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In society, it is nearly unattainable to resolve the various ethical and moral dilemmas that we face in everyday life. One of the most confronting and controversial issues that challenge us in medical ethics today is abortion. Since the practice of abortions has become a moral and ethical problem, it is to be seen also as a social dilemma. There are many powerful discourses available that provide ethical rationale to support and oppose the right to abortion.
Here, I will explain what exactly defines abortion, explore a variety of positions give an example of a real-world situation as well as discuss my own viewpoint on this topic.
Abortion speaks to when a pregnancy is medically terminated so that it does not result in the birth of an unwanted or unplanned child. There are two procedures of termination available: Surgical or medical. The surgical method called a suction curette is a practice that is invasive and destructive by nature which removes the lining and contents of the uterus. The medical procedure is a series of medications designed to soften the cervix and push the pregnancy out.
Abortion is a clear example of ending an innocent being’s life, so to be involved in the act of abortion is widely morally conceived as wrong. But, how do we determine whether the fetus is regarded as a human being and when? Most ‘pro-life’ activists will argue that there is life present from the moment of conception and that the embryo has an inherent right to life.
Human beings only have one life, so the right to their life is vital. Killing an innocent being is morally wrong, so by this token, it should be seen as the same as killing a viably living human in cold blood. Abortion is seen to be a direct disregard of the widely accepted notion of the sanctity of a human’s life. “A human life has value even when it is not valued by the person whose life it is” (Belshaw, 1997 p.133)
Michael Tooley wrote about his desire-based approach to abortion and infanticide. He argues against the contention that human fetuses and infants have a right to life. “An organism possesses a serious right to life only if it possesses the concept of a self as a continuing subject of experiences and other mental states, and believes that it is itself such a continuing entity.” (Tooley, 1972 p.44) An unborn child does not know what life is and, therefore cannot possibly have the desire for a continued existence. It is morally justified, according to Tooley, to kill the life of a fetus on the grounds that it needs to have an inherent right to life by the requirement of believing that it is a conscious self. Moreover, the health of the fetus is reliant on the health of the mother, which is why it cannot be regarded as a separate entity because it cannot exist outside of the womb.
A new entity comes into being from the very moment a human sperm penetrates a human ovum; this cell formation is called a Zygote and is the earliest stage of development of an embryo which is followed by the Morula and Blastocyst stages.
Many argue that it is a woman’s reproductive choice as to whether she terminates a pregnancy. There may be many reasons for this need such as; health risks to the mother or the child, a disruption to education and/or employment, a lack of support and/or relationship problems with the father, or she may be simply too young to cope with the demands of motherhood.
I hold a neutral stance of opinion; I see moral justification from both sides of reasoning. There is far too much complexity within the subject of abortion to conclusively draw a hard line. Personally, as with all subjects I investigate, I end up with more questions than answers such as; Upon conception is it just a cell or is it an actual organism, a 'being'? Can science definitively prove or disprove this idea? Is it ethical to give birth to an unwanted child?
Let’s look at an example of a situation that has and may arise again in society. After reading this example, you will be asked to judge what you deem is the ethically right thing to do.
A woman is walking home late one evening from work. She only must walk for about 20 minutes. She passes her favorite park to do yoga in during the day about 5 minutes into the walk when suddenly she is grabbed from behind and dragged into nearby bushes. She is raped and let go. She staggers home, shaken and lost for words. She goes inside and showers to scrub off the shame and lingering smell of the man. She has a few tough weeks, but never seeks medical assistance. About 9 weeks later she begins to feel really off and goes to the doctor to get checked out. As it turns out, she is pregnant with her attacker’s child.
She does not want this child to be born without the presence of a loving father nor does she want to be constantly reminded of her vulnerability. She decides that an abortion is the best decision for her.
What would YOU do in this situation? Are YOU pro-life or for abortions?
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