when the life of the fetus can be considered a living person with rights. The state of Texas that was arguing on the rights for the fetus also known as the pro-life side. The state believed that the unborn child should have rights to life. For this reason
As defined by the Merriam- Webster dictionary, abortion is “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus as a spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation- miscarriage, the induced expulsion of a human fetus, or the expulsion of a fetus by domestic animal often due to the infection at any time before completion of pregnancy” (“Abortion”).
Abortion has been a controversial topic in the U.S ever since it became legal in 1973 after the Roe v. Wade case. Abortion is defined as the, “the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.” Pro-life supporters believe that abortion is unethical and argue that it is the mother’s responsibility to own up to her actions. They also argue that there is always the option of adoption, and that abortion could be very dangerous. I am pro-life and believe that the government doesn’t have the right to decide what a woman can or can’t do with her body.
Being pro-choice advocates a womans right to control her own body, especially her right to an induced abortion (The Free Dictionary). Every person has the right to do what they wish to their own bodies. Before taking the pill, the patient must sign a patient agreement; agreeing that they have been informed of all risks, side effects, emergency contact information, instructions, and promising to return for the second and third follow-up visits. Since the patient has read and signed the patient agreement, they’re aware of what they’re doing to themselves. Different women have different reasons as to why they want an abortion. Having an abortion, either the medical or surgical way, a woman has the rights to do ...
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by destruction of a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus before birth, prior to the time when the fetus attains viability, or capacity for life outside the uterus (Encyclopedia, 1995, p.43). Currently almost twenty-five percent of pregnancies in the United States are aborted. About one forth of people who abort are teenagers, fifty-seven percent are younger than 25, and almost eighty percent are unmarried. During the first trimester is when most of the abortions take place. Only about ten percent are performed later in the pregnancy (Slife, 1998, p.329). Abortions go back as far as Ancient Greece where it was used as a type of population control. Then in the Roman Times men had total control over the procedure. “Man could give law-enforced command that his wife have an abortion, or he could punish or divorce his wife for having one without his consent” (Encyclopedia, 1995, p.43).
Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. They both share the same meaning as well, which is the process of not getting pregnant. Let’s starts of with contraception. There are tons of methods to prevent pregnancy to choose from. Choosing not to have sex, birth control pills, birth control shot, birth control patch, birth control implant, vasectomy, IUD, vaginal ring, cervical caps, male condom, female condom, contraceptive pill, contraceptive foam, contraceptive implant, contraceptive sponge, contraceptive suppositories, diaphragm, emergency contraception, fertility awareness method, injectable contraception, intrauterine contraception, the shield, and the withdrawal method. All of these methods may be 99% positive to preventing a pregnancy from happening, but there is always a 1% chance that a pregnancy can happen. Some various methods of contraception, such as diaphragms, condoms and induced abortion have existed for 100’s of years. Despite the wide availability of contraception, unwanted pregnancy remains a huge problem in the U.S. It’s crazy really, so many birth control methods to choose from and still, U.S is one of the areas where abortion is the highest. Moving on, when someone is selecting a contraceptive method, they should really consider the
Those who adamantly oppose abortion are regarded as pro-life and those who are supporters of abortion are considered pro-choice by contemporary standards. Even among those who advocate abortion, there are discrepancies in their views such as up until what point in the pregnancy is abortion morally permissible. In my opinion, abortion is morally permissible at any stage in a woman’s pregnancy. This is ethically acceptable because a woman should have the right to control what goes on within her body. Along with this, fetuses are still far from personhood (having the qualities of a human being); therefore, we cannot liken abortion to any variety of murderous activity.
Abortion has been a method since at least ancient history. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 22 weeks of pregnancy. There are multiple ways a woman can have an abortion, however the one most commonly used is the suction abortion. The suction dismembers the baby while sucking their body parts through a tube. I feel strongly that abortion should be illegal because it can result in medical complications, psychological trauma, the fetus can feel pain, and abortion is murder.
Abortion is the killing and removing the fetus/ embryo before there is any possibilities of it surviving outside of the mother’s uterus. Abortion is the end of a pregnancy that is normally chosen by the mother, but is also known as a miscarriage. Abortions are mostly known as a surgical procedure, this is done multiple ways but all killing the fetus/ embryo. There is a variety of viewpoints on abortion such as through the religious tradition, also from seeing it as a crime to beneficial, this is an on-going debate about abortion.