Introduction
One of the most popular issues that has been fiercely debated for hundreds of years is abortion. While nowadays seen as a medical procedure to remove a fetus from a woman’s body, whether due to physical requirements or personal beliefs, it has been highly contested since the issue revolves around an unborn child. The moral question is whether abortion should be legal to preserve the life of an unborn child or illegal since it violates one’s freedom to make decisions about a woman’s body.
Consequently, two groups were established, with one group advocating pro-choice and another group supporting pro-life activism. However, when discussing the controversial issue of abortion, it is crucial to value not only the moral status of a fetus but stress the autonomy and well-being of a pregnant woman.
Main Body
Before delving deeper into moral theories and perspectives, it is crucial to see the various perspectives and concepts associated with the topic of abortion. Pro-life and pro-choice are the opposite sides of the abortion controversy. On the one hand, pro-life individuals contend that abortion involves the intentional murder of a human being while they are still unborn. The offered position is generally supported by religious principles that state that life begins at conception (Muldoon, 2021). People who hold this viewpoint believe that abortion should be prohibited as a result. Contrarily, pro-choice advocates maintain that a woman should have the right to an abortion (Muldoon, 2021). According to them, these rights are a foundation for bodily integrity and personal autonomy (Muldoon, 2021). Therefore, it should be considered a violation of women’s rights to forbid safe and legal abortions.
Articles published by many healthcare professionals allow the audience to grasp the overall attitudes of the experts in the field. The first overall sentiment among many professionals is that due to a negative impact on women’s safety and well-being, the stigmatization of abortions has to end (Kimemia, 2023). The stigmatization of women seeking abortions is highly prevalent and affects women of all ages and all regions. With abortion being “on the border between a woman’s right over her own body and the child’s (fetus) entitlement to life,” many women fail to receive fair and safe treatment (Niţă & Ilie Goga, 2020, p.283).
The restrictions that result from stigmatization create an unsafe environment for women, leading to high mortality (McLean et al., 2019). As emphasized by McLean and colleagues (2019), “each year, between 4.7–13.2% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion” (p.1). With an emphasis on such statistics, one should understand the detrimental effects on women’s health.
However, legally forbidding late-term abortions does not stop them. Instead, such strict measures lead to an increase in unsafe, illegal abortions that are harmful to women’s health (Sasi, 2019). Although research by Reardon (2018) emphasizes that many women can struggle psychologically following abortion, it is still crucial to ensure that risks to women’s health are minimal. Consequently, it is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to deliver quality care.
Upon reviewing the materials on the issue of abortion, one can see that the majority of authors focus on the benefits of the procedure from the perspective of maternal health and the unexpected consequences associated with the abortion bans. As a result, since the topic of abortion entails not only the provision of medical care but also support and an objective viewpoint, the professional code of ethics is essential. The standards of medical ethics established by the American Medical Association (AMA) state that “a physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights” (para. 2). In other words, a doctor is supposed to uphold the law, provide competent treatment, and, regardless of their own moral convictions, provide care that is ethically acceptable.
With consideration of familial and professional contexts, the issue of abortions involves several conflicts. On the one hand, as was mentioned above, healthcare professionals have the responsibility to follow the standards of care, prioritize the interests of patients, and put them above all else. In other words, it is not only unprofessional but unethical for a healthcare provider to have personal objections to performing abortions. On the other hand, conflict is involved when discussing the issue of family duties. With many individuals agreeing that the role of a woman is to bear and rear children, an abortion can be a factor that might disrupt family dynamics and relationships.
The most moral thing to do in relation to the conflicts above is to respect the autonomy and well-being of the pregnant person. Either a family member, friend, or healthcare professional should consider doing so because the pregnant woman will be directly impacted by such a decision. Individual rights, bodily autonomy, and personal choice should be respected and maintained in such circumstances.
As for ethical theories, three of the most well-known can be applied. The first theory is Aristotle’s Golden Mean, which focuses on the extremes of the issue and emphasizes the importance of finding a balance in a situation (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2019). When discussing the issue of abortions, one should respect the woman’s choice while also recognizing the moral status of the fetus. Another ethical theory, utilitarianism, optimizes society’s and single individuals’ well-being and happiness (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2019).
In the situation with abortions, it is crucial to see both the effects on the pregnant women and society in general. However, it is highly complicated to see the complete reaction given different cultures’ perspectives on the moral value of fetal life. Finally, natural law ethics argues that there is a moral order in society and all actions are either inherently good or bad (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2019). In such circumstances, the murder of a fetus can be seen as a bad action unless the woman’s life is at risk.
Overall, the theory that best applies to the issue of abortion is utilitarianism since it focuses not only on society’s well-being but also on a single individual’s experiences and their effects. The theory of utilitarianism aligns with the moral perspective outlined earlier since it respects the pregnant woman’s choice and autonomy. In contrast, the other two theories adhere to the predetermined moral rules without fully considering the autonomy of a pregnant person. Therefore, unlike the theory of utilitarianism, Aristotle’s Golden Mean and natural law ethics fail to address the complexities and individual circumstances surrounding abortion.
Conclusion
In summary, when debating the contentious topic of abortion, it is important to emphasize the autonomy and well-being of a pregnant woman aside from the fetus’s moral standing. The ethical dilemma is whether abortion should be permitted to protect the life of an unborn child or prohibited because it infringes on the right of an individual to make personal decisions regarding their body. Two sides were formed, one promoting pro-choice activity and the other encouraging pro-life advocacy. Conflicts on both a personal and a professional level are involved in the abortion debate. Respecting the liberty and well-being of the pregnant person is the most moral thing to do. Utilitarianism, a theory that emphasizes the experiences and well-being of a single human, is the one that best addresses the abortion debate.
References
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Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2019). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kimemia, G. W., Kabiru, C. W., & Ushie, B. A. (2023). Ethical concerns facing abortion researchers in restrictive settings: the need for guidelines. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 31(1), 1-4. Web.
McLean, E., Desalegn, D. N., Blystad, A., & Miljeteig, I. (2019). When the law makes doors slightly open: ethical dilemmas among abortion service providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Medical Ethics, 20(1), 60. Web.
Muldoon, M. (2021). The abortion debate in the United States and Canada. Taylor & Francis.
Niţă, A. M., & Ilie Goga, C. (2020). A research on abortion: Ethics, legislation and socio-medical outcomes. Case study: Romania. Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology, 61(1), 283–294. Web.
Reardon D. C. (2018). The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and research opportunities. SAGE Open Medicine, 6, 1-38. Web.
Sasi A. (2019). Ethical issues concerning legislation in late-term abortions in India. Asian Bioethics Review, 11(4), 367–376. Web.
Sensen, O. (2021). The kingdom of ends in the groundwork. In A. Cureton, J. W. van der Rijt (Eds.), Human dignity and the kingdom of ends: Kantian perspectives and practical applications (pp. 51-58). Taylor & Francis.