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Abortion: The Moral Issue
Stephanie Eder
South University
ENG1200 Composition II SU01
Professor Chad Husted
April 23, 2019
There is a tendency towards acceptance, rejection and practice of abortion. Questions of the reason why people decide to practice it or support it are always raised. The point that is predominant here is the moral compass that guides human beings. The question of an individuals' right to life arises, and there tends to be a conflation on issues surrounding a persons' rights and human rights. Should the infants be treated any less than human beings? Some proponents note that the reason why individuals support abortion is that they do not want to allow the infants the right to belong; to grow through childhood, teenagerhood, and adulthood. It raises the question that is continuing to face debate for decades; Should abortion be legalized or not? What are the legal and moral issues surrounding the acceptance and rejection of abortion? (Foot, 1967) Abortion is a clear violation of life and should not be legalized.
According to analysis, two aspects play a huge part in deciding whether an individual is susceptible to act in a particular manner; including having an abortion; their interests and the question of human rights. It should be noted that the issue of abortion has had a lot of heated debates and problems that may include the question of safe and unsafe abortions and the issue that many around the world advocate for, that is "people deciding on their actions because they are the controllers of their actions thus should be allowed to have abortions".
We have three different people — pro-life individuals, those that are pro-choice and those that are moderate. Pro-life individuals indicate that abortion is immoral and wrong since it is murder. They state that those aggravated against have life and should be respected as such. Pro-choice individuals say that it is the mother's choice that should matter in the issue while moderate ones are in support of abortion under certain circumstances, like when the mother's life is in danger. According to research, nearly half of American society views abortion to have a moral issue, and the term is wrong (Lugo, Cooperman, Funk, O’Connell, & Stencel, 2013).
Abortion involves instances where an individual decides to end a pregnancy. It is viewed as a concern, and some say that it is morally wrong since there are effects that occur due to it either to the public or maternal mortality. According to research, lots of unintended pregnancies happen around the world. A majority of these pregnancies end up in abortions (Nojomi, Akbarian, & Ashory-Moghadam, 2006) A lot of countries have not legalized abortion, and this puts those involved at risk since they may be forced to engage in unsafe abortions.
A lot of information exists on the issue of abortion and there is research to back this claim. It is looked at it in three settings; in ancient Greece, ancient Rome and ancient Persia. In Rome, the fetus was not viewed as being human and through the wife being allowed by their husbands to end it, it was considered not a criminal offense. The only issue arose when the wife decided to do it without the husband's consent. They could either be punished or divorced.
In ancient Greece, there were no uniform coded structures and laws that dictated the way people viewed abortion. There were recommendations to women who were over 40 by Plato. Aristotle saw it as a family planning method, and it was accepted in many regions and cities.
In Persia, they were stricter, and abortion was considered not moral, and people were punished for engaging in such acts. We are talking about a region which had strict religious and ethical rules and laws (Yarmohammadi, Zargaran, Vatanpour, Adebini, & Adhani, 2013).
In modern times, people have become more conscious of their rights. There are so many non- governmental organizations that advocate for human rights including those that support the reasons for those that want to have children or not. We have countries that have legalized it while others have not. We see human rights and feminist groups advocating for its practice. Countries, especially those in South America have strict policies regarding its practice, and it is most unacceptable.
Marge Berer aptly notes that abortion was restricted in many countries including those in Europe and Asia and its practice was punishable. The rules of practice were encoded in the criminal, civil and Islamic law. The first to review abortion law was the Soviet Union. What can be seen is that the use of contraceptives is widely accepted, but the issue of abortion is not accepted by a majority of the world's population (Barer, 2017).
Although abortion has not been legally accepted in many countries, there are instances where it is allowed. This is when a person's life is in danger such as sexual abuse, rape, congenital disabilities, mental or physical health issues among others. Attempts to decriminalize abortion have gained progress, but it has been prolonged. Those advocating for it note that legalizing it will ensure that people practice safe abortions since a majority of deaths that come from unsafe abortions are higher.
The first step of solving the process of abortion is to accept that it is an issue that needs to be looked into, just like suicide and murder rates. It is a problem just like any other. Whether we term it legal or illegal, moral or immoral acceptable or unacceptable, the aspect still exists, and without handling it with care, many people will continue losing their lives or be at risk of psychological and physical danger of harm.
Attempts to solve the problem have been initiated by any countries including customary and religious laws in some Muslim countries that allow it in up to 120 days, but not in all Muslim practicing countries. Abortion in Thailand is not legal unless the life of the mother is at risk (Warakamin, Boonthai, & Tangcharoensathien, 2004). The states that have allowed abortion; mainly the developed ones require that there be confidentiality on the part of health practitioners and for them to report any conducts that are considered unsafe. There are medical codes and clinical guidelines that allow for abortion such as a guardian's consent, disciplinary procedures and the methods that will be used.
The problems surrounding the issue of abortion can be solved by directly interacting with victims and potential victims of abortion as well as those that choose to do it by themselves. It is through pre and post-abortion times. may help reduce the rate at which it occurs and prevent any crisis (IMcCall, et al., 2016)
Another problem to address is the issue of abortion rules not being clear. It is related to there being contradicting knowledge, information and language. It may put people in a situation where they are not sure if it allowed or not. It is related to the issue of acceptance and rejection of homosexuality. Countries around the world indicate in their constitution that no one should be discriminated against, but we see that those with different sexual preferences are not accepted in a lot of countries.
Abortion has been part of human history and practice and women around the world have had different methods to choose from when they need to perform an abortion. There are traditional methods as well as modern ones, and some of these methods tend to be unsafe. We have traditional (rely on folk knowledge) and surgical techniques of abortion.
A lot of women have an abortion (a third of women) in their lifetime. The level and extent of abortion can easily be studied directly in more developed countries, but it may not be so in developing countries such as those in Africa and Latin America. It is estimated that 35 out of 1000 women aged 14-44 years have an induced abortion each year which corresponds to 56 million abortions every year. The rates are said to be higher in developing countries. It is even though it has been discerned that developing countries have stricter laws than the developed ones.
It is also noted that half of the abortions, even from the developed countries are not safe. This tells you of the risks that women are put into every year. This brings the issue of whether these policies are working and the number of unreported abortion cases (Paprzycka, Dec- Pietrowska, & Lech, 2019).
It is with no doubt that abortion is a problem; health- wise and morally speaking, but we are living in times where people are self- conscious and are aware of their rights. Abortion still exists, and there are very many cases that are not reported or just ignored and this tends to put a lot of people in danger. A lot of feminists conceive that abortion laws are a weapon against women yet they are also members of the society.
Women are the primary victims when it comes to issues on abortion. They are the direct recipients of the pain that ensues when the pregnancy is terminated through unsafe measures. We also have indirect recipients of abortion cases. It may be difficult to discern the psychological and emotional as well as economic effects that may ensue due to its practice. We are talking about how fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends and other family members may be affected by it.
Abortion has been legal in the United States of America for a very long time, but it has been an issue that has faced a lot of debate with some support while others are skeptical or are against it. It is noted that the vice is higher among lower-income families (Boonstra, 2016).
The extent of the abortion problem can be looked into when analyzing the scope of its spread. For example, despite Central and South American Countries having stringent laws concerning the issue on abortion, the percentage of abortion cases is still quite high, and the deaths that emanate from it are at alarming levels.
Particular research indicates that between 2010 and 2014, 6.5 million induced abortions occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean while many of reproductively categorized individuals lived in abortion- restricted countries. They note that a majority of those abortions were not safe (Guttmacher Center for Population Research Innovation and Dissemination, 2018). It is just but a mere reflection of what goes on. Having strict laws do not guarantee safety standards.
The problem even becomes more evident in developing countries such as those that are in Africa. With a case of poor health standards, unreported cases of abortion, a lot of unintended pregnancies, strict laws, rules and regulations, cultural practices and a lot of ignorance, the issue is even more prominent and puts many, especially those in low-income standards in dangerous situations. In Colombia, the court ordered for the decriminalization of abortion, but there are reservations on its practice. It is mainly amplified by religious customs and traditions as well as culture (Brack, Rochat, & Bernal, 2017)
Without solving the problems that relate to the legality or morality of abortion, there will always be moral issues that will be disputed. Most of these arguments tend not to end in a healthy manner. The question of ethics comes into play.
Reforms revolves around the issue of understanding the abortion argument. Many people ask about the question of morality. At what stage does a fetus get considered to be deserving of life. Should abortion be legalized or become illegal basing on this argument? Some countries have legalized it, there have been reservations about its practices. As stated earlier, even though the USA has sanctioned it, there have been debates on whether the fetus should be given their rights, with almost half of the population being against it. It brings about the issue of the word human being and person being used interchangeably. Are these fetuses considered to be human, persons or things that should be disposed of based on a specific criterion? (Wertheimer, 1971).
If the problem is not solved, it is clear that maternal deaths will continue rising. There are very many unreported cases, and half of those who abort are exposed to unsafe abortion practices. Exposure to hazardous and ruthless abortion practices may expose them to diseases and physical damage. The psychological and emotional torture, as well as economic costs, may also ensue.
This topic revolves around the moral issues, legal issues, acceptance or rejection of abortion, whether progress has been made or not, the history and the extent of the problem. A moral compass governs us. It is the guiding standard of how human beings are supposed and expected to live. These rules of practice have a particular source; it may be from a religious perspective, traditional, legal, nature of humans and agreements and promises that we make with each other. There is always a guiding standard that we are expected to abide by.
What should be asked is whether fetuses should be considered as deserving life. Pro-life proponents primarily are against the idea of abortion due to the fact they have fetus is deemed to be alive. They argue that this should be categorized as murder. Pro-choice proponents argue that it's a person's choice to decide whether to keep it or not while moderate ones say that it should be allowed on exceptional circumstances like when a mother's life is in danger. As noted above, in these days of self- consciousness, it may be hard to decide on the moral compass to follow.
A lot of progress has been made on legal matters to tackle what should be an acceptable standard of allowing for abortion. More developed countries allow it upon request from the patients or consent from guardians. It is the same in almost all states, even those with strict laws that prohibit abortion is that when the mother of the baby is at risk of harm or death, they are allowed to do an abortion. What should be objected is a state where there are no clear laws that are not clear enough. Countries that have policies but do not enforce them are also put on the limelight.
History has changed, and with it, the methods of abortion. We see safer techniques being employed compared to the past. This should be advocated for. Many of the deaths caused by unsafe abortion methods legalizing secure methods and making it affordable may be an effective way of managing the many cases of abortion and controlling their adverse effects. The affordability comes from researches showing that most abortion cases stem from low-income neighborhoods.
The legal and moral paradigm surrounding the acceptance and rejection of abortion, and whether it is moral or immoral will always be an issue. This is the question that has driven humanity to debates and to question what should qualify as a human right. This vice has been part of human history for centuries, and until the 19th century, it was deemed illegal in all countries. The Soviet Union was the first region to review its laws on abortion and others followed. Despite this progress, many states have not embraced it, and there have been contradicting issues in many constitutions on the acceptable standards of allowing for abortions. Unsafe abortions have led to a lot of maternal deaths and the question of the right of women deciding whether to keep a baby or not.
References
Barer, M. (2017). Abortion law and policy around the world: In search of decriminalization. Health and Human Rights, 19(1), 13.
Boonstra, H. D. (2016). Abortion in the Lives of Women Struggling Financially:. Guttmacher Policy Review, 46-52. Retrieved from www.guttmacher.org
Brack, C. E., Rochat, R. W., & Bernal, O. A. (2017, December). “It's a Race Against the Clock”: A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Legal Abortion in Bogotá, Colombia. . International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Review, 43(4), 173-182. doi:10.1363/43e531
Foot, P. (1967). The problem of abortion and the doctrine of double effect.
Guttmacher Center for Population Research Innovation and Dissemination. (2018, March). Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean: INCIDENCE AND TRENDS. (Guttmacher Institute) Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/abortion-latin-america-and-caribbean
Lugo, L., Cooperman, A., Funk, C., O’Connell, E., & Stencel, S. (2013, August 15). Fewer See Stem Cell Research and IVF as Moral Issues; Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms. PewResearchCentre. Retrieved from www.PewResearch.org/religeon
McCall, S. H., McPeherson, J. S., Towers, L. C., Lloyd, B., Fletcher, J., & Bhattachrya, S. (2016). The Effectiveness of Peri- abortion Counseling in Preventing Subsequent Unplanned Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Fam eprod Health Care Review, 42(1), 59-67. doi:10.1136/jfprhc- 2014- 101096
Nojomi, M., Akbarian, A., & Ashory-Moghadam, S. (2006, January). BURDEN OF ABORTION: INDUCED AND SPONTANEOUS. Archives of Iranian Medicine, 9(1), 39 – 45.
Paprzycka, E., Dec- Pietrowska, J., & Lech, M. (2019). The limits of compromise: the range of perspectives on women's reproductive rights in Poland. The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 1-7.
Warakamin, S., Boonthai, N., & Tangcharoensathien, V. (2004, January 1). Induced Abortion in Thailand: Current Situation in Public Hospitals and Legal Perspectives. ( Taylor, & Francis, Eds.)Reproductive Health Matters, 12(sup24), 145-156. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/S0968-8080(04)24018-6
Wertheimer, R. (1971). Understanding abortion argument. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 67-95.
Yarmohammadi, H., Zargaran, A., Vatanpour, A., Adebini, E., & Adhani, S. (2013). An Investigation into the ancient Abortion laws: Comparing Ancient Persia with Ancient Greece and Rome. Acta medico- historical Adriatica, 11(2), 291-298.
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