Ethical Issue of Abortion

Ethical Issue of Abortion

Abortion, the intentional termination of a pregnancy through surgical or medical devices, was legalized in 1973. The biomedical ethical issue of abortion has caused a great segregation in our country. Often the debate is thought to be conservative versus liberal, republican versus democrat, but more accurately it is pro-life versus pro choice. A pro-life stance opposes the belief that a woman should have the freedom to choose an abortion in the case that for any reason she does not want to have a baby. Pro-choice takes the opposite stance; pro-choice is a belief that a woman should have the autonomy to choose an abortion in the case of an unwanted pregnancy (Freesearch, 2005). Difficult questions get thrown around between the two views. Where does life begin? Should a woman have complete autonomy over her healthcare decision involving her body? What about in the case of disease and rape, are we more concerned with the wellbeing of the mother or the fetus? Issues such as non-maleficence and beneficence, justice, autonomy, and quality of life come into play. Should those in the healthcare profession, deliberately cause harm to a fetus to maintain the autonomy of the mother? Is it just to deny complete autonomy to the mother while simultaneously denying justice and autonomy to a potential life? From a virtue ethical prospective, the answers to the difficult questions and actions taken depend on the innate moral values of the individual. For example, a Christian would derive their moral values from the Bible which describes life as preconceived before physical birth; whereas, an atheist would be more likely to believe happiness for the greatest number is the ultimate goal (utilitarianism). Since abortion is viewed as such a morality issue, controversies arise between people with different moral codes.

Before 1973 abortion was illegal in this country forcing millions of women to obtain illegal abortions. Between 1946 and 1972 it is estimated that botched abortions resulted in the deaths of over 7,000 women nationwide. Since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973, abortion has changed its course in society. The case recognized abortion as a fundamental constitutional right and made it legal in all states. Due to the moral, social, and medical dilemmas the abortion issue poses, abortion has been the most debatable subject of controversy in the United States for the past two decades. One who is pro-choice believes that every woman is entitled to the right of privacy in dealing with her own body; if women are to be denied this right, history will repeat itself jeopardizing the lives of millions of women.

A pro-choice stance supports the women's complete autonomy in her healthcare. They believe that life does not begin with the fertilization of an egg, but instead the most widely held view is that life begins at viability, the point at which a fetus has a living chance of surviving without being attached to the mother. Since the unborn fetus is not a living being, instead it is simply a mass of tissue that is part of a woman's body, abortion is just an autonomous healthcare decision of a woman (Prochoice.com, 2004). By taking away the freedom to have an abortion, you are stripping women of complete autonomy in health care. What happens in the case of rape? A rape victim did not actively choose to become pregnant. Pro-choice advocates argue that we should not force a woman to live with the consequence of an act of violence; this would be unjust towards the mother. Furthermore, not only the mother may suffer, a child brought into this world as a result of rape or a mistake young girl with no means to raise a child will compromise the quality of life not only for the mother, but also for the child. Where is the justice in bringing a child into the world destined for a poor quality of life? Pro-choice supporters should not be mistaken for pro-abortion. They do not encourage abortions as a type of birth control. The do endorse sex education in schools as well as providing affordable contraceptives for all sexually active women. Alternatives are also presented; however, if the woman desires to terminate the pregnancy she