Essay on Women's Autonomy in Abortion: Controversy Over Unplanned Pregnancies

Introduction

Abortion underscores one of the most issues of controversy in the current world. On deciding the solution to this dilemma of unwanted pregnancies, people opt to turn to the law; hence there are always conflicting interests between the lawyers and women's point of view. In juxtaposing the rights of the fetus, there is still an antagonistic relationship between the unborn child and the woman carrying it hence the need for women to have more autonomy on the issue. Issues about unplanned pregnancies and abortions underlie a range of ethical and moral dimensions that may, at times, call for a deep reflection of the law, family contexts, religious norms, relationships, and conventions. Abortion as a contemporary ethical dilemma, therefore, presents a framework of the liberal right to choose the rights of reproduction, which should be extended to all women and abortion ethics underlying a dialectical interplay between responsibilities and rights, coupled with the moral praxis and moral contexts.

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Discussion

In the realm of the laws opening doors for women seeking an abortion, there are always conflicting concerns among healthcare workers, burdensome responsibilities, coupled with the ambiguity of interpreting and implementing legislation. Additionally, there usually is controversy about balancing religious values and faith against the professional obligations and concerns on the health and wellbeing of women (McLean, Desalegn, and Blystad &Mijiteig, 2019). Such an argument is prevalent among women falling outside the indication of law owing to their vulnerability to handle such ethical dilemmas alone. That, with health care workers who are stigmatized by colleagues against abortion and are forced to keep their jobs discrete from families and friends. There is usually a broad legal continuum on abortion. In some countries, abortion is allowed upon the request by women with no justified requirements, whereas in certain countries, there exist unknown prohibitions in the realms where laws prohibit unlawful abortion, albeit with no legitimate lawful grounds. In some states, however, abortion is forbidden on all terrains. Bills have been debated and changed in the historian's time with the vast majority of motives behind what they were initiated to regulate. In the states that abortion laws are liberal like the US and South Africa, women still struggle to acquire health care services (McLean et al., 2019). That is owing to the healthcare institution's distances, strict laws, and regulations of such institutions, the procedural costs, privacy at the clinics, coupled with the availability of outside health care workers who are willing to provide services of abortion, thereby creating barriers of access.

Background History of Abortion

Before the 17th Century, abortion was theorized to be a women's issue rather than a political or historical one (Amado, 2009). That was informed by the limited knowledge and development in the medical fields. Women were more concerned about finding methods that were effective than the ethical implications of terminating a pregnancy. Albeit in the public realms, ethics have often played a dominant role, and that usually informs the hostile coalitions on abortion positions with the sympathetic ones. There have always been ethical debates on abortion acceptability like the Augustinian doctrine whose criterion presented abortion as an enrolment moment and was not forbidden. However, abortion opposition began with the Roman Catholic Church after its declaration that abortion is a crime. Afterward, abortion saw its criminalization in European countries and the United States, where the perception of abortion as a women issue changed to medical intervention. The wave of abortion of legislation in several countries begun in the 20th Century, and by 1960, the legal rights of accessing qualified and safe medical services became real in the United States and Britain (Amado, 2009).In Britain, it was realized in 1967 through the abortion Act and in the United States in 1973, owing to Roe V.Wade (Amado, 2009). Abortion has since been legal in many countries, albeit with varying degrees of its permission in various countries. A recent case was in Latin America, where there was the legalization of abortion in Colombia and optimized a compelling case where ethics, law, and politics overlapped.

Relevant Laws and Regulations on Abortion as a Contemporary Ethical Dilemma

Abortion, as a contemporary ethical dilemma, has a substantial moral concern in the United States as it is argued that it is the primary modern problem to the morals of the public. In spite of its legalization in 1970, the legal debates about it are far from ending (Cates, Grimes, & Schulz, 2003). Similarly, in the United Kingdom, where abortion was legalized in 1967, recently saw a failed parliamentary project to reform the Abortion Act (Cates et al., 2003). Additionally, significant religions like the Catholics and the Islamic faiths still condemn abortion as a form of crime against life. Abortion as an ethical dilemma is composed of two opposite and opposed positions s pro-life that underscore abortion as morally wrong since it is a form of murder. The second group is the prochoice position that underlies abortion as optional to women, and there is also the middle ground group that considers abortion as morally justified in some cases. Whereas the pro-life emphasizes on the moral status of the fetus to qualify abortion as murder, pro-choice appeals for the right of women and freedom to justify pregnancy termination.

There are, however, laws and regulations prohibiting abortion by the age of gestation or the length of pregnancy hence its unauthorized dimension as an act against human rights. There have been struggles over the laws of abortion, its competing representations, coupled with the ethical and political values struggles, and the stakes that engage the human rights on abortion. For health, the laws on abortion as a health regulatory should be based on evidence in the quest to counter the stigma of future abortions that may inform excesses in regulations and access to barriers. In terms of justice, there should be exceptional cases of abortions during pregnancies, and such services should be legal, safe, and devoid of risks. Justice should also be accommodative in addressing women's capacity in terms of structural conditions when they are acting timely decisions regarding abortions, coupled with access to abortion services during their early pregnancy. Recent supreme court rulings like Rust vs. Sullivan, coupled with the battle over the abortion legislation in Louisiana, have created new favor on both pro-life and pro-choice fronts of the struggle (Cates et al., 2003). The court also upheld regulations that prohibit the medical staff from discussing abortion issues with patients of family planning under title X of the Public Health Service Act (Harrison &Naylor, 1991). The senate also passes a bill allowing abortion talks; hence abortion is still legal in every state, albeit each state has its laws.

Impacts of Laws and Judicial Decisions on Abortion Ethical Dilemma on the Healthcare

In the US, most pro-life and pro-choice advocates concerning abortion rights often juxtapose arguments of public health in advancing their positions, cases that have recently evolved into laws of the state. The state laws regarding abortion have commonly used the infrastructure of the health department in regulating activities and law regulations with regards to abortion. Such new laws have faced opposition from the healthcare and medical associations since they lack enough evidence and are not aimed at protecting the health of women. However, the departments of health have defended those laws in courts. Lately, the agencies of public health have been mandated to implement, protect, and enforce laws that are related to abortion, albeit not consistent with the framework of health. A recent one was the Texas Department of State Health Services that was tasked to enforce House Bill 2 law (HB2), astringency law that was passed to ensure the safety of abortion patients.

Future Impacts of the Laws and Regulations on the Abortion on Healthcare

The current abortion laws and clinical guidelines are well conversant with the healthcare workers as they usually refer to them during their interviews. However, there exist gaps between law and ethical realities at the clinic, which prompts dilemma regarding abortion. The challenging situations present questions on whether or not abortion should be provided for, whether or not they should accept lies and whether or not all cases should be considered. Abortion laws should be understood in the realm of an ethical political-legal problem, and any solutions coming from the above should be conceived. Abortion regulations will always raise questions about justice, and a claim that is recognized is that there will always be an abortion need throughout pregnancy.

The relevance of Abortion Ethical Dilemma in my current Healthcare Job

In my current healthcare job, safe and lawful abortions will always be a refuge for many women, although it can be a burden to the medical practitioners who perform it. Most nurses and midwives will still be stigmatized, especially in emotional dimensions. That may lead to professional marginalization coupled with social isolation in their work organization since most abortions are done in hidden or unmarked clinics (Erdman,2017). Whether through stigma or illegality, most healthcare providers may opt to hide in the quest to protect the abortion-related services that they provide and the patients that receive such treatments.

Impacts of Technology on Abortion Debate

There has never existed a straight line between scientific knowledge and abortion dilemma. The cumulative effects of scientific development on abortion could lead to a public opinion shift, court decisions coupled with moral thinking. Most of the scientific progress on abortion has shifted focus on the fetus's attention and the development of the embryo, which has been biologically researched together with the health risks of pregnant women in the realms of public health interests. The nee scientific developments have therefore put forth new evidence of motivating people to think in different ways regarding their beliefs with regards to the rights of women to have an abortion as well as provoking new moral argument regarding the same.

Conclusion

While state laws regarding abortion as a contemporary ethical dilemma, there is a need for an open conversation regarding the regulations of abortion concerning public health professionals on their roles in abortion and the effects it has on their moral beliefs. Abortion, however, remains a controversial ethical dilemma in public policy in conjunction with its objective insights on its impact on health and its legal perspectives.

References

Amado, E. (2009, June).Abortion: Ethical Inclusive Legally and Politically Feasible. Scielo.Retrieved from http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S165747022009000100011

Cates, W., Grimes, D., &Schulz, K. The Public Health Impact of Legal Abortion: 30 YearsLater.Guttmacher Institute.35 (1):25-28.Retrieved fromDOI: https://doi.org/10.1363/3502503

Erdman, J. (2017, June).Theorizing Time in Abortion Law and Human Rights.US NationalLibrary of Medicine, National Institute of Health. 19(1):29-40.Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5473036/

Harrison, K., & Naylor, L (1991, December).The Laws that Affect Abortion in the United Statesand their Impacts on Women's Health.US National Library of Medicine, NationalInstitute of Health. 16(12):53-59.Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1798604

McLean, M., Desalegn, D...