Introduction
Abortion can be defined as the act of terminating a pregnancy so that it does not result in the birth of a child. The process may be accomplished using medication or a surgical procedure (Sanger, 2018). For millennia, the procedure has been contested, and laws have been enacted and altered in various ways ranging from state to state and nation to country. In 1550 BCE, the Egyptians were the first to chronicle numerous abortion processes (Magner & Kim, 2017). Their methods were primarily non-invasive and focused on the use of herbs. By the early nineteenth century, abortion methods had advanced to the point that they included surgical operations with proper cleanliness and anesthetic.
Furthermore, the advancements in the safe biological abortion measures entailed the use of modern ways such as morning-after pills. The contemporary means delivered significant levels of hormones that affect the early stages of zygote development. Abortion is one of the most divisive subjects globally. Rational people have considerable opinions; hence scientists pioneered new methods regarding abortion in Vitro Fertilization and Stem Cell Research that are crucial in tackling unsafe abortions (Vaughn, 2010). The two studies have proved critical in solving the controversial abortion challenges for those willing. Ideally, abortion is not a crime as some may deem it; rather, it should be a safe course when undertaken by technological advancements that bridle the dangers of conducting the activity illegally or precariously.
Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
The adverse ramifications of unsafe abortion procedures prompted scientists to explore the technical department to solve the problem. Hence, scientists unearthed the Vitro Fertilization or test tube baby method as a solution to solve the ever-contented issue. According to Casper et al. (2017), the method comprises fertilizing a human egg outside the womb, generally in a glass jar or container, with a sperm. The treatment is a viable option for women having difficulty delivering. First, a woman is given fertility medicines that cause her ovaries to release multiple eggs. Up to ten of these are harvested, infused with sperm, and each expands to include around eight cells via cell division (Casper et al., 2017). Within three to five days, around three implants are placed in the uterine of the woman, thus increasing the likelihood of at least one being a success. The ones left are preserved in liquid nitrogen, some of which may be unfrozen and utilized by the woman in the future, thus obviating the need for the first part of the in vitro fertilization treatment financially. When promptly frozen, zygote groups may persist forever, and one has been implanted successfully after 13 years. When the leftover zygotes are no longer required, they are eliminated.
Stem Cell Research
Stem cells are a kind of biological cell that, in their present state, cannot perform certain functions such as becoming a heart cell, brain cell, or bone cell. However, given the appropriate conditions, it may transform into every cell found in the human body (Boncoraglio et al., 2019). The particular stem cell employed in a clinical investigation is termed a pluripotent stem cell, which implies that it can transform into various types of cells. The debate centers on where stem cells originate from, and the current consensus is that they arise from human zygotes and embryos. Numerous embryos are derived from unused frozen zygotes obtained at in vitro fertilization facilities.
The two fundamental medical research are crucial in solving medical problems. For example, IVF is necessary for attempting to cure impotence or genetic abnormalities. Furthermore, the method can be employed in the future, for instance, to preserve fertility in the face of cancer. IVF for fertility conservation may be possible if someone is preparing to begin cancer treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, which may harm their fertility. Women’s ovaries may be extracted and stored in their unfertilized form for future use. Alternatively, fertilized eggs may be frozen as embryos for future use.
On the other hand, Stem Cell Research underscores the possibility of healing some of the most debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. When implanted in the brain, they can sense their environment and replace damaged brain tissue in the area. Moreover, the procedure has generated considerable optimism by offering to significantly expand the number and spectrum of patients eligible for transplantation and give cell substitution treatment for severe illnesses such as diabetes, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s.
Notably, the advent of biotechnology has created ethical questions, notably around abortion. The conduct has raised social issues as some have called it repulsive and should be avoided at all costs. Thus, media reports on emerging VF and stem cell research elicit mixed reactions. Deliberate decoupling of reproduction from human sexual behavior and the human body. When initially proposed, theologians condemned VF as unethical human experimentation. This was the major moral argument against human egg fertilization in a laboratory dish. The moral barrier to endangering the unborn has been temporarily lifted.
In the 1980s, the considerable controversy was whether creating life in a dish was ethically acceptable. Scientists’ ability to evaluate or modify an embryo’s DNA increased in the 1990s, raising ethical problems about how much embryo modification is acceptable. The future of IVF is dependent on research approval and study kinds, and it has opened up a world of possibilities for what can be done with sperm, eggs, and the early human embryo. This technique raises problems regarding societal responsibility to these gametes and early embryos and their ethical grounding.
In this way, the biotechnology methods have their pros and cons when used by an individual. For example, individuals may be subjected to adverse conditions that might manifest in the future.
- Multiple births: If several embryos are implanted into an individual’s uterus through IVF, having multiple children rises. Pregnancy with a number of fetuses is associated with a greater risk of preterm labor and low birth weight than pregnancy with a single fetus.
- Miscarriages: Women who produce via biotechnology processes with fresh embryos have a miscarriage risk compared to women who conceive naturally, around 15 percent to 25 percent, but the rate rises with maternal age.
On the same note, the biotechnology processes can benefit the user.
- A genetic disorder: Those who are at risk of passing on a genetic condition to their kid may be candidates for preimplantation genetic testing, which is a technique that includes in vitro fertilization (IVF). The eggs are checked for specific genetic issues after being gathered and fertilized, albeit not all genetic problems can be detected at this stage of production. Transferring embryos to the uterus is possible if they do not have any known abnormalities.
- When sperm production is impaired: Sperm concentrations that are lower than typical, sperm that move slowly (low mobility), or sperm that are aberrant in size or form might make it difficult for sperm to fertilize an egg if defects in the sperm are discovered, a consultation to an infertility expert may be necessary to determine if there are any correctable disorders.
However, employing the biotechnological abortions methods is costly; hence they have been minimal to the general public. Furthermore, the process requires sophisticated expertise that most ordinary people cannot afford. As a result, it has led to increased use of unsafe methods of abortions that have ultimately affected dire consequences. In turn, the unwarranted methods have affected families negatively as most of them lose teenage daughters who succumb to adverse circumstances such as death due to unsafe abortion methods.
Ethical Stand
Even though abortion is a form of right to life deprivation, the act is not a crime, as some believe hence should be legalized. It can potentially be a lifesaving procedure; therefore, legalizing abortion in instances of rape and the lifesaving process is necessary. According to philosopher David Boonin, pro-lifers claim that the fetus is fundamentally similar to its postnatal self (Beckwith, 2019). Nevertheless, contrary to abortion opponents, Boonin believes that the fetus lacks some significant traits that its prospective postnatal being has (Hershenov & Hershenov). Furthermore, even if they are the same substantial safety measures to undertake, they must be prudently used; it is critical to remember that such decisions have consequences. Regrettably, some may take this for granted and abuse the advantage accorded. As a result, rather than implementing draconian abortion rules, flexible legislation providing appropriate remedies should be enacted.
Medical practitioners who conduct abortions must conform to the medical ethics concept of autonomy. Beauchamp and Childress (2013) define autonomy as a positive and negative criterion. Negative obligation: External control should not hinder autonomous activity. This notion requires the sharing of information and the encouragement of autonomous decision-making. Moreover, non-maleficence entails a promise not to harm others. Based on the debate, the right to abort should be implemented to guarantee that a pregnant woman is not discarded or discriminated based on her unwanted pregnancy, such as rape situations.
Furthermore, beneficence, a concept demanding that individuals demonstrate respect for one another by actively contributing to their wellbeing, is pertinent to women who are pregnant with undesired children. While a woman in such an unfavorable scenario is likely to be under considerable stress, she might benefit from understanding, compassion, care, and psychological assistance to adapt to her circumstances while seeking and obtaining a mutually beneficial solution, not simply abortion. Justice is critical to any individual, which includes both mother and child. However, when a mother’s life is in jeopardy, she should be entitled to the right to do an abortion.
Counterargument and Rebuttal
Nevertheless, abortion can be detrimental to the lives of individuals; hence as part of the counterargument, it is a crime. In some instances, it should be abolished, or stringent measures should be imposed to bridle the activity. This is due to the fact that it is wicked to murder a harmless human being, even if that human being has not yet been born. Henceforth, several laws have opposed legalizing the process. In particular, the Federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act protects unborn children from termination. At the same time, abolishing abortion can be draconian toward the victim. For example, when a woman exercises her liberty to privacy and hence wishes to terminate the pregnancy, she should be allowed to exercise her right.
Conclusion
Abortion is not a criminal but rather a lifesaving procedure. Concerning abortion in rape and when life is at stake, it is essential to remember that decisions have repercussions when undertaking the process. Sadly, some may take this for granted and abuse its advantages. Instead of imposing draconian policies to combat abortion, it is prudent to emphasize flexible laws that enable efficient answers. These victims should not be disappointed by having to produce adequate proof to get a safe abortion since it adds to their suffering.
References
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics. Oxford University Press, USA.
Beckwith, F. J. (2019). Natural law, catholicism, and the protestant critique: Why we are really not that far apart. Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, 25(2), 154–168.
Boncoraglio, G. B., Ranieri, M., Bersano, A., Parati, E. A., & Del Giovane, C. (2019). Stem cell transplantation for ischemic stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Casper, R., Haas, J., Hsieh, T.-B., Bassil, R., & Mehta, C. (2017). Recent advances in in vitro fertilization. F1000Research, 6, 1616.
Hershenov, D. B., & Hershenov, R. J. (2017). If abortion, then infanticide. Theoretical medicine and bioethics, 38(5), 387-409.
Magner, L. N., & Kim, O. J. (2017). A history of medicine. CRC Press.
Sanger, C. (2018). About abortion. In About Abortion. Harvard University Press.
Vaughn, L. (2010). Bioethics: Principles, issues, and cases (Vol. 58). New York: Oxford University Press.