Arguments Against Late Term Abortion

Late-Term Abortion: Should It Be Allowed and In What Circumstances?

Introduction

One of the most controversial topics in the biomedical ethics community is the topic of abortion. And while conversations about “when gestation cut offs should be” and “if parental consent is needed” are quite common in the philosophical community, many try to stray away from the debate about the morality of late term abortion due to the sheer taboo around the subject. For the purpose of this paper, I have created an operational definition of what late-term abortion is by combining and analyzing different medical and legal definitions of the topic. Late term abortion is the medically induced ending of a pregnancy after the 20th week of gestation. The legality of this type of abortion varies throughout the states, but I feel that late-term abortions should be allowed and found morally acceptable in the case of when fetal diagnoses are found later in pregnancy and will result in a still-birth or neonatal

But, if we don’t debate the morality of it, we can never change the subject from being the taboo that it is now. Late term abortions should be allowed and deemed morally acceptable. The ideas of reproductive autonomy, merciful death and saving the viable life all confirm the idea that late term abortions are moral in circumstances of fetal, neonatal or maternal death. Although many philosophers take the stance that a fetus is a person and has rights, the idea of reproductive autonomy outdoes those debates. Life is unfair and difficult decisions sometimes must be made. Judging people and deeming them immoral because of the decisions they made does not change the outcome, all it does is create a hostile environment that is not conducive to creating change. But, by having honest conversations and open dialogue, perhaps we can change abortion and late term abortion from being a