Abortion - Largest Debataable Issue

ABORTION

Abortion, in my opinion, has been one of the largest debataable issues in American Society. There are so many aspects and views to examine before one can even begin to form their own opinion. In order to discuss an important issue such as abortion, we must first understand what it means. Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy before the fetus has developed and grown enough to live outside the mother. When abortion happens naturally before the 20th week it is called a spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage. If it happens naturally after the 20th week it is termed a late fetal death or a still birth. An abortion caused by a medical procedure is called an induced abortion. Most induced abortion are performed in the first trimester or first 12 weeks after conception.

The abortion debate seems like an unresolable conflict of rights. The right of women to control their own bodies, and the right of children to be born. In the United States abortion became legal in 1973. Recently, courts have upheld the right of a woman to have an abortion, and as a result, has caused many heated debates. The opposing abortion groups are referred

to as “pro-life” and “pro-choise.”

The people who refer to themselves as pro-choise believe

the woman has the right to choose for herself whether to have an abortion. It has nothing to do with the humanity of the fetus but is entirely about the womans freedom. They say every persoon has the right to live and move in freedom. A pregnant woman and her unborn child are one and the law should protect the woman’s right. They most often refer to the embryo as nothing “a blob.” Saying that the fetus is not alive because it can not live outside the womans womb. Furthermore they gone as far as saying the world is already over-populated. They claim abortion is a personal choice. Therefore an abortion is justified if the mother wants an abortion. Whereas pro-life people believe

that destroying a human life is morally wrong and should be restricted. Their believe

that the loss of one’s life is one of the greatest losses one can suffer. The loss of one’s life deprives one of all the experiences, activities, and enjoyments that would otherwise have constituted one’s future. In their eyes abortion is a sin. They claim that human lives are being taken at a rate of 1.5 million a year for convenience.

Is abortion right or wrong? Under what condition is the termination of a pregancy morally acceptable? At what stage does a pregnacy become a person that cannot and should not be aborted?

Do circumstances and convenience outweigh the sanctity of life? Can one support both women's

rights and oppose abortions? These questions basically boil down to people’s opinions, and beliefs. Everyone is entitled to have a difference of opinion. I respect the religious, ethical, and moral convictions on which their opions are based. However, I actually believe

reality is much more complex than this simple either-or system. There is no single right or wrong because as with any situation there could be special circumstances.

Woman have many reasons for seeking an abortion.Their are a few abortions cases that introduce special factors. For instance when the fetus has been found dead there is no reason to carry it full term. Another example would be when the embryo is diagnosed as having a severe disorder or genetic defect. In the case of multiple pregnancy, some if not all the the fetuses will end up with various long term health problems; some may not survive at all. The woman may elect to go through a selective reduction procedure, which involves the killing of one or more fetuses in order to give the remaining fetuses a better chance to be born healthy. In view of situations where the prenagancy resulted from rape