Every year, there are an estimated forty to fifty million abortions worldwide: one million of those being performed in the United States, alone. Abortion is defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy most often performed during the first twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy. Many women throughout the world undergo this procedure due to varying circumstances such as pregnancy difficulties, financial unreadiness, rape, and many more. Society must find a middle ground in protecting women’s rights to abortion against those who feel abortion is morally unacceptable.
In Chicago, Illinois, a group of trained laywomen created a union called “The Abortion Counseling Service of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union.” This group would provide safe, inexpensive, illegal abortions. More specifically, it was underground. The group formed in 1969 and lasted roughly 4 years until the Roe v. Wade case resulted in the legalization of abortion. However, at this time, abortion had already been performed a significant amount and illegally, at that, since the 1800s. This group performed more than 11,000 abortions illegally. “In picking up the tools of our own liberation, in our case medical instruments, we broke a powerful taboo. That act was terrifying, but it was also exhilarating. We ourselves felt exactly the same powerfulness that we wanted other women to feel.” Many financially unstable women were faced with unskilled doctors with suspicious motives. On the other hand, some women were simply unable to find anyone who would perform the procedure. A significant amount of women attempted dangerous self-abortions involving knitting needles and coat hangers, douching, or swallowing chemicals or drugs. This group of women wanted to change the law and emphasize the importance of reproductive rights.
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The development of abortion has had both positive and negative outlooks. Before the legalization of abortion, the government did not support this medical procedure which left many women feeling helpless and resentful. As time went on, many women became very desperate and began performing illegal abortions. However, it wasn’t until 1973 when the Roe v. Wade case resulted in the legalization of abortion, that the controversy really began to brew. Of course, women’s groups were overjoyed with this news because they felt as though all of their hard work and struggle had finally paid off. But immediately, opposition surfaced. The Roman Catholic Church had always perceived abortion as a form of murder. Pro-life supporters believe that life begins right at conception and therefore, feel as though the unborn child deserves the same rights as the mother who is now given the choice of whether or not to have an abortion.
The changes made regarding abortion have been relatively positive. During the 1800s, every medical procedure, especially abortion, was exceptionally high-risk. Hospitals were uncommon, disinfectants were unheard of, and even the most respected doctors only had basic education in the medical field. Moving forward into the 1820s, many states began passing laws making abortion illegal. However, in 1973, four years after the underground, illegal abortion group formed, abortion became legalized. After becoming pregnant and being denied an abortion, Norma McCorvey fought for the rights of women. The court decided that laws prohibiting abortion were unconstitutional.
Since the legalization of abortion, not nearly as many women are putting their own lives and health at risk by undergoing dangerous, illegal abortions. Also, they aren’t breaking the law anymore. According to an interview between the President of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, and Marcus Mabry, a bill was created in 2013 in North Dakota banning abortion once the heartbeat of a baby is detectable which is roughly around six weeks. On the other hand, just recently, there was a new law passed in New York stating that women are now allowed the right to abort the fetus after 24 weeks if it is found to be unviable. The New York law is different from Roe v. Wade in that abortion could only take place past 24 weeks in cases where the mother’s life is at risk whereas now it can be based upon the viability of the fetus. This has become such a controversial topic of discussion because medical professionals know of a fetus’ viabilities long before the 24-week mark so many people question why women wait any longer than absolutely necessary.
In 1973, the legal case known as the Roe v. Wade case, Texas’ Attorney General, Henry Wade had a lawsuit filed against him on behalf of Norma McCorvey, better known as Jane Roe. Norma McCorvey fought for the legalization of abortion due to the fact that as a twenty-one-year-old, pregnant woman she was denied the right to have a safe, legal abortion. Alongside McCorvey, lawyers Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington helped win the case. Although the case wasn’t decided until McCovery had already unwilling to go through with her pregnancy, give birth, and put her child up for adoption, she went through this experience for the rights of all women. Because of her, women now have a choice.
The current issue regarding abortion today is that the fetus isn’t given the same rights to life as the mother is given an abortion. However, another major concern for people in regard to abortion is the cases of rape. In these instances, the fetus’ rights to life are being taken away due to a crime committed by the male, leaving the mother with a tough decision to make and feelings of helplessness. Along with that, there is a lot of controversy regarding how long women wait to have an abortion. The reason there is so much controversy regarding this viewpoint is that women are given the right to abort a fetus long after its circulatory system along with many other bodily functions are already intact which can be as soon as six weeks into the pregnancy.
The group that supports the rights of the fetus’ life is best known as the pro-life group. Not all of these people are necessarily against women’s rights to an abortion, however, they do believe fetuses are human beings and deserve the right to live. This being said a large majority of the pro-life supporters are quite religious. For example, one of the earliest Christian writings, the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles states: 'You shall not kill the child in the womb or murder a newborn infant.'
On the contrary, many individuals believe that abortion allows women to keep living life and further their education or pursue any goals or dreams they may have. In a personal essay written by a pregnant twenty-year-old woman, she stated that the thought of abortion made her feel guilty at first. But she soon realized that she shouldn’t feel guilty about making a decision that was best for her. She felt as though she still had so much she wanted to do in her life and she knew it wasn’t the right time to bring a child into the world, especially with a guy she barely knew. Along with that, reproductive choice empowers women by giving them control over their own bodies. From the perspective of health, research shows that women who have had at least two abortions experienced the same future fertility as those who have had at least two natural pregnancies. Women who support the procedure of abortion are better known as pro-choice supporters.
Pro-life supporters possess multiple concerns aside from the perspective of the fetus. They believe that abortions cause tremendous psychological damage meaning having an abortion will negatively affect the mental health of the abortive mother. Along with that, studies show that women who aborted were 154% more likely to commit suicide compared to women who carried to term. Also, abortions reduce the number of adoptable babies. The common concern for those with strong religious views is that abortion is the killing of a human being which challenges the word of God. During the anti-abortion March for Life in Washington, a pro-life supporter states, “He is not a blob of tissue. It’s a human being.” Along with that, in 2013, an interesting poem called Abortion Distortion was published on the Power Poetry website. In the poem, the author contradicts the said reasoning behind many abortions. “There’s always mention of the rape victim, but listen to these polls that were taken, only one percent of abortions are because of rape…”
In an email interview with a nursing student, Hannah Devine, I asked many thought-provoking questions regarding abortion. For starters, I asked if she believes that a fetus can feel pain during an abortion. Her response was, “Yes, I believe the baby can feel pain during an abortion. The circulatory system begins development by week 4. By week 6 the baby has a heartbeat, and the brain, spinal cord, and neural tissue are well developed (Cleveland Clinic, 2014). By the end of the third month, the baby has fingers, toes, finger, and toenails, as well as all organs present. Most abortions occur between 13 - 20 weeks gestation (CDC, 2018). This means that the baby has organs, extremities, and pain sensation at this time.” Secondly, I asked, “Do, or can, abortions cause physical damage to women?” She replied, “Abortions can cause physical damage or adverse reactions to women. The most common are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and spotting or vaginal bleeding. However, serious reactions have happened. Perforation of the uterus, damage to the cervix, persistent bleeding, sepsis, and even death have occurred (American Pregnancy, 2019).” After that, I questioned her views on women aborting due to discovering that the fetus is physically or mentally handicapped. Hannah said, “ I do not think this is an excuse for an abortion if the baby will be able to survive once outside of the womb. There are many resources available to families with children with mental or physical handicaps. If they do not believe they can handle the “burden” there are other options besides abortion.” Another question I asked was, “How do you feel about women aborting late-term?” Her reply was: “I do not believe this is okay. It makes me sick that people think it is okay to abort a baby late-term, and up until birth. That baby is no longer a “lump of cells” or “potential life” it is a baby, a human baby. There have been physicians who have birthed a baby and then clipped the back of the neck after birth to end the life. This is murder, in every way.”
Many people believe that women should have the right to decide whether or not to have an abortion because it’s their bodies and their choice. Despite the fact that abortion has already become legalized, it has been made out to be a horrible, selfish act. Women all over the world experience shame and guilt after having an abortion not because they necessarily regret making the decision to have an abortion for their own well-being but more so because of the negative reaction people tend to have when women go through with abortions. During a podcast, many women express their opinions about the negative outlook people have on abortion. “If we are silent, what’s left is this void for other people to fill, and they’ve filled it with a lot of shame and judgment.” For the same reason, some women don’t even go through with abortions even knowing that’s what would be best for them. “She said she just didn’t believe in abortion and she was going to have each of her babies...I just saw women who were burdened, women who weren’t free.” In order for women to actually feel as if they can make a choice without judgment or shame, we need to have more pro-choice activists who are willing to mentor and support women after their abortive procedures.
On the other hand, many people believe women should not be allowed the right to an abortion and should choose an alternative such as adoption. Ultimately, the baby should have the opportunity to live. In order for fewer women to feel as though they need to resort to having an abortion, a support group designed only for pregnant women would be most beneficial. Counseling and therapy would be a wonderful resource, however, not all families are supportive when it comes to their daughters becoming pregnant. Also, with a support group, all women will be there for the same reason and hold the same beliefs; there will be no conflicting perspectives as there could potentially be with a therapist or counselor.
All in all, there will never be a clear solution that puts an end to all of the controversy regarding abortion. Beginning in the early 1800s to the current day, society has either supported abortion, opposed abortion, or remained impartial. Eventually, just like gay marriage, abortion will become something that society will just have to accept and make peace within. Rather than tearing each other down, society needs to rise above and agree to disagree. Finding a middle ground in protecting women’s rights to abortion against those who feel abortion is morally unacceptable will be difficult but not impossible. Trying to modify someone else’s views is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted; it’s impossible. So, why even bother?
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