Sophia Collins
Dr. Embry
ENGL 1101-47
November 1, 2017
Abortion: Pro-Life or Pro-Choice
Choice is the right, power or opportunity to choose. Abortion and its’ stances are based on this idea of choice. Being able to decide whether you would like to keep or dismiss a child is a woman’s fundamental right, though some may disagree. Abortion is a very controversial topic because of the opinions brought into the discussion. Simply put, a person is either pro-life or pro-choice. Those that are pro-life believe that abortion is wrong because it kills a life. Those that are pro-choice believe that abortion is not wrong because a woman has the right to decide what goes on with her body; and many of these people do not believe that abortion is murder because the baby has yet to be born. This decision is not one easily made, but in the situation that abortion becomes an option, it is based on different impacting factors.
Since its legalization in 1973, abortion has created many heated discussions about keeping it legal or banning it all together. The Roe V. Wade court case brought attention to this controversy because it faced the debate head on. A Texas resident by the name of Roe planned to terminate her pregnancy through abortion, but Texas law prohibited abortions with the exception of saving the woman’s life. The court decided that abortion was a part of the right to privacy which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment; and this legalized abortion into the first trimester and gave the state different levels of authority over the second and third trimester. The issue of abortion has been around way before this court case was cultivated. Greco- Roman cultures toiled with whether abortion should be allowed or not. Christians during this time were outspoken about abortion, claiming that the unborn child had to right to be born, and both Plato and Aristotle agreed with this. Their opinions influenced the Roman society and in turn made it legal. This topic in the Greco-Roman society would not resurface for 1500 years.
Abortion occurs at different stages in the pregnancy through different procedures though 90% of women chose to have their abortion during the first trimester. One type is a Vacuum Aspiration. According to Web.MD, the procedure occurs as stated in the following quotation.
“When you’re comfortable and sedated, if you so choose, your health care provider will insert a medical tool called a speculum into your vagina to keep it open, and swab your vagina and cervix with an antiseptic solution called Betadine. She’ll inject an anesthetic into the cervix to numb it, holding your cervix in place with a grasping instrument. She’ll then insert a small tube attached to either a hand-held syringe or a suction machine into your uterus, and clear out its contents. From start to finish, the procedure takes several minutes.”
In the second trimester, the abortion could happen as stated.
“If you’re more than 12 weeks pregnant, your provider will use an ultrasound to date your pregnancy. The farther along you are, the more prep work you may have to undergo to prepare your body for the procedure. While doctors can do vacuum aspirations until about 14 weeks, the most common type of second-trimester abortion is called dilation and evacuation, or D&E.
The first step a provider will take before this procedure is to prepare and dilate your cervix so that it’s not injured in the procedure. They will likely use laminaria sticks, which might be left in overnight. They might also give you a dose of a medication such as misoprostol, either by mouth or through your vagina, to soften your uterus. They may also use tools to help dilate your cervix.”
Finally, in the third trimester, the abortion can happen as stated below.
“If you’re having an abortion further along in your pregnancy, you may have to find a specialized, experienced provider to do a dilation and extraction procedure, or D&X. This is a procedure that doctors usually reserve for when there is a serious problem with the fetus or medical complications related to the mother.
All the steps leading up to the procedure and steps taken after the procedure are the same as for a D&E, including the ultrasound to date your pregnancy and prep work to soften and dilate your cervix. For sedation, you might be offered a general IV anesthesia, especially if the procedure is done in a hospital. There are a few other options, like labor induction, hysterotomy and hysterectomy. But because they are riskier, doctors only do them if medically necessary.”
Despite knowing these techniques, people still chose to support abortion. But these choice is not only influenced by the way abortion occurs. Many people support abortion because of different situations that the mom may be in. Health issues, financial instability, and not being prepared for a child are all reasons that abortion is supported. Many situations occur where the child-bearer has a disease that runs in the family and is likely to get passed down to their offspring. The family, specifically the mother, has the option to give birth to a child that would be affected by the disease or terminate the pregnancy and save the child, and the family, the struggle of dealing with the disease and pain that comes with it. Many people would choose abortion in this situation simply to save the child and the family from suffering. Endangerment of the mother during birth adds to the list of reasons to get an abortion. Some people have medical conditions that put their life at risk by going through the pains of labor, and rather than die during child birth, they would have an abortion. Rape victim who do not want the child of their abuser may also have an abortion. Another reason that abortion is seen as an option is because of the family’s inability to raise the child, whether they are not financially ready to take care of a child, they are too young, or they simply do not want to have a child. Health issues of the mother is also a reason to get an abortion. If the mother is at risk of death during pregnancy, then abortion becomes an option for the mom. Rather than losing their life, a mom would get an abortion to save herself. These situations are very tough to make, but depending on the situation, it is an option that is used to make life easier for the mothers.
On the contrary, abortion is not and will never be seen as an option in any situation for those that oppose abortion. People are pro-life supporters mainly because of religious reasons, but also because of feminism and the baby’s right to live. People believe that it is not right for women to “play God” and decide if their baby should live or die. They believe that if one gets pregnant, then they should carry the pregnancy to term and decide what to do with it after birth. Pro-lifers say that there are options for the child after its birth if the parent is not ready to take care of the baby. The goal is to have the baby and give it life and then see where it goes from there. Pregnancy is thought of as a gift because many women cannot get pregnant so for a woman to abort her baby is seen as reckless and selfish. Adoption is a very viable option for those who feel they cannot take care of their child. Foster care can be used to give the child the home it needs, and when the family feels they can take care of the child, they have the option to get the child back. Simply taking care of the child is also another option for the child. Many pro-lifers are Christians, and they believe that God only puts people in situations He knows they can handle; therefore, people who get pregnant and have an abortion are going against God’s plan for them. This plays in with the “playing God” idea, and because we are not and will never be God, it is frowned upon to have an abortion.
After learning about the different sides of abortion, my opinion has remained the same. I do not believe that abortion should be an option for those with an unplanned pregnancy. My opinion is like the saying “If you do the crime, you have to do the time”. Having a child is not a death sentence, but doing the deed that leads to pregnancy and then deciding not to go through it simply because you are not ready seems very selfish. There are cases that make abortion a viable option though; they are rape victims and health issues for the mother. Those that go through such tragic experiences like rape should have to choose to abort the child. No one should have to live with the constant reminder of the tragedy, but if I were in that place, I would go through with the pregnancy. Being able to have a baby is a blessing, and giving life to someone is a miracle. Despite the situations that the baby came about, the child would bring so much joy and happiness that it wouldn’t make the rape worth it, but it would make it bearable. Along with this, mothers whose lives are put in danger during pregnancy should consider abortion. While on a plane, the attendants tell you to help yourself before you help others. Moms cannot help their babies if they do not help themselves first. If I were in the situation where giving birth to my child could kill me, then I would get an abortion. There are always more options to have a child, but losing my life to give birth to another would not be worth it. In my eyes, financial reasons, young age, or not wanting a child are not reasons to get an abortion. Putting the child up for adoption or raising the child and giving it a life are better alternatives rather than ending a life that had no say in whether it could live. I understand that sometimes a child would be in a rough home or have a tough life, but along with the Christian pro-lifers, I also believe that God only puts you in situations that you can handle; therefor, whatever the situation a child is put in, there is a better outcome in the end.
In conclusion, abortion is a choice. Though the decision to get an abortion is not one easily made, it is still an option that people turn to in desperate times. Many people believe that abortion should not be considered because of their beliefs, and that there is always a different option to take care of an unplanned child. Others believe that abortion should be allowed because it is the woman’s body and therefore her decision and jurisdiction to decide what happens to her baby. Depending on the stance one has on abortion, the decisions and opinions of it all comes back to the idea of choice.