Abortion Paper Essays - Human Reproduction, Sexual Reproduction, Law

Abortion Paper The coexistence of opposite and conflicting feelings about abortion is centuries old. Disagreements between public policy, morality and individual behavior on this issue existed even at the time of Plato and Aristotle. In the past few decades abortion issue has been brought into sharper focus and has been vigorously debated. A number of factors are responsible for this but perhaps the major one has been that associated with the sexual revolution which accentuates freedom in all matters sexual and in spite of or even because of the tremendous and indiscriminate increase in the distribution of contraceptives. Judges have ruled, politicians have legislated, but the controversy on this issue is still shaking our society. Since the late 1960's abortion has been shifting from a predominantly illegitimate status toward a more legitimate one. Several cases have been fought for the right to choose. Many of these have been hard cases with very personal feelings, but the perseverance showed through and gives us the rights we have today. In 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut upheld the right the right to privacy and ended the ban on birth control. Eight years later, the Supreme Court ruled the right to privacy included abortions. In Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court stated that it is the women's right to have an abortion if she so chooses. In Jan 1988 the abortion section of the Criminal Code of Canada was struck down in Morgentaler decision. (Gentles, 13). Most arguments against granting women the right to abortion are based on religious and moral prohibitions, defending the sanctity of human life. Opponents of abortion rely on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person from the moment of conception. Anti- abortionist proclaim that they are pro-life. However, they spend so much time establishing that the fetus is a person and therefore has a right to live that they forget about mothers rights or simply ignore her existence. The word "murder" is often used by pro-lifers to describe abortion. Murder means deliberate and unjustified killing of another person containing intent. How can anybody see an evil intent in a woman's decision to interrupt pregnancy if it is a result of rape or incest? A woman cannot bear the thought of having a child that would be a constant reminder of what had happened on such and such a day, such and such number of years ago. She doesn't want to kill a baby, she wants to interrupt the growth of an embryo so that it will not become a baby. She interrupts potential life. But potential life is just that, potential. It is interesting to note that these same people, who place so much emphasis on protecting the fetus seem to care so little about what happens to children after they are born. The vast majority oppose government welfare programs to help support needy and dependent children. These people are also in favor of the death penalty and see the killing that goes on during war as justified and noble. My personal belief is that each woman should have a right to decide whether she wants to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. For reason's of women's right to self-determination, protection of their health, adequate care of children which are born and in order to prevent child abuse and mental disease, easy access to abortion is a must. Most abortions occur because contraception failed, because of a rape or because of a serious medical condition of the mother which could lead to her death. In these situations abortion is often the only way that prevents the birth of an unwanted child or saves a mothers life. Large percentage of women who have to deal with unwanted pregnancies are teenagers. Pregnancy often has catastrophic effects on adolescents. They drop out of school, have nervous breakdowns, even commit suicide. It is also unsafe for them to go through with pregnancy. Dr. Henry Morgentaler writes: "Mortality among pregnant teenage girls is sixty percent higher than among adult women, one of the reasons being that the pregnancy depletes the resources that the need for their own growth. Congenital malformations are also more frequent among babies whose mothers are under eighteen" (Morgentaler, 32). Many teenagers cannot provide the right conditions for raising a child for they are children themselves. Having a baby will often mean an end of future career, poverty and complications in health. Another issue is when pregnant women are older. They no longer feel prepared to shoulder an obligation of motherhood. Most of these women already have grown-up children and sometimes even grandchildren. From medical point of view their health is also in danger: