MenkhutaM.

Whaley
7/27/16
GlobalWomensHealth
ParentingorAbortion?:TheDifferentOptionsforPregnantWomen

TheissuesofhavingapregnancyorgoingwiththeprocedureofanAbortioncanbe
complicated,inthesenseofopinionsfrombothopposingsides.Goingthroughwithanormal
Pregnancyisrepresentedasatraditionalprocessoflife.HoweverAbortionisdepictedasanact
ofmurder,totheunbornchildorfetus.Whenawomandiscoverssheispregnantsheisprovided
withaboutthreeoptions:ContinuewithParenting,havinganAbortion,orconsideringAdoption.
Withtheseavailableoptionswomenhavemoreofanadvantageofmakingtheirownchoices.
Politics,opinions,andreligionplayabigroleintheoptionsforwomentotakeadvantageoffor
theirpersonalhealthinanysituation.Iwillexploretheoptions,issues,anddisadvantagesof
goingthroughwiththeprocessofparentingorabortion.

Whenfacedwiththeopportunitytoraiseachildonehastoputintoconsiderationthe
needsoftheirunbornchild,aswellastheresources.Pregnanciesneedcertainfinancialand
mentalstabilitytosucceed.About6outof10womenwithunplannedpregnanciesdecideto
continuetheirpregnancies(7).Millionsofwomenfaceunplannedpregnancieseveryyear.Half
ofallpregnanciesintheUnitedStatesareunplanned(1).Whichmeansinthoseinstancesmany
womenchoosetokeeptheirchildbecausetheyfeelasiftheyneedto.Gettingreadyforthe
possibleoutcomeofhavingachildrequiresthemothertohavethecapacitytoprovideforher
unbornchild,shehastoputintoconsiderationthefinancialobligationsandapartner/family
supportsystem.Theratesofunintendedpregnanciesendinginbirthin2008isabout60%while
in2011therateisabout58%(9).Whenwomenaredecidingwhethertoparenttheirunbornchild
theaspectsofthatare:givingupthingsinthemotherslifeandthedeeplyrewardingresults.
Parentsoftengiveupalotfortheirchildrenandmeetingachild'sneedscanbevery
challenging(7).Ifthemotherisstillinschoolshehastheoptionofdroppingoutorcontinuingit,
howevermostwomenchoosetodropoutduetotheirsituation.Theoptionofparentingis
exploredandsupportedmorebypeoplewhoareprolife,thantheoptionsofabortionor
adoption.Theaspectsofsocietyplayaroleofdictatinglawsandchoicesforwomen,whether
theyhavethechoicetokeeptheirunbornchildornot.

ManyprovidedclinicsintheUnitedStatesallowwomentodecidewhichoptionsshewillliketo
choose.Howeverthereareprolifeornonabortionclinicsprovidedtowomenaswell,inthe
effortstodissuadethemfromreceivingotheroptionsthanparenting.Inthesenseofmoral
objectionsoftheactionsofpeoplewhoareantiabortion,theyhinderwomenfromexploringor
beingawareofallheroptions.TheseclinicsarerepresentedasCrisisPregnancyCenterswhich
invitewomeninwithneededresourcesandtheninanefforttrytopersuadethemoutoftheir

rightstochoosetheirownoptions,sometimesdictatesthedecisionofthemother(10).Withtheir
evasivetacticsorexplanationsofincorrectinformation,manyunintendedpregnantwomen
choosetocontinuewiththeirpregnancies.InmanycasesunintendedpregnanciesintheUnited
Statesarehighestoflowincomewomen,minorities,teenagers,andvictimsofassaultwitheven
ahigherrateofabortion.Twentyonepercentofallpregnanciesin2011endedinabortion(8).
Manywomenfacethedecisiontoaborttheirchildbecauseofpersonalsituationsthathinder
theirabilitytoraiseachild.Abortionisdecidedinmostcasesofunintendedpregnanciesmainly
becausetheprocedureiseffectiveandquick.Abortionistheactofremovingthegrowingfetus
insideawomansuterus.Thereareabouttwomethodsforhavinganabortion:aninclinic
procedureortheabortionpill,bothensuretheprocessofabortingafetusorunbornchild.An
inclinicabortionprocedureistheprocessofabortingthefetusfromthemothermedically,with
theuseofamedicalprofessional.Theabortionpillisveryeffectivemeaningitsmoreofa
controlledversionofanabortion,thewomanhastheabilitytotakethemedicationandisensured
thattheabortionisineffect(4).Thereasonsforawomanschoicetogothroughwithanabortion
isbecauseofthelackofstabilityforeitherthechildorthemother,sohavinganabortiongives
themotherachancetomaintainherowncomfortlevelofbeingabletocareforanother.Inany
situationawomanschoicetohaveanabortioncanbecounteredwiththeoptionofgivingaway
thechild,inordertoensurethatthatchildsneedsaremetsomewhereelse.

Otheroptionsprovidedforwomenratherthanabortionorcontinuingparentingis
adoption.Adoptionprovidesthewomantodecidewhethershewantstogivethechildawayin
orderforitsneedstometwithanotherfamily,thatcantbemetwithher.Manywomenchoose
togiveuptheirchildbecauseitsaneasierwaytofinalizetheirchoice.Whendecidingon
adoptiononehastoputintoconsiderationthebestenvironmentfortheirchild.Thethreeoptions
ofanunintendedpregnancyiscontinueparenting,abortion,oradoptionandawomanhasto
choosewhichoneshefeelsmostcomfortablewith.Theopinionsofamisogynisticsocietycan
hinderwomenfromreceivingtheirnecessaryinformationwhenfacedwithanunintended
pregnancy,howeverthechoicesofthatwomenempowershertodictatecontrolofherpersonal
opinionsonherbody.

WorksCited:
(1)WhattoExpect:"WhattoExpect."Whattoexpect.N.p.,2016.Web.03Aug.
2016.<http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/landingpage.aspx>
(2)Pregnancy:Symptoms,EarySignsofPregnancy,andMore:"Pregnancy:Symptoms,Early
SignsofPregnancy,andMore."MedicineNet.N.p.,2016.Web.03Aug.
2016.<http://www.medicinenet.com/pregnancy/article.htm#pregnancy_facts>

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(4)TheAbortionPill:TheAbortionPill|MedicalAbortion|WhatIstheCost?"TheAbortionPill|
MedicalAbortion|WhatIstheCost?N.p.,2016.Web.03Aug.
2016.<https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/theabortionpill>

(5)ChoosingAdoptionForYourBabyGuide:Kirkpatrick,Haley."ChoosingAdoptionForYour
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2016.<https://adoption.com/choosingadoptionforyourbabyguide>

(6)ReadyforMoreChildren?ConsidertheProsandConsFirst:Young,Alexa."ReadyforMore

Children?ConsidertheProsandConsFirst."Parents.MeredithWomen'sNetwork,2016.Web.03
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(7)ThinkingAboutParenting:"ShouldIGetPregnant|ConsideringPregnancy&Options."

ShouldIGetPregnant|ConsideringPregnancy&Options.N.p.,2016.Web.03Aug.
2016.<https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/pregnantnowwhat/parenting#sthas

h.w5knehYG.dpuf>
(8)UnitedStatesAbortion:"Abortion."GuttmacherInstitute.GuttmacherInstitute,2016.Web.03
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(9)UnintendedPregnanciesintheUnitedStates:"UnintendedPregnancyintheUnitedStates."
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(10)TheTruthaboutCrisisPregnancyCenters:
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R.Zolna."DeclinesinUnintendedPregnancyintheUnitedStates,20082011NEJM."New
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https://www.smith.edu/bigbad/hls1a/bygirlsforgirls/2013/RosaShapiroThompson.html