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Evan Fiore
February 7, 2017
The Controversial Issue of Abortion
Potter Stewart wrote, Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures
because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life (Stewart
2017). This quote expresses the opinion of someone who is most likely against abortion. When
the concept of abortion is brought to our attention, the first thing people may ask you is what side
you are on. Are you pro-choice or pro-life? This question may not be a simple yes or no answer.
Some people argue that a woman should have the ability to have full control over what she does
with her body. Others, argue that abortion is the murder of an unborn, innocent child and should
be regulated (Abortion Polls 2017). There has also been cases where people's opinions lie in
between the former and the latter. They disagree with abortion; however, they do not think that it
should be banned by our own government. Knowing what an abortion is helps to understand the
situation. The issue with abortion stems down to where it is and isnt legalized, the reasons for
Its important to first understand what an abortion means. The McGraw-Hill Dictionary
defines an abortion as, The spontaneous or induced expulsion of the fetus prior to the time of
viability, most often during the first 20 weeks of the human gestation period (McGraw-Hill
2003). This quote describes an abortion in the context of medicine and biology. Based off of the
definition, it can be stated that an abortion basically means the cancellation of a pregnancy. An
abortion stops a pregnancy from being carried out. To undergo an abortion, surgical procedures
are required. There are different techniques that medical doctors may perform to achieve an
abortion. The most common method is a technique called suction curettage (Shephard 2014). It is
used for roughly 90% of abortions in the United States alone. The technique removes contents of
the uterus through the use of suction and various instruments found in a surgical setting.
Abortions can also be completed through the administration of certain drugs that create
contractions in the uterus. Dilation and evacuation procedures are another option that women
have when wanting an abortion (Shephard 2014). The process of an abortion has not always been
legal.
Many countries around the world have not legalized the process of terminating a
pregnancy (Shephard 2014). This is because the legal status of an abortion is dependent on each
country. For example, it took until 1973 for the United States to legalize abortion in every state
(Shephard 2014). Because not every country has legalized abortions, some people may even try
to find someone who would perform the procedure illegally. While it seems unethical to go
against the law in your own country, some people will go the distance to get what they desire.
However, most of this is avoided because around 66% of the population of women on Earth are
able to obtain access to abortions when needed (Shephard 2014). Women of different age groups
have considered abortion. Abortions are not limited to people in a certain age group. For
example, women in their 30s and 40s are not the only age groups that are allowed to legally
have a abortion (Shephard 2014). Furthermore, abortion rates have risen since the legalization of
the medical treatment in the United States (Shephard 2014). It can be inferred that, since people
began to learn about abortions and it became legal in more areas, more people began to test the
process waters. Data collected between 1980 to 1985 shows that abortions happen almost 1.3
million times every year (Shephard 2014). This number stands out because it took only seven
years for the number to reach a million people. For the abortion rates to decrease, it is assumed
that more people would need to become abstinent and be more careful to avoid unwanted
pregnancies. It is likely that the abortion rates will continue to increase or level off at some point
in the future. There are various reasons that have been explored as to why people choose to
undergo an abortion.
When asking someone why they would go through with an abortion, a variety of different
responses may be provided. Each and every person has their own reason, whether it is personal
or if they believe in something that others believe. Abortions create pathways that people follow
because they need to fix something, change something that has happened, or remove something
from their lives that they do not want to remember. Articles from the internet and stories on the
news have provided people with insight as to why abortions happen. Other reasons may never be
revealed. However, some countries restrict patients based on their reasons for wanting an
abortion. In the United States, abortions are allowed for most reasons (Johnston 2003). There are
only some states that provide limits on the reasons as to why somebody would want an abortion
(Johnston 2003). The most common reasons for an abortion, as discussed in the tables displayed
in an archive by Robert Johnston, are not being ready to have a child, being concerned at how a
baby would alter their own lifestyle, and not being able to afford the costs and responsibility of a
child (Johnston 2003). Other reasons for an abortion involve health problems with the mother or
child and rape cases (Johnston 2003). There are even cases where the partner in a relationship or
situation does not want the baby and forces an abortion to happen (Johnston 2003). All of the
reasons provided in the tables could be labeled as valid reasons if explained well enough. The
data reported in the archive is from women who have had and reported their abortions (Johnston
2003). Additionally, it is difficult for the United States to report abortion statistics because some
states report more than others (Johnston 2003). It can be inferred that a majority of the reasons
for an abortion branches to the point of unplanned parenthood. Responsibilities are being taken
for granted. People are not being careful when they balance the concept of desire with
consequence. The stance on abortion really depends on how a person conceives life.
The debate on whether a fetus is considered alive has been discussed from generation to
generation. Life is defined as, The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from
dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth,
reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment (Life 2017). There are
many things that are used to dictate life. This quote, from the dictionary, sets the basics for how
we separate the living from the nonliving. There is one question that comes to mind when people
talk about an abortion. Is a fetus alive (Arthur 2017)? It is assumed that a supporter of the pro-
choice stance would dictate that a fetus does not contain all of the qualities of life to be
considered alive. They would believe that women should be able to have an abortion if they so
chose to have one. Someone who supports the pro-life stance, would most likely describe an
abortion as murder. These supporters would agree that fetuses should be allowed to have the
same human rights as we have ourselves. However, these stances can both be described as
flawed because our society does not know the actual answer. There is no general consensus by
biologists, lawmakers, and realists on the topic at hand (Arthur 2017). There is no win-win
situation. There is no true side to either story. Deciding if a fetus is alive or not falls to a persons
beliefs and opinions (Arthur 2017). Furthermore, even if a fetus is lawfully said to be living,
abortions would still happen (Arthur 2017). Some people who are against abortions may still end
up getting an abortion if they have one of the previously mentioned reasons for going through the
process (Arthur 2017). Our conscience will be the ultimate deciding factor to the side that we
In my opinion, the viewpoint I would choose on abortion would fall in the medium. I do
believe that abortion is wrong in some cases and that it should be avoided whenever possible.
However, I do not think that it should be restricted by the government if the issue is valid. For
example, in rape cases, the mother would not want to remember her own child as coming from
someone that hurt her emotionally and physically. Its a burden that a mother would not be able
to bear. Moreover, if the child has the potential to kill the mother or if the child is showing signs
of death before being born, I believe that abortion would be acceptable and maybe even
necessary. On the other hand, I believe that unplanned parenthood is an excuse that many people
use to cover up the fact that they werent being responsible. There are many families in the world
that look first towards adoption because they want to help children that cannot be helped by their
own parents. They do not want to see the struggle of young children. Some people are only able
to adopt children because their bodies will not allow them to naturally reproduce. It is important
to allow people who want to adopt to have a choice in the matter. Abortion is a topic that I
analyze because of the weight it carries throughout our society. It is a topic that is debated and
has sides with valid points that can be deemed worthy of being followed.
In conclusion, the debate of abortions will continue for as long as we live. The
controversial topic will be discussed for generations with no end in sight. As of now, there is no
right or wrong answer to the topic that is discussed worldwide. There is always going to be
people who fight for each side. More reasons will be developed as to why people will choose to
go through abortions. In addition, abortions are like a presidential election. People will take their
stance and choose to follow the Democrats, Republicans, or another party. Some people may not
even pick a side. In the same sense, people are either pro-choice, pro-life, in between, or they
have no opinion on the matter. While our destinies may forever be set in stone, the idea of
abortions and how we deal with the controversial issue can be shaped by future societies. The
question that needs to be weighed heavily and considered is: do we understand the consequence
that follows both sides of the situation? Do we value a young, developing childs life or do we
believe it is right to allow a women to decide her responsibilities and the potential fate of a
family?
References
Arthur, J. (n.d.). Personhood: Is a Fetus a Human Being? Retrieved February 07, 2017, from
http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml
https://www.isidewith.com/poll/965629
Johnston, R. (2003). Reasons given for having abortions in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed., McGraw-Hill Education,
https:doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.543100