Abortion

This should be fun :) The legalisation of abortion has been a big issue worldwide for a long period of time, not only politically but also on social and religious fronts. Abortion can be defined, as by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as the termination of a pregnancy resulting in the death of the embryo or fetus. The reasons for and against are both numerous and persuasive. The first reason that deems that abortion should be illegal is due to the fact that abortion is considered immoral. Considering that life begins as soon as the fetus is created, the killing of a fetus could be considered the killing of a human. In this way abortion is similar to murder. If it is immoral to kill a human, how could it be considered acceptable to terminate a fetus? No civilized society allows one human to intentionally take the life of another human freely, and according to the aforementioned definition, abortion should not be different. Abortion also goes against the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath is historically taken by doctors and nurses that swear to practice medicine ethically. One of the lines in the classic Hippocratic Oath states that ‘I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion'. This clearly states that abortion goes against the ethics of medicine and medicinal science. Another reason that abortion should be illegal is due to the fact that there is no such thing as an unwanted child. One of the main reasons for abortion is that the parents are unable to keep the child. However, the genetic parents do not necessarily need to keep the child, but they could rather put the child up for adoption. This option is preferable to killing a human being. Is adoption not a better way of dealing with the issue? Abortion can also lead to medical problems in later life. 10% of women that go through with abortion have immediate complications. This does not include those that have other medical problems later in life due to abortion. These medical issues include, but are certainly not limited to, cervical, ovarian and liver cancers, uterine perforation, cervical laceration, placenta previa, complications with future births, handicapped newborns, eptopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease and lower general health. The risk is intensified for multiple abortions. Despite all the compelling reasons against the legalisation of abortion there are several reasons that abortion is positive. Firstly, on many occasions the parents are unfit or unable to take care of the baby. The reasons for this could be due to several factors, including religious, moral or financial complication. If a woman does become pregnant, it is extremely likely to be an accidental birth, in which a contraceptive has failed, bad planning or due to rape. In any of these scenarios abortion is often the only option. One of the main reasons against abortion is that the killing of a fetus is considered murder, akin to the killing of another human being. However, there is a difference between the concept of personhood and the concept of human life. Almost all abortions take place in very early stages of pregnancy. In these early phases, the fetus can not live outside the mother's womb. In this case, can the fetus be classified as a separate being? The question is up to the mother to decide, and what she wishes to do with the child. Once again, the classification, or definition of what is considered human depends on the individual and their beliefs. Another reason for abortion is the complications of how pregnancy, and a child, would affect a young person's life. If forced to continue with the birth of the child, the prospects for the parents would be rather grim. They would be extremely likely to have to leave school, rely on society for raising their child, develop health problems, end up separating or have psychological problems like depression or anxiety. Abortion is often the only way that parents can avoid this bleak future. One reason for the legalisation of abortion is that if abortion became illegal, it would lead to a lot of ‘backstreet' abortions. These abortions would cost a lot of money, be unsafe and unclean, and have generally negative effects on the mother. However, if abortion were to remain legal, then abortions can be carried out in safe and clean environments, where the prime concern is welfare rather than money. Another reason that abortion should be legal is due to the fact that if the child would be born with defects, whether the deficiencies be physical, mental or a combination, it would lead to problems. Having a child with severe medical problems would not only be detrimental to the child but also to the mother and father. The parents may have problems against having a child with birth problems, not only in raising the child, but also due to how they feel, whether this is owing to social or religious demands. In this case abortion can be the only way to deal with the issue. Approximately, there are 42 million abortions that happen every year. The amount that are justified is uncertain, and certainly depends on the individual's definition of the word. But the question remains, should abortion remain legal? What do you think? Personally I believe that abortion should have certain requirements that must be fulfilled before abortion is applicable to the mother. Some requirements may be if it was a forced pregnancy, if it was due to a contraceptive failing or if harm could come to the mother from the birth of the child. In this way, abortion would become less of a contraceptive or an easy way out, but more of a positive thing that would be extremely helpful to many people internationally. Don't hate too hard