Arguments Against Abortion

The Pro-Life Debate

The pro-life debate is a hotly contested issue not only in America but also in the entire world. Sometimes also referred to as termination, abortion is a medical procedure which involves the removal of pregnancy with the consent of the mother which is usually carried out mostly before the second trimester to avoid giving birth to a baby. There are two ways in which a pregnancy is usually terminated; by either using the termination pill or through a surgical procedure. In the United States of America, abortion is legal although, for women who are under 18 years, one is required to seek the permission of one or both parents.

Abortion Statistics

In the recent past, abortion has become very common, and statistically, about 1.2 million women in America have an abortion every year, and 1 out of 3 women are likely to have an abortion before they reach their menopause (Coleman 184). Studies have proven that many women end pregnancies due to various reasons including; rape, failure of contraception, to prevent congenital disabilities, and poor financial status among others. Even though some situations necessitate abortion such as when a mother’s life is in danger, and although the pro-choice women activists argue that denying women the freedom to choose abortion is a human rights violation, pregnancy termination is immoral because it not only kills and causes suffering to an unborn child, but it ends the life of an innocent person. This paper will educate audience from a pro-life point of view which is against abortion.

Pro-Choice Arguments

Abortion proponents argue that women should be given the right to do what they want with their bodies, which is an essential moral right. What is more, they claim that because a foetus is also a part of their body, they should be left to decide whether or not to remove it, failure to which is translated as a violation of the bodily rights. Moreover, other pro-choice supporters claim that foetuses are not humans; that they are considered as persons after birth and as such, aborting cannot be termed as an act of immorality to end another person’s life (Saurette, and Kelly 171).

Pro-Life Perspective

However, the pro-choice arguments are irrefutable since it has been biologically and scientifically proven that a foetus has a different life from that of its mother merely its genetic composition is different. Besides, a foetus can metabolize, grow, react to stimuli, as well as reproduce; the criteria used to determine a biological life. Women do not also develop extra four arms, legs, and other organs when they become pregnant but rather, those additional parts belong to the tiny humans inside them. Therefore, it can be justified that removing a pregnancy is not only the killing of an innocent being but also terminating a life, which has already begun, and this is immoral. According to Jerome Lejeune, who discovered the abnormality in chromosomes, life begins after conception, and this is not debatable or a matter of opinion, but rather, it can be experimentally proven (Moller 435). Hence, the more reason as to why it is crucial to advocate for the protection of foetuses’ lives by opposing abortion.

Taking Responsibility

Most importantly, it is advisable that if a woman is pregnant, they should not punish an innocent baby who would have maybe become a great person in life or make substantial contributions to the society by killing it. Women should be ready to take responsibility for their actions and one way to demonstrate this is by not removing a pregnancy. In cases, where a woman has financial problems and they cannot be able to provide for the baby, they should be advised to give birth and give the kids up for adoption. It also seems to be unfair that some couples try for years to conceive while others are killing their babies. According to a study carried out by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the number of children in America who were given up for adoption reduced by 12% in 2002 as a result of the increased rate of abortion (Moller 430). Abortions should also be discouraged because they can cause mental and emotional problems in women who have performed an abortion. According to the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, teenage girls who undergo abortion are at risk of depression and they are also likely to commit suicide.

Conclusion

In conclusion, abortion, as scientifically proven deprives the foetus a right to live; it is an immoral act of killing an innocent human being and should not be considered as a human right or even a way of achieving gender equality. Additionally, legalizing abortion does not stop maternal deaths because women still die even after terminating a pregnancy, the more reason why this practice should be banned. Most importantly, women who heed the advice to give birth and give out their babies for adoption instead of aborting, help thousands of couples who cannot conceive. Lastly, abortion causes mental problems in women who have done it.

Works Cited

Coleman, Priscilla K. “Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009.”The British Journal of Psychiatry 199.3 (2011): 180-186.

Moller, Dan. “Abortion and moral risk.”Philosophy 86.3 (2011): 425-443.

Saurette, Paul, and Kelly Gordon. “Arguing abortion: The new anti-abortion discourse in Canada.”Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique 46.1 (2013): 157-185.