Villarreal 1

Paulina Villarreal

ENGL 1302 101

Dr. Sharity Nelson

5 December 2022

Survey of Scholarly Conversation on Abortion

As scholars show, abortion has been a debatable subject on discourse (Banish 1). Given

the controversy and contentious nature of the topic, abortion is a difficult term to define. Most

commonly it is known as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy (Cioffi, et al. 3788).

There is a sizable number of unique reasons as to why women deliberately terminate their

pregnancies. Some believe abortion to be the murdering of an unborn child without the capability

of defending itself. Others believe abortion to be a woman’s right of choice as they are the ones

baring the child and, in most cases, caring for their every need. This is what makes abortion such

a difficult topic to analyze morally (Freitas 31). This paper demonstrates what scholars studying

abortion and government involvement have found on methods of abortion, the emotional stress

that comes with getting an abortion, and the government involvement on abortion laws in the

United States.

Scholars present information about how a pregnancy can be deliberately aborted in

several ways. The three main types of deliberately aborted pregnancies are: induction abortion,

surgical abortion, and medical abortion being the most common ways to abort with a medical

professional’s assistance (Cioffi, et al. 3788). Induction abortion is typically performed in the

early stages of pregnancy and is typically used to save the mother’s life if it is known that the

pregnancy will put her health at risk. This form of abortion is also used when decided by the

parents if the fetus is known to be developing with abnormalities or has a significantly low
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chance of survival. Surgical abortions can be the suction-aspirating or vacuuming of the fetus in

very early stages of the pregnancy or can be a hysterotomy. If a suction abortion does not work,

it may be repeated (Wiley 384). A hysterotomy is a surgical procedure very similar to a

caesarean but with the difference of a smaller incision. This form of abortion is performed in the

later stages of pregnancy if the mother of the child wishes to abort her pregnancy.

In the last 20 years, pharmacologic agents capable of inducing abortion have become

available. Drugs that inhibit the synthesis of progesterone (epostane) or block its receptor

(mifepristone) reverse the dominant influence of progesterone during pregnancy (Baird 121). As

a result, a cascade of events is initiated, including influx of leukocytes and red blood cells into

the decidua, release of prostaglandins and cytokines, and uterine contractions. Prostaglandins

cause powerful contractions of the uterus that lead eventually to expulsion of the fetal or

embryonic tissue (Baird 121). This can be acknowledged to be a medical abortion. Because so

many pharmaceuticals sell these types of medicines, it is now considered a useful alternative to

surgically induce abortion if performed safely.

From 2000 to 2008, the number of abortion facilities in the United States remained

relatively constant at approximately 1800 and then decreased somewhat to 1720 by 2011 (Quast,

et al. 1). A potential important factor leading to the closing of abortion facilities during this time

is state targeted regulation of abortion providers (“TRAP”) laws that require clinics to meet

certain conditions to operate. As of 2016, 28 states had enacted restrictions on abortion facilities,

the clinicians, or both (Quast, et al. 1). If abortion facilities are constantly closing, unsafe

abortions will be more likely to be performed at home with unsafe medical procedures because

of the mother’s intense desire for an abortion.

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Some of the most common motivation for an unsafe abortion can come from a mother

with intense desire for the procedure if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest, there is a

lack of support or lack of financial stability to support the child, or the inability to carry a child

because of the mother’s stage in life. For example, some of the lowest abortion levels in the

world occur in countries in which abortion is legal and some of the highest abortion levels occur

in countries in which abortion is illegal (Marston, et.al 11). Unsafe abortions are also typically

made in places where it is legally restricted because of the inability to access this procedure

safely. This can cause the mother to attempt to self-induce an abortion without the help of a

medical professional nor proper medical equipment. Preforming this procedure incorrectly can

result in damage to internal organs, sepsis, or an incomplete abortion (Banish 1, Cioffi 3788).

Unsafe abortions may also take place in the event of anti-abortion activist protesting

outside abortion facilities. Anti-abortion activist believe that pro-abortion women are clouded by

their emotions and are making the wrong decision (Ntonis, Hopkins 675). While exercising their

right to protest, there have been incidents where anti-abortion protesters have been arrested and

charged with harassment, assault, arson, stalking, or even attempted murder in extreme cases.

These violent acts have encouraged woman receiving an abortion to escape the facility out the

back with the help of an employee after their procedure or instill fear in them to the point of

preforming an unsafe abortion at home.

The government has always taken a part in abortion laws. Abortion laws in the US have

changed over the years. In 1973, Roe v. Wade ruled abortion as a constitutional right. Scholars

describe Roe as “America’s most controversial decision,” “undoubtedly the best-known case that

the Supreme Court has ever decided” (Ziegler 15). Many women agreed with this decision as

pro-abortion women often live by the saying “my body, my choice” (Oduro, Otsin 918). After
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all, the Court suggested that all women needed to avoid the burdens of pregnancy and achieve

equal status as to that was freedom from the government, not more active support (Ziegler 16).

In more recent years, Ken Paxton was the main reason as to why the supreme court has

now overtured Roe v. Wade and abortion has now become illegal in Texas encouraging other

states to do the same. Roe was captured as the spirit of a culture of individualism that was

ascendant in the 1970s (Ziegler 16). That vision has since diminished from the public eye. Anti-

abortion activist, main fight is justifying that a fetus since the moment of conception is a human

being giving them basic human rights, therefore, the right to life.

Pro-abortion activists believe a fetus is not considered a human until a heartbeat can be

heard or the fetus can survive on its own outside the woman’s body. Even with this thinking

many pro-abortion activists still stand by their argument arguing that the choice should be made

by the woman receiving the procedure as it is their body (Oduro, Otsin 918). There is an

inextricable relationship between human rights and "being human", and if it is critical for our

understanding of international and human rights law to see how it can protect the individual, then

it is also important to address the legal status of the unborn from an international law perspective

(Freitas 3, Cioffi 3789).

From the research presented for this this paper it is to be known that there are little to no

articles coming from an anti-abortion activist perspective. The authors of the articles investigated

seemed to be pro-choice but still shared their experiences on how they have seen anti-abortion

activist react in their medical offices or while speaking on the subject. The scholars talked about

methods of abortion, the emotional stress that comes with getting an abortion, and the

government involvement on abortion laws in the United States. As the analysis of this research
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shows, scholars need to be focusing on coming to an agreement scientifically and legally on

abortion.
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Works Cited

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https://europepmc.org/article/med/10846320

Banish, Roslyn. “Focus on Abortion: Americans Share Their Stories.” W W Norton, vol. 1, 2021,

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Cioffi, Andrea, et.al. “Reflections about abortion limitations.” Health policy, Implementation of

Practices, 2020, pp.3787-90. EBSCO, DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232021269.2.09012020.

Freitas, De S, et.al. “Seeking Deliberation on the Unborn in International Law.” Potchefstroom

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Marston, Cicely, Cleland, John. “Relationships between Contraception and Abortion: A Review

of the Evidence.” International Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 29, no. 1, 2003, pp. 6-

13. EBSCOhost, Relationships Between Contraception and Abortion.pdf.

Oduro, Georgina, Otsin, Mercy. “” Abortion—It Is My Own Body”: Women’s Narratives About

Influences on Their abortion Decisions in Ghana.” Healthcare for women international,

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activist’ depiction of the abortion debate.” The British Journal of social psychology, vol.
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