SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGALIZED?

For over a century, Abortion has been criminalized in the Philippines through
the penal code of 1870 under the Spanish Colonial Rule and it has been
incorporated into the revised Penal code of 1930. The criminalization of
abortion has not prevented abortion, but instead has made the procedure
unsafe and potentially deadly for the over half a million women each year who
try to terminate their pregnancies. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy
by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Based on my personal
perspective abortion should be made legal and unbanned on a certain country
but on selective means, reasons, and motives. We can legalize abortion
depending upon on the women’s situation and causes of pregnancy. Therefore,
on the topic of abortions, I am pro-choice. There are many reasons why
abortion should be legal.
Firstly, banning abortions will not prevent them. It will only lead to women
seeking unsafe, illegal abortions, where their health and life is put at risk.
Preventing women and girls from accessing an abortion does not mean they
stop needing one. That’s why attempts to ban or restrict abortions do nothing
to reduce the number of abortions, it only forces people to seek out unsafe
abortions.
Second, poverty cycle and overpopulation. Since Philippines is suffering
through poverty and overpopulation. We can’t ensure that those people who
are unprivileged can even support a child. Others aren’t stable in their lives or
in their finances, so bringing a child in the world would only cause struggles. It
can be very challenging for parents to have a lot of children. Some parents
have to commit a crime even though it is against the law, just for the sake of
their children. Another point is that legal abortions can control overpopulation.
Numerous issues are brought on by overpopulation that effect the world. It
leads to pollution which is the major thing that causes global warming.
Thirdly, to provide incest and rape survivors and sexually exploited/trafficked
women the opportunity to end unwanted pregnancies through safe abortion
procedures. Denying safe and legal abortion to rape and incest survivors is
torture, a clear injustice, and patently discriminates against women and girls.
Banning abortion would mean destroying the chances of women who are
victims of rape to get closure. The psychological and emotional stress can fuel
their desperation to rid themselves of the fetus and make them go to great
lengths to do that.
On the other hand, it has always been a fact that life begins at a conception,
which basically means that abortion is equal to murder, which makes them
violate to human right laws. However, Life doesn’t start at a conception, and
science supports that. And if you’re going by the bible, it says that life starts at
first breath. A fetus is legally and scientifically not considered as a person, so it
doesn’t equate to murder. Abortion happens in the first trimester, when the
fetus can’t exist and isn’t alive yet. Forcing someone to carry on an unwanted
pregnancy, or forcing them to seek out an unsafe abortion, is a violation of
their human rights.
In conclusion, it shouldn’t be normalized rather it should be legalized so people
who choose to undergo that procedure can access them safely. I stand by my
choice to support a woman’s right to choose, both sides have a point but
taking away a woman’s right is wrong. Keeping abortion legal ensures a
woman’s safety when faced with unplanned pregnancies, provides hope for
rape victims, and helps them in moving on with their lives, and protects
women’s rights. Abortion is not for everyone but don’t deprive other women
from having the opportunity to access it legally and safely.