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Controversy on Abortion

Tiffany Miller

Baker College
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Controversy on Abortion

Introduction

The controversy of pro-life versus pro-choice is still an ongoing debate, worldwide.

Deciding to end a baby’s life before it enters the world is not any easy option for anyone, but for

some women, they think that it is the best choice. It is hard for most people to see the effects of

abortion from both sides, so it can be difficult to understand why some people agree with it and

why others disagree with it.

What is Abortion?

An abortion is losing a baby early in pregnancy, usually before 20 weeks gestation. These

abortions can be spontaneous or induced (Ricci, Kyle, & Carman, 2017). The type of abortion

that is a part of the major controversy is induced abortion, which is the intentional killing of a

fetus (Ricci et al., 2017). Another type of abortion that is a major controversy is partial birth

abortion, also known as intact dilation and evacuation, which is when a mother gives partial birth

to a full-term baby before killing the child, and then completes the delivery of the baby (Majors,

2017). Since partial abortion is done at the end of a full term pregnancy, it is difficult for those

who are pro-life to accept since it seems like it would be more painful for the baby. The truth is

that any fetus can feel pain at any time during a pregnancy, and that any type of abortion would

hurt the baby, which is why those who are pro-life feel so strongly about the subject (Ricci et al.,

2017).

Pro-Choice Versus Pro-Life

One major part of this debate is deciding if the fetus in the mother’s womb is still a

human being (Medoff, 2016). Most people believe that the fetus is still a human and feel that a

human life should never be ended, for any reason. If the fetus really is considered a human at the
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time of conception, then this human life has the right to decide if it lives or dies. Those who are

pro-choice believe that if a pregnancy is compromising the mother’s life, due to medical reasons,

then abortion is the best choice because the mother’s life will no longer be compromised

(Medoff, 2016). Pro-life supporters believe that if you made the choice to become pregnant, then

the baby’s life should come before the mother’s life. These understandings of pro-life and pro-

choice supporters may differ among some people, but this is the basic understanding from the

two viewpoints.

Pro-choice women who have abortions may not want the life-long commitment of having

a child, for multiple reasons. If a woman found herself pregnant with a baby that would have a

life-changing disorder, which would end up changing the mother’s life also, the mother may feel

like it is not worth bringing a child into this world if the child would not have a meaningful life.

If having a baby meant the mother having to give up her dreams in life in order to take care of

her child, then she may feel that giving up that child is the better option, which would make her

pro-choice.

Precautions for Pregnancy

Those who are pro-life argue that if a woman chooses not to use precautions to prevent

pregnancy and ends up conceiving, this was the woman’s choice and she should have to deal

with the responsibility of having a life-long commitment to her child. Even if a woman were to

use a contraceptive, and still became pregnant, those who are pro-life believe that the woman

should still take the responsibility of the child. They believe that all babies are a blessing, even if

it is not the correct timing. For those who are pro-choice, they have an understanding that if

contraceptive is used and pregnancy still occurs, then the woman should not be punished by

having a child since she took the necessary precautions to avoid pregnancy.
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Financial Instability

Women use contraceptives because they do not want to have a baby for many reasons,

one of the reasons being financial stability. If a woman was to become pregnant but knew that

she would not be able to afford the baby, that can put stress on the mother. Even though getting

help through friends, family, or government assistance programs such as food stamps, the mother

may still feel that she could not afford to give her child the life that he or she deserves. This can

be especially hard if she is a single mother and the father refuses to pay child support. It would

also be difficult for a young mother who does not have a steady job. There are many different

scenarios that would make it difficult for a woman to have a child, but those who are -abortion

argue that there is never an excuse to have an abortion. Those who are pro-choice feel that an

abortion is the best choice because it removes the stress and financial burden of the mother, but

those who are pro-life believe that if a woman works hard enough, she would be able to provide

a good life for her child.

Homelessness is another reason for financial instability when it comes to having children.

Many homeless women, who become pregnant unexpectedly, choose to have abortions due to

not being able to afford their child. Homelessness causes an increase in maternal and fetal

complications during pregnancy, due to not have access to affordable prenatal care, which is

considered to be the most important type of care in preventing newborn complications.

(Azarmehr, Lowry, Sherman, Smith, & Zuñiga, 2018). Due to these possible complications, these

women may choose to have an abortion.

Financial instability during pregnancy is not the only problem when it comes to

homelessness; it also carries the risk of not having a permanent residence to live in (Azarmehr et

al., 2018). Moving from place to place makes it hard for children to attend school to get a proper
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education. It also makes it harder for children to make friendships, which can affect their social

communications skills later in life. Pregnant homeless women may see this as another reason to

have an abortion. People who are pro-life believe that there are reasons to continue to have a

baby, such as adoption. They also argue that if you work hard enough in order to turn your life

around, that the woman will be able to provide a good life for their child. This does not take

away from the fact that pregnant women need constant prenatal care, which is still not affordable

for those who are trying to save up money to support their child.

Those who are pro-choice argue that if you knew that you were going to have a child with

a major mental disability, would you want to have that child if it means completely changing

your path of life? If you had dreams of traveling the world with your husband and children, but

had to give that dream up because you have a disabled child, would you still feel like your life

has meaning? Those who are pro-choice believe that the mother’s life is more important than the

fetus’ life; therefore, aborting the fetus is acceptable (Medoff, 2016). They also argue that if a

child is going to be born without the ability to understand most of what is going on around them,

are they really living?

Many people who are pro-life feel that a human life should never be harmed, usually due

to their religious beliefs. Most religions teach that God has a plan for everyone, even if it is not

what they had planned for him or herself. Therefore, if a woman ends up pregnant, no matter

how hard it is going to be, it is a part of God’s plan. Those who are anti-abortion believe that if a

woman does not want to have the life-long commitment of having a child, they have other

options, such as giving the baby up for adoption. Those who are pro-choice know that there are

many children that are given up for adoption or are sent to a foster home, and they never leave
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the foster home. These people do not want their child to suffer, and think that having an abortion

would be more humane.

Complications

Those who are pro-life argue that if it is illegal to kill a baby after it is born into the

world, then why should it be legal to kill a baby before it is born? Also, if it is called a double-

homicide when someone kills a pregnant woman, then why wouldn’t it be murder to kill only the

fetus? It all comes down to when you perceive a baby should be considered a human being.

Some people do not think that a fetus is a considered a human until after 20 weeks gestation, but

others think that a baby is considered a human life from the day of conception (Räsänen, 2016).

Those who are pro-choice may feel that if a woman’s body is physically unable to carry a

baby to term, then she should be able to abort the baby, since a miscarriage is likely later during

the pregnancy. If a woman had health problems that would make pregnancy even more

challenging, such as scoliosis, cardiovascular disease, or multiple sclerosis, then she may feel

that pregnancy would be too much for her to handle. Having a muscular disorder could make it

hard for the mother to push during labor. Although a C-section could help with that problem,

some women may not want a C-section, and would rather choose abortion.

Medications During Pregnancy

Taking medications during pregnancy could cause many problems (Pennell, P., &

Pennell, P. B., 2016). Having to take certain medications due to the mother’s health problems

may cause harm to the baby. Not taking the medications during the pregnancy may cause more

harm to the mother than the fetus, so the mother may not want to risk having a baby due to these

problems. Taking antiepileptic medications during pregnancy has been linked to fetal congenital

malformations (Pennell & Pennell, 2016). Although the benefits of taking these medications
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during pregnancy outweigh the risks, the mother may still feel that the pregnancy is too risky,

and may choose to have an abortion.

In addition to taking medications during pregnancy, those who have an addiction to drugs

or alcohol may choose to have an abortion because they know the risks that their addiction has

on the fetus. Those who are pro-life may still argue that if a women choses to become pregnant

by not using protection, then she should still have the baby. Those who are pro-life may not

understand the extent of what alcohol or drugs can do to a fetus. The drugs or alcohol that the

mother takes goes through the placenta and affects the baby in the same way it affects the

mother; the baby becomes addicted (Ricci et al., 2017). After the baby is born and is no longer

receiving the drugs or alcohol from the mother, the baby will go through withdrawal. The mother

knows that the baby will go through withdrawal, and knows how painful it would be to watch

that happen to her baby, so she may choose abortion rather than putting her newborn baby

through the pain of withdrawals. Even if the mother did choose to have the baby, there are

complications that would accompany the child, such as low birth weight, cognitive deficits, and

psychosis (Ricci et al., 2017).

Rape

In the occurrence of a woman being raped, it is easier to view abortion from the

standpoint of both, pro-choice and pro-life. Having a child due to rape causes that child to be a

daily reminder of the traumatic experience (Michalik, Zdun-Ryzewska, Pieta, Basinski,

Keilbasinska, Mazurkiewicz, Olszewska, & Lukeszuk, 2019). The person who is pro-choice and

is choosing to have the abortion may feel like she does not want to give birth to a child of a

rapist, and that since it was not her choice to get pregnant, she should not be judged on her

decision to have an abortion. Pro-life believers argue that even if a woman is raped and
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conceives a child, why would that woman ever want to hurt her child? The child that is

conceived during rape is still half of the woman’s DNA. Räsänen (2016) makes a great point

when it comes from looking at rape from the standpoint of an anti-abortionist: “rape does not

make a fetus less of a person, so abortion would be equally as wrong” (p. 658). This statement

does not only apply to the occurrence of a rape, but it is the basis of the beliefs of those who are

pro-life; no matter the situation, abortion will always be wrong in the mind of an anti-abortionist.

Conclusion

In conclusion, those who are pro-choice do not think that having an abortion makes

anyone a bad person; it just shows that the woman is taking control of her life. Just because a

woman decides that it is not the right time to have a baby, she should not be judged. For those

who are pro-life, they believe that abortion may be somewhat acceptable depending on the

situation, but also believe that there are better options, such as adoption. Nothing can change the

fact that people are always going to think that their morals/beliefs are correct, so the controversy

of abortion will always continue.

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References

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Majors, M. J. (2017). Constitutional law- clarity or confusion- the constitutionality of a Nebraska

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Pennell, P., & Pennell, P. B. (2016). Use of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy: Evolving

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Räsänen, J. (2016). Pro-life arguments against infanticide and why they are not

convincing. Bioethics, 30(9), 656–662. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12281

Ricci, S. S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S. (2017). Maternity and pediatric nursing (3rd ed.).

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