The Right To Choose — Abortion Essay, Research Paper

Birth is a miracle ? or so it feels to the willing parents. A tiny infant emerging from the mother’s womb, a piece of you, embodying all your hopes and dreams. But what about the unwilling parents? What about the female who has found herself with an unwanted pregnancy? Her options are few ? motherhood, adoption or abortion. Yet, abortion remains a controversial issue, and depending on where you live, can be illegal. Since 1988, the Canadian legislation has been silent on the subject of abortion. And in 1991, our courts found that legally speaking, ?a fetus is without rights’. But the topic continues to arise, and protesters calling themselves ?Pro- lifers’ harass clinics and hospitals. The possibility of abortion becoming illegal in Canada is

very real. But what repercussions will come from it? More child abuse and family violence, a setback in women’s rights and freedoms, and an increase in the death rate are just a few possibilities. That is why the choice for women to have an abortion in a clean and safe environment should remain legal.

Women considering abortion are dealing with a range of problems and are only hindered by criticism. Circumstances and conditions leading to the termination of a pregnancy can vary widely. Whether caused by faulty contraception, rape, incest, or age and ignorance, an unwanted pregnancy remains an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion causes a woman to choose between her life or the potential child’s. This decision is a battleground of morals. It involves a lot of thought, and may cause guilt or regret after the procedure. But dismissing that right to choose would not benefit anyone. Pregnancy can have catastrophic affects on adolescents causing medical problems, nervous breakdowns and emotional distress. It is said that pregnancies in adolescence involve 4-5 times more risk than those of women in their twenties. In this case, interrupting a pregnancy would be the healthiest, safest decision. There are many other cases where terminating a pregnancy is the best choice. For example, when a medical or mental condition is present, when there is a large family and/or economic problems, if a woman has just given birth, or if she is incapable of assuming any type of responsibility. There is also the situations of personal or social dilemmas, or depression caused by the pregnancy. Yet, no matter what the circumstance, it should be considered valid as long as the woman finds it necessary.

The forcing of child rearing would cause an increase in child abuse and family violence. Mothers have a natural maternal instinct and desire to produce offspring and nurture it. If you take away that desire, a baby would be raised in a very negative and damaging environment It is true that a parent could grow to love the unwanted child, but it is more likely that she would resent it for ?ruining her life’. This resentment could lead to a number of different types of abuse, which include neglect, battering, and emotional damage. Or the unwanted child could simply be deprived of the tenderness and affection it needs. Either way, these children would be emotionally disturbed, possibly turning them into rebellious, neurotic, and socially maladjusted individuals. It was estimated in 1991, that one to five million children in the U.S. experience some kind of abuse each year. Looking at the detrimental effects being unwanted can have on the psychological development of a child, abortion does appear to be a highly responsible choice, not only to avoid damage to the potential child, but also to the woman.

Laws against abortion would cause more death. Without the option of terminating an unwanted pregnancy, women would resort to drastic measures. In 1967, before the laws were revised, the number of illegal abortions in Canada ran between 25,000 and 75,000. Women found themselves getting backroom abortions which were unsanitary and done by unskilled, incompetent people. They used air from bicycle pumps, coat hangers or knitting needles, overdosed on drugs, and took poison. Many women tried to self-abort by inflicting pain on themselves: by throwing themselves down stairs, doing strenuous work or exercise, or deliberately overworking themselves to exhaustion. They paid strangers a lot of money to do the procedure on their kitchen table or in a back alley. Overall, these laws caused damage to not only the potential life, but the health, safety and even the life of the mothers. Hemorrhaging, vaginal lesions, infections, perforation, and death were the consequences. Other than self-induced or illegal abortion, women might find themselves in such a desperate situation that they commit suicide, or kill the child once it is born. According to the U.S. Department of Justice statistics, nearly 250 babies are self-delivered and then dispatched directly to garbage bags and rivers, toilet bowls and trash receptacles ? mostly by women who have hidden their pregnancies. In the least, laws against abortion would prevent expecting mothers from getting assistance and counseling. Those unwilling parents would not learn about their other options, or have the chance to be persuaded to continue the pregnancy. They would simply resort to an illegal abortion, having no other choice.

It is clear that desire and willingness affect everything from the attitude of the pregnant woman — which in turn can influence the progress of the pregnancy — to the environment the infant grows up in. Although birth is considered a miracle, it is far from that to the person left with no choice. Evidence proves that a woman who really wants to terminate a pregnancy and who takes this step after due consideration, fully aware of what she is doing, will have few if any regrets. It is understandable why people would have moral conflicts over the topic, and that is their right. But let women also have the right. Let them be able to control their bodies and reproduction, and let them have the right to sexual expression other than that prescribed by custom and religion. It is their bodies and their lives, so let them decide.