Tretola 1

Caydie Tretola
Mr. Campopiano
Government 1
2 November 2015
Abortion: A Moral and Justice Issue
In the last decade, abortion in the United States has become a common use of a
contraceptive for women who choose not to endure pregnancy once they have conceived a child.
Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy that usually occurs around one to 28
weeks of pregnancy. From the previous 1973 court case, Roe v. Wade, abortion was deemed
legal due to feministic views that women have utter control over their choice to endure a
pregnancy or to pursue a surgical operation to end their conceived childs life. Many women all
around the world are currently uneducated about the overall process of how an oral or surgical
abortion occurs, along with the fatal risks of this decision. Abortion should be illegal in the
United States, regardless of special circumstances, because it imposes on the unborn childs
rights as an individual, it is used as a form of a contraceptive when others are used improperly,
fail, or are neglected, and women are unaware of the mental and physical ramifications their
body undergoes during this process.
Having an abortion takes away all the rights the child has as an individual. As stated in
the United States Constitution, this nation is required to provide equality to each and every
person. This includes the ability to insure domestic tranquility or to establish a just society.
Disregarding the fact that many do not consider a zygote, or fertilized cell which is the first
developing stage of a child, to be acknowledged as a living, breathing person, evidence proves
that once a child is conceived, it begins the process of creating a new human life form. Human

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development begins after the union of male and female gametes during conception (Moore).
Once a zygote has been formed, the creation of a child begins to occur rapidly. The most
common time for a woman to have an abortion usually occurs within one to 28 weeks of
pregnancy, claiming that the child is too insignificant for him or her to count as an actual human.
Within one month of conceivement, a babys heart begins to beat and circulates its own blood
(Scott), the second month of pregnancy, the babys brain begins to develop (Scott), and all of
the major organs begin to develop at month two such as the stomach, liver, spleen, and
intestines (Scott). Terminating a child who has a surplus amount of potential in this nation has
become a social norm and commonality in todays society. If the United States claims that
everyone who resides in America has equal opportunity as their neighbor, allowing abortion
defies this right as expressed in the Constitution, which is the structure and backbone of the
United States. The physical remains of an abortion indicate the end of not a potential life, but of
an actual life (Alcorn). To make an exception for women who have the choice to terminate an
unwanted pregnancy demonstrates that the federal system of the United States is unconstitutional
and does not provide every human the right to live.
Abortion has recently become a common form of a contraceptive if others are
insufficient. Since the 1973 court case that amended abortion legal, the amount of operations has
dramatically increased in our nation. The abortion ratio in 2011 was about 219 abortions per
1,000 live births (Frieden). Not only has the abortion rate in America continue to remain
constant, but the reasoning as to how a majority of women became pregnant is due to the fact
that most had improperly used their form of birth control or neglected to use one overall. In a
survey considering women who testified to having an abortion, 46 percent had not used
contraceptives during the month they became pregnant (Hinman). The failure or lack of proper

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use to reduce the rate of becoming pregnant is no excuse for a woman to ultimately blame the
child for being conceived. It seems inequitable to end a pregnancy due to lack of responsibility
regarding the male or females choice to undergo intercourse. If pregnancy is the result of
carelessness on the mothers part, she should have to deal with the consequences (LeVay,
Simon, Baldwin). To decrease the chances of becoming pregnant, men and women must fully
understand that by failing to use a contraceptive places zero responsibility on the childs own
development, making it unjust to end their life.
Many women who decide to undergo the surgical or oral treatment of terminating their
pregnancy are uneducated about the fatal risks that are possible to occur. Just a few of the many
side effects of having an abortion include; pelvic inflammatory infection, ectopic pregnancy,
placenta previa, hemorrhaging, incomplete abortion, death, etc. Around 68,000 women
worldwide die of unsafe abortion annually, making it one of the leading causes of maternal
mortality (Haddad). Instead of women letting their bodies undergo its natural development,
having alterations and medical procedures can cause many complications that result into physical
problems, but also can take a toll on their overall mental health as well. Of the women who
survive unsafe abortion, five million will suffer long-term health complications (Haddad). In a
survey conducted on women who pursued an abortion, between 40 to 60 percent reported
negative reactions. These include but are not limited to the feeling of guilt, nervousness, sleep
disturbances, and regret. Around ten percent of women who have an abortion become classified
as having developed severe psychiatric problems and most are prescribed medications to deal
with these common issues. Due to all the mental and physical illnesses that occur from an
abortion, evidence proves that having this procedure is perilous and can cause major
complications to women and their future pregnancies.

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Pro-choice activists claim that abortion should be legal if pregnancy is conceived through
rape or incest or if it places the mother in a dangerous position regarding her or the childs
health. Women have cited social reasons, not mothers health or rape/incest as their motivation
in approximately 93% of all abortions (Torres & Forest). Rape or incest is a rare form of
conceivement for most women who decide to have an abortion. In a survey conducted from
women who had endure rape -either by a stranger or incest- only 30 percent chose to follow
through with an abortion. Not a single one of the 70 percent who chose to birth their child
regretted their decision. A majority of women who decide to have an abortion after a special
circumstances regarding rape or incest, end up feeling guilty and regret their decision to abort.
Pro-choice activists also believe abortion should be legal if the child has a severe mental or
physical disability. Many women will argue that they are not cut out to raise a child with
mental or physical disabilities. Instead of ending the childs life, another decision that should be
made is adoption. Abortion is considered to be an easy and painless procedure for a quick fix
instead of enduring pregnancy, but it is completely the opposite. One of the misconceptions
about adoption is that its expensive. In reality, foster care adoption is very affordable (Dave
Thomas Foundation for Adoption, n.d.). Adoption is a better choice, because not only is the cost
of adoption free, but it also allows the newly born child to have an opportunity at life. Women
who put their child up for adoption suffer less regret than those who have an abortion, but they
can also still have a relationship with their child if they choose to do so. If women were better
educated and understood the overall process of adoption, statistics claim that the abortion rate
would be much lower in todays society.
Although many women disagree with the fact that abortion should be illegal, evidence
proves that it places those who wish to endure this procedure at peril, causing mental and

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physical health complications along with a life full of regret. Abortion is not the way to deal with
unwanted pregnancy due to any situations that are present. As the countrys population continues
to increase, the number of abortion rates will continue to rise, making the nations abortion ratio
skyrocket in the following years. Abortion should be illegal and as citizens and representations of
the United States, we should follow the Constitution and its law regarding equal rights for every
individual. To help prevent the abortion ratio from increasing in the future, citizens should help
educate their peers about the risks of this procedure and help slim the chances of others
following through with an abortion.

Works Cited
"A Political, Public & Moral Look at Abortion." A Political, Public & Moral Look at Abortion.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
Alcorn, Randy C. "6." Why Prolife? Sisters, Or.: Multnomah, 2004. N. pag. Print.
"Arguments For and Against Abortion | SexInfo Online." Arguments For and Against Abortion |
SexInfo Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

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"CDCs Abortion Surveillance System FAQs." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Fetal Development Write-up." Fetal Development Presentation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
"Foster Parents Considering Adoption." PsycEXTRA Dataset (2005): n. pag. Web.
Haddad, Lisa B., and Nawal M. Nour. "Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality."
Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology. MedReviews, LLC, n.d. Web. 18 Oct.
2015.
"Microbicides 2004, London, 28-31 March 2004: An Overview of the Issues." Reproductive
Health Matters 12.24, Power, Money and Autonomy in National Policies and
Programmes (2004): 208-09. Web.
Moore, Keith L. "Life Begins at Fertilization with the Embryo's Conception." Princeton
University. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.