Essay Sample on Abortion Debate: Legalization and the Woman's Right

In the recent past, abortion has raised severe concerns across various communities and societies in America. There has been a significant difference in opinion among the citizens as to whether it should be legalized or not. Those thinking that abortion should be a legal claim that abortion should be a right of the pregnant woman should stop them. They conclude that if not legalized, women who want to abort may resort to unsafe ways to abort the fetus, which carries potential danger to the pregnant woman. Their primary rationale and premise behind their opinion are that the choice of the pregnant woman should matter more.

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The second group, which is against abortion, claims that abortion is similar to ending an innocent life. Their opinion is informed by the notion that human life begins at conception. They claim that it is not fair at all for people to be given the right to abort, whereas couples who cannot conceive are looking out for other options such as adoption.

The cusp ruling about abortion on January 22, 1973, was in favor of abortion. This conclusion was made on the premise that the constitution guarantees the right for privacy and that freedom of choice on whether to abort or not was entirely in the hands of the pregnant woman. However, the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which was put in place to protect the unborn from murder and assault, stated that anyone found guilty of attempting the law should punish abortion. At least 38 states have passed the legislation.

In 1992, Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra claimed that a way to empower women is by giving them a reproductive choice, thus giving them control over their bodies. She claimed that for women to have equal participation economically and socially, they have to be given the power to determine their reproductive lives by choosing whether to abort. A dissenting opinion establishes the ground for not legalizing abortion. According to Maureen Condic, Ph.D., Anatomy, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, the spinal reflex a crucial response to pain, is developed within the first eight weeks of pregnancy. This supported the opinion that it is painful for the fetus during the abortion process.

A study by the University of California in San Francisco came up with a contradiction as to the issue raised concerning the process of abortion being painful for the fetus. The study supported the argument by showing that the fetus can’t feel pain until the 30th or 29th week of pregnancy. Many of the abortion cases take place way earlier that the stated periods. Abortions past this period are sporadic.

For the opponents of the motion, they claimed that abortion is the murder of a human being, and it goes against God's Word. According to the Bible, there isn’t a precise differentiation between a fetus and an infant. The sixth commandment, as stated in Exodus 20:13 states, "Do not commit murder." This is meant to apply for all human beings, including the unborn.

According to the proponents, when abortion is legalized, it is conducted in safe and professional ways, reducing the chances of putting the mother's life on the line. When it is kept illegal, pregnant women wanting to abort may resort to harmful and methods which may cause maternal injury. According to Daniel R. Mishell, Jr., MD, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, in antecedence to the legalization of abortion, pregnant women would try to carry out abortion using knitting needles, coat hangers radiator flash or by seeking help from back-street abortionists. A report by the World Health Organization showed that unsafe abortions caused death to 68000 pregnant mothers.

The legalization of abortion was discouraged because it may cause depression and psychological harm to those who undergo it. A peer-reviewed study which was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health stated that subsequently, women who carry out abortion are likely to experience depression. A peer-reviewed study which was published by the Southern Medical Journal examined 173000 American women. It stated that women who conduct abortions are 154% more likely to commit suicide than women who wait for the maternity period to elapse.

Conclusion

In my personal opinion, abortion should be illegal. It does more harm than good to be human nature. As it is claimed that it should be the choice of the pregnant woman whether to abort or not, it was also their choice to get pregnant even though there were so many methods to avoid pregnancy to their disposal. To conclude, abortion is the killing of innocent, unborn human beings. One should bear the consequences of their actions and keep the fetus safe until it is taken.