COMM 1010

Melissa Tolley
Public Speaking Project: Part 2
Speech Outline
Part A: AUDIENCE AND OCCASION ANALYSIS:
Specific Goal: My audience will come to learn the importance of abortion staying
legal and other ways to minimize abortion than banning it.
Pattern of Organization: Ive chosen the topical organizational pattern because
this pattern best fits my speech topic.
Audience Analysis: I plan to present my topic to my audience by identifying
important main point and subpoints. Some new knowledge I want to give my
audience is what will happen if abortion is banned. I also want to include why
women have abortions such as because of health issues.
Occasion Analysis: I think my speech is appropriate to the specific
circumstances because abortion is a world-wide issue that everyone should have
a say in.
Part B: SPEECH OUTLINE:
Speech Title: Think about this: Abortion
Introduction:
I. Think about this. You are just starting your senior year of high school and you
find out you are pregnant. You have already been accepted to the college you
hoped for and have your whole life ahead of you. Think about this. You and your
husband have been married for five years and you have decided you want a
child. You find out youre pregnant after trying for moths. You guys have never
been more excited. The doctors inform you that your baby has numerous health
issues and is not expected to live. If you child does live, they will have severe
medical problems. Think about this. You are twenty-four years old. You live from
pay check to pay check. Theres no way you could afford a child so you are on
birth control. However, your birth control has failed and you find out you are
pregnant. One of the most important decisions a person can make is if and when
they bring a new life into this world.
II. Abortion is an important topic to me. I got pregnant at a very young age and
made the decision to keep that child. Being in that situation opens your eyes and
helps you understand why abortion is such an important issue for women.
III. Thesis: Todays society still stands strongly divided over abortion. If discussed
and understood more, people may come to see the importance of legal abortion.
IV. Preview:
First. What is abortion and why?
Second. What if abortion is banned?
Third. What should we do then?

[Transition: First lets talk about what abortion is and why a woman might choose
abortion .]
Body:
I. First major point What is abortion and why might a women have one?
[Under one of the pieces of evidence supporting this point, include a reference.]
A. An abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy and cause the death of
a fetus.
B. Unintended pregnancy
1. birth control failed
C. Health reasons
1. Fetus has severe physical handicaps
2. Fetus has severe genetic problems
3. Fetus has severe mental defects
3. Mother developed serious medical problems
D. Crime
1. Pregnant due to rape or incest (Dudley, Susan)
[Transition: You now have some ideas of why a woman may consider or get an
abortion. Still think negatively about abortion? Lets say abortion is now banned and it is
not legal for a woman to get an abortion under any circumstances.
II. Second major point Abortion is banned.
A. Death
1. Women with life threatening pregnancies would possibly die
B. Highly restrictive abortion laws are not associated with lower abortion rates
(Ganatra, Bela)
1. Abortions would still happen, just not legally
2. Worldwide, 48% of all induced abortions are unsafe and responsible of
one in eight maternal deaths.
C. Adoption is not an alternative choice to abortion
1. On any given day in the U.S., more than 423,000 children are in the
foster care system, and nearly 115,000 of them are available for adoption.
2. More children become available for adoption each year than are
adopted.
[Transition: Even though banning abortion is not nearly possible, you can see what
would happen if it was or even if abortion laws were more restricted. That probably

leaves you wondering, if banning abortions isnt the answer then what is?
III. Third major point What should we do then if we shouldnt ban abortion?
A. Prevent unwanted pregnancies
1. Access to healthcare
B. Sex education
1. There is no required standard for sex education in the United States
2. States with abstinence-only education have the highest rates of teen
pregnancies
C. Birth control and contraceptives
1. Half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four
in 10 of these are terminated by abortion (Corey, Sam)
Conclusion: Making abortion illegal does not solve the problem. If anything, it creates
more. Forty-two years ago, the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade granted
American women the right to a legal abortion, lets keep it that way.
Works Cited:
Corey, Sam. Elite Daily. 2015. Accessed on 4/17/2016. Available at
http://elitedaily.com/news/politics/lower-abortion-clinics/1290840/
Dudley, Susan. National Abortion Federation. 2003. Accessed on 4/17/2016.
Ganatra, Bela. World Health Organization. 2015. Accessed on 4/16/2016. Available at
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2815%29614611/fulltext
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. 2016. Accessed on 4/17/2016. Available at
https://davethomasfoundation.org/news_story/national-adoption-month-fostercare-adoption-statistics/
Sexual & Reproductive Health Matters. 2016. Accessed on 4/13/2016. Available at
http://www.srhmatters.org/reproductive-health/abortion/