Pro-life and pro-choice might be one of the most controversial topics. Many people are influenced by their religions and others like myself are not quite sure where we stand on this topic. People who are pro-choice believe that women have the right to choose an abortion if they believe that is what they want or need. Being pro-choice does not mean they themselves would choose abortion. They believe in women’s right to decide what is right for their body. People that are pro-life are against abortions. They do not believe women have the right to choose to end their pregnancy even if it is a result of a rape or it is life threatening to the mom or fetus. This is where the controversy begins. There is no exact definition of when life begins. Some could believe it begins during conception while others believe it begins once it is born. According to an article by Strauss (2017), “Despite the insistence of anti-abortion activists, the notion that life begins at the bright line of conception is at odds with many ethical traditions. In a number of religions, when an embryo or fetus becomes a person remains a mystery, something that occurs not in a single moment but in a series of moments, none necessarily more important than the next.” Since there is no clear definition or scientific definition of when life begins both groups tend to be very divided.
I chose this topic because of the amount of controversy that comes with it. A lot of the controversy is based on religion and as health care practitioners we have to learn to deal with these situations. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and beliefs and we have to learn how to respect them even if they are not the same beliefs we have. My family grew up in Colombia as Catholics and are completely against abortions while I grew up here in the United States and have a different point of view. While I do not think I would be capable of having an abortion I do believe in a woman’s right to choose.
Abortions have been performed legally and illegally for centuries. An abortion is described as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. They were performed by people who were not specialized and needed to simply not be pregnant anymore. Some found ways to terminate pregnancy that are extreme in nature. In the 1800s abortions became illegal in the United States but that did not stop women from trying to terminate. These types of abortions were known as “back alley” abortions. They were performed at home or with a physician that was untrained. They were extremely dangerous and often deadly. Without the use of antiseptics at this time the mortality rate for both the mom and fetus were very high. According to Ravitz (2016) , “Women with means had been able to get abortions by leaving the country or paying a physician in the U.S. a large fee for the procedure. Others weren't so lucky. They sought out back-alley procedures or took matters in their own hands: inserting knitting needles and coat hangers into their vaginas, drinking chemicals or douching with lye. These methods resulted in medical emergencies and, in some cases, death.” In 1880, abortions became criminalized. By the mid 1900s most states had laws limiting abortions. Although they were still common at this point there was not a lot of controversy. There were no protests or division among the country. It is believed that a reason for these laws were to stop white women from terminating their pregnancy and using birth control. Some of the population believed that the country would be filled with children of minorities and they did not want that. In the mid-1900s abortions about 1.2 million abortions were being performed a year.
In 1973, everything changed. A woman named Norma McCorvey known by her pseudonym “Jane Roe” decided to file a lawsuit against the state for the right to an abortion. Roe was a divorced waitress fighting for women’s rights. According to History.com (2009), “The Court ruled, in a 7-2 decision, that a woman’s right to choose an abortion was protected by the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The legal precedent for the decision was rooted in the 1965 case of Griswold v. Connecticut, which established the right to privacy involving medical procedures.” Roe v. Wade will always be known as the case that made abortions legal in the United States. This decision not only made abortions more accessible to women but safer.
Roe v. Wade was also known as a reflection of the changing times. The Supreme Court had finally found that a women’s rights to make decisions for her own body deserved constitutional protection. It did find that a state may ban abortions after viability except if it absolutely necessary. Situations like these would be if the pregnancy are a threat to a woman’s life or health.
Like I mentioned before not only did this provide accessibility but safety for women. Abortions were seventeen percent of deaths in women in 1965. That number was lowered to 0.3 percent now. Less than 0.3 percent of women undergo serious complications with abortions. This is a drastic change. The legalization of abortions gave doctors the permission to specialize on how to perform them. Whether someone is pro-life or pro-choice this is good news. I believe I still lean towards the pro-choice side of the argument more than the pro-life. I do not think abortions are always the solutions for an unwanted pregnancy since I strongly believe adoption can be a wonderful thing. I do agree with the Supreme Court decision to give woman the right to her own body.
I do understand where pro-life people are coming from. My family believes it should be a crime and that once a woman has an abortion it is more likely they will have more. Some women may see an abortion as a quick fix to the problem but abortions can be very traumatizing to others. Although I am pro-choice it is hard for me to say that women who have multiple abortions are doing what is right. What is right and wrong is not black and white.
Many people still disagree with a woman’s right to choose adoption. I have noticed that a large number of people against pro-choice are fathers. Fathers can be pushed to the side when it comes to decisions about abortions. I completely disagree with this. Elizabeth Porter (1994) claims, “Reproductive rights are part of reproductive freedoms that affirm ideal of equality and autonomy. Given women’s body, sexuality, and reproductive potential, reproductive rights affirm equality as an extension of the principle of bodily integrity, and self-determination. Given the social position of women, a defense of autonomy is important. Insofar as women are not only responsible for pregnancy but also usually for the care of children, women must be the ones who ultimately decide on contraception, abortion, and childbearing.” This is a powerful statement. I completely agree with her views about the rights a women’s body. A woman should be capable of making any decision she wants for her body. I am not completely sure I agree with her statement about women being the ones who ultimately decide on contraception, abortion, and childbearing because they are the ones that care for the children. There are many fathers that do not want any part of a child’s life or do not care about contraception but that is a generalization. There are amazing fathers that want to be involved with every aspect of a child’s life specially a child that is his. Women should have the rights to any form of birth control they want but I think a husband or father should also be part of the decision making. There are women who have abortions against the father’s wishes and that is something I cannot agree with.
I am not a religious person so I am not sure when life begins or ends but if a father wants to have their child be born they should have that right too. My family is full of strong powerful feminists and I think it is wonderful but I often feel we overlook the rights of a man when it comes to his children. If a mother does not want to have children we can understand that but to not give a father the chance to hold or take care of his child seems odd to me.
The topic of abortion will always have issues and controversy. It seems like people who are pro-life want to try to limit women’s rights to abortions even to this day. They do this by placing obstacles or new laws in states that require extensive paperwork that can take a long time to complete. Another obstacle is women’s rights to birth control. Birth control is extremely expensive and some companies choose not to provide their employees with health benefits that cover birth control. Valerie Ozment (2017) writes, “In June 2014, the Supreme Court in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inn. Held that employers have a say in what female employees can do with their bodies by allowing companies to deny coverage of birth control. Since then, some states, including Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma, have attempted to expand a physician’s and father’s control over what pregnant women can do with their bodies as well. In Oklahoma in 2017, House Bill 1441 would have required any women obtaining an abortion to have named the father in writing, to have notified him in writing of her intent to obtain the abortion, and to have obtained his consent. The only exceptions include medical emergency and pregnancy as a result of rape but not domestic violence generally.” I think these laws are a bit excessive. I would not want my job to think they have control over my body specially not what kind of birth control I prefer to use. I do agree in part with the consent of the father but this would have to be on a case by case basis. I also think domestic violence should be an exception.