To those of you who say I am uneducated when I talk about abortion. take this. Senior project 96% thank you very much... now try to debate the facts. Good luck
Abortion is harmful to women.
Imagine a young woman just out of high school walking into a large brick building marked “Planned Parenthood.” She takes a deep breath as she approaches the front desk where and bubbly nurse is sitting. “I am here to have an abortion,” says the woman solemnly. The nurse points for her to have a seat amongst the other women waiting to see the doctor. There are women of all different creeds, colors and religions sitting in the waiting room in anticipation. About a half hour later, after the other women have left, the doctor comes to the door and ushers the woman into a room containing all manner of surgical equipment. The doctor administers pain medication and leaves the woman alone for a few moments in the operating room. When the doctor comes back in, he says, “This will only feel like mild cramps,” as he inserts a vacuum into the woman’s cervix. An hour later, she walks out of the abortion clinic feeling perfectly fine. What she does not know is that she may be affected later in life by her decision to have an abortion now. Abortion is harmful to the health of women.
Fifty million women world wide every year have an abortion (Terkel 70). Unfortunately, the majority of all abortions occur in the first trimester of pregnancy (Alters 1). With abortions happening that early in a pregnancy, women never truly have time to think about the ramifications of their decision. Aborted fetuses are often looked at as nothing more than a piece of tissue (Swingle 42). This leads women to believe that they are doing nothing wrong and in turn feel no guilt in the beginning. As well, many researchers even try to cover up the negative aspects of abortion (Gentles 4). With a lack of literature available to women on the negative aspects of abortion, women often are uneducated on the life-altering decision they are about to make. A large number of women have feelings of guilt after an abortion (Harris-Abbot 2). Yet, facts show that the rate of abortion has increased since 1980 (Alvare 21). But now, many women are choosing to carry out their pregnancy (21).
“If it is wanted, it is a baby; if not wanted, it is a fetus.” (Swingle 42). Many times, people try to make the difference in opinion on a fetus a social difference. However, there is a social difference between a premature baby and an aborted fetus. (Swingle 42). Abortion clinics even use terminology such as pregnancy instead of, or in place of embryo, fetus, or child (Abortion Techniques 1). This is the way that many abortion institutes look at new life. They also employ this tactic to make women feel as though the decision they are making is moral or unimportant.
According to Sandra Alters, an abortion- also called “induced abortion”- is a procedure preformed to end a pregnancy before birth occurs. This is not the same as a spontaneous abortion, a process that occurs when a fetus or embryo dies in the mother’s uterus and is expelled by the body. Spontaneous abortion is also called a miscarriage (1).
There are numerous types of abortion, all occurring at different periods in the woman’s pregnancy. All forms of abortion have their own risks associated with them. The suction abortion is the most common type of abortion in practice today (Abortion Techniques 2).This form of abortion is when the baby is literally sucked out of the woman’s uterus with a vacuum cleaner type apparatus. Another form of abortion is the RU-486 pill (2). The RU-486 pill starves a fetus to death by blocking the production of the Progesterone hormone (2). Progresterone maintains the nutrients in the womb. Late term abortions prove to be even more gruesome than the suction abortion or the RU-486 pill. In late term abortions, a suction catheter is stuck in the baby’s brain to guarantee it is born dead (Swingle 41). The late term instillation abortion is very dangerous because it gives the chance for the birth of a live fetus to occur. (Terkel 52-53). Having a life birth during a late term abortion is extremely dangerous due to the fact that they would be then killing a living being. Infants born with a heartbeat and taking breath, are then sent to the neonatal intensive care unit to die later (Swingle 41). One doctor’s account of a partial birth abortion states: “A few hours later I saw the aborted fetus moving its legs and gasping in a bed pan which was then covered with a drape” (40). Once the baby is brought to the neonatal (which is another term used when discussing the care of premature infants) intensive care unit, they are left in a cradle to die. After the baby is born, it is alive; therefore performing an abortion would be murdering the infant.
Though the negative aspects of an abortion are never fully covered when making the decision, many women feel they are ill informed. The consequences to the decision they are about to make, whether it is medical or emotional are extensive. Having an abortion early in a pregnancy almost doubles a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer (Gentles 2). Cervical cancer is also connected with abortions (6). However, carrying out a full-term pregnancy reduces a woman’s risk of cancer (2). Studies also show that the chance of ectopic pregnancy increased by 160% (3). This is where a fertilized egg implants or begins to grow outside of the uterus. Complications of abortions also include bleeding, infection, and blood clots (Terkel 54). Abortions performed later in the pregnancy have a greater risk of harm to the mother (Alters 1). The effects of this harm can include the inability to become pregnant again due to damage to the reproductive organs from the equipment used in the abortion process. The suicide rate of women who have had abortions is nearly six times greater than women who did not (Gentles 3). If these statistics are more readily available to women considering abortion, the number of abortions is likely to decrease.
Along with the medical consequences of an abortion, there are also mental and emotional consequences that can follow. Women do not consider the variety of emotions they can experience after having an abortion (Welch 3). Abortion is a taboo procedure that does not always give women fulfillment with their decision. Women do not always struggle outwardly with their feelings about abortion (Harris-Abbot 2). Many women suffer from Post Abortion Syndrome after having an abortion (Terkel 55). Post Abortion Syndrome also known as PAS can lead to drug and alcohol abuse as well as depression and thoughts of suicide. Many women do not even choose abortion as an option, but have it forced upon them by spouses, loved ones and family members. Women who are coerced to have an abortion often report more negative emotions (Harris-Abbot 2). In one account, a woman discusses how her abortion led to drug abuse. Lisa got an abortion because of her boyfriend and it triggered depression which led to drug abuse (Welch 3). Women also feel like they had not received proper counseling before they made their decision (Harris-Abbot 2).
Many times women who are religious and have abortions have a hard time coming to terms with their feelings and God. Many religions do not view abortion as a morally acceptable practice. Women do not always feel absolution after confessing their decision (Haberland 74). This leads to many women turning away from their faith and lead them to drugs and alcohol instead. However, there are recovery programs to help women cope with these emotions. Recovery programs may help women cope after their abortion (78). Programs like these can help bring closure to women after their decisions.
“Fetal life has a value when people with power value it” (Tribe 119). This quote’s meaning is very powerful. It seems that the only way we can determine whether a life has value on it is when a person in a position of power tells us to give it value. Science has not yet decided when a fetus becomes human (Paynter 146). This means that at any point from conception to live birth a fetus can then receive its status as a human. Scientists cannot disprove the fact that a fetus is less than human (Tribe 119). Yet, there are numerous positions on when personhood begins (Paynter 145). Mother Teresa even states, “No one can deny that the unborn child is a distance being it is human and is alive” (115).
Many times, people try to make the difference in opinion on a fetus a social difference. However, there is a social difference between a premature baby and an aborted fetus. (Swingle 42).
The right to life is another argument that takes place within the abortion battle. Nearly everybody is divided on the topic of abortion into two very different, almost radical, sides of this debate. One side of the argument views the fetus as nothing more than a piece of human tissue (Paynter 145). This is often thought of as the liberal point of view. The other side feels the right to life is given from conception (Paynter 145). This conservative point of view gives the right to life to all unborn human beings. Mother Theresa states: “Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human beings entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend and must not be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or sovereign” (115).
Though there have been numerous attempts to prevent abortion from occurring or to limit the time periods when abortions can happen or even the circumstances in which an abortion can take place still occurs. One of the first defenses against abortion should be the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath was first formed as a code doctors were to follow when administering treatment to patients. The Hippocratic Oath states that a physician’s job is to heal, not to harm (Abortion Techniques 1). Even the early Hippocratic Oath prohibited abortion, but was later revised to say first, do not harm (Alters 2). Under these terms, abortion would be considered harm to the fetus. Therefore, since abortion is harmful to the fetus, any doctor should not be allowed to perform an abortion under any circumstances.
Early laws also try to constrict or even restrict the times and terms under which an abortion can occur. The first abortion laws were based on cases where women were beaten or forced to abort, in which the men were tried for murder (Terkel 16). The first abortion law was passed in
Women should think about the choices they are making when considering an abortion. If women think that abortion is murder, she should consider other alternatives (Welch 3). If abortion is the only alternative we offer women in her time of need, we unknowingly have failed (Alvare 25). Although not always discussed, there are other options to consider instead of having an abortion. Options such as adoption give the opportunity for the baby’s life to continue but in another household. Adoption is the relinquishing of rights of the biological parents and turning them over to another adult or adults. Another option is to carry out the pregnancy full term and to keep the baby. There are many agencies established to help take care of the child, such as day care or head start programs. Abortion is often thought of out of rashness, and is almost never given the proper amount of thought. Many times when women walk in to abortion clinics they are only told of the abortion option, but never other options that could save the baby’s life. These other options can save the woman from the medical and emotional repercussions of having an abortion.
Though many of the repercussions of an abortion are never considered, they are extremely harmful to women both mentally and physically. Many people do not consider the life that they are about to harm when they perform abortions or consider getting an abortion. Maybe one should consider the following quote from Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who when thinking about the life affected by having an abortion: “Although you can’t hear them or see them at all, a person’s a person no matter how small.”
