The Value of a Life

Abortion has become an issue Americans feel strongly about, and it has created enormous debates within the United States. It has been around for years, and is certainly not a new option for women who find themselves in an unwanted pregnancy. Even though terminations have become safer for women, there are still strong arguments against abortion. Whether one is for or against abortion depends on a combination of beliefs, as well as pressures from society. While some believe in the right to choose, others consider it as murder; in both cases the turmoil of abortion has an extreme affect on a woman.

Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States . http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html. Planned Parenthood. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2011, from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp Susanne Babbel, P. M. (October 2010).

2011. Web. 3 Mar. 2011. http://prolifeaction.org/faq/abortion.php#risks. Web.

Although abortion is legal in the United States, many people continue to voice their opinions on how it is a human rights violation and should be illegal everywhere. The practice of abortion should be banned in society because it terminates the life of an innocent unborn child, causes long-term emotional effects, as well as major health risks for women who opt for abortion. The debate of abortion continues to be a controversial problem in society and has been around for many decades. According to Jone Lewis, “In the United States, abortion laws began to appear in the 1820’s, forbidding abortion after the fourth month of pregnancy” (1). This indicates that the abortion controversy has been debated far back into American history.

That is why I believe that abortions before sixteen weeks are justifiable. I do not believe anyone just gets pregnant to have an abortion. The whole situation is both physically and psychologically painful for the woman. There are many factors to consider in choosing whether or not to carry a child to birth or abort, but these factors are very personal and can only be answered by the woman who has been confronted with the fact that she is pregnant.

Abortion - No Right or Wrong Answer I chose abortion as the topic of my research paper because it is a very important and controversial subject, and although I have always leaned heavily toward pro-choice, I really hadn’t done much reading about it and wanted to support my position. The definition of abortion is “expulsion of the fetus from the uterus, due to any cause, before the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy.” Abortions are broken down into the following six categories: (1) Habitual abortion, the tendency in some women for pregnancies to end in spontaneous abortions. (2) Incomplete abortion, one in which the fetus is expelled[…]dilation may be required to empty the uterus. (3) Induced abortion, intentional termination of pregnancy by a surgical procedure. (4) Septic abortion, abortion accompanied by bacterial infection of the uterus.

Abortion is fundamentally wrong. It is wrong because it goes against the basic rights guaranteed to every human being under the 5th 9th and 14th amendments in the United States Constitution. Along with it going against the Constitution, there are some medical and moral reasons as to why it is wrong, such as an increased risk of breast cancer, and that the fetus does in fact feel the pain from the abortion. Simply defined, abortion means any premature expulsion of a fetus, whether it is by natural causes or an artificially induced abortion. Abortion is certainly not a new concept.

Abortion is a highly controversial topic of debate; this debate evokes strong emotions on both sides. Abortion is a pretty cut and dry topic; you are either Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. Pro-life advocates are people who believe abortion is ethically and morally wrong, and that it is the government’s job to protect all people including the lives of unborn children. Pro-choice supporters say that it is not the government’s responsibility to protect the unborn children, and women should have the right to determine whether or not they continue with their pregnancies; by choosing to have an abortion. Women’s rights concerning abortion were brought to the forefront during the court case of Roe vs. Wade in 1973.

Since the early 1970’s abortion has been an important issue to the United States (Tietze 1). The problem begins with whether it is the woman’s choice to keep or terminate her pregnancy or the government’s choice. When this problem happens, a woman loses her right as a person. Most women argue about this issue, but if you look at it, it is the woman’s body, and she should do with it as she pleases. I believe that if a woman, under the right circumstances, should be able to make her own choices in life and not be influenced by family or the government.

In today’s society there is still an ongoing argument about abortion. There are always two sides to a story. There are people who are for abortion, meaning that they believe abortion should be legal, and there are people who think abortion should be illegal. The people who think abortion should be illegal may say it is a human killing an innocent fetus, which in their terms is still another human being, but that human is not born or at times developed. The people that are for abortion may say every woman has a choice whether or whether not to have an abortion.