Introduction
Abortions can be regarded as one of the oldest health-related procedures that remain common across the globe but quite controversial in the vast majority of countries, including the USA. Abortions were conducted in ancient Greece and Rome and were not rare in European countries in the Middle Ages (“Roe v. Wade Legalizes Abortion”). Medication abortions were often a preferable method, while surgical procedures were also implemented. Notably, even religious leaders paid little attention to the matter, although it was often associated with adverse effects on females’ health, let alone the immorality of the act. It was not until the nineteenth century that Americans started addressing the issue with particular deliberation. For instance, abortions carried out under certain circumstances became a capital crime in Great Britain in 1803 (“Roe v. Wade Legalizes Abortion”). At present, the debate regarding abortions is vigorous as quite many people believe that this intervention is possible. However, a close consideration of the matter shows that abortions are immoral acts aggravated by potential hazards to women’s health and major social implications.
Morality: The Major Argument Against Abortions
The essential argument against abortions is by all means related to moral aspects. No human has the right to decide whether another human being can or cannot live, which is the basic value of humanness. In simple terms, abortions are a type of murder, although some try to present it as an ordinary clinical procedure related to women’s health. However, this is the cruelest slaughter of the most vulnerable group of people, babies in the womb (Napolitano). It is a well-acknowledged fact that the fetus has a “fully actualizable human genome” from the first moments of its life (Napolitano). No matter how the little human being is called, be it a fetus or a baby, the fact is that a human being has the right to life.
No one has any right to decide whether this new life can be terminated. Such decisions are equal to the act of killing or intention to murder another person. If the pregnant woman undergoes the procedure, she and the one who implements (or recommends) the intervention bear the same responsibility for the hard crime. The human being is completely dependent on the mother’s conduct, but this dependence cannot be limitless. A matter of life and death is beyond any person’s competency or power. Being a human means placing the highest value on human life and protecting this greatest treasure.
In addition to the purely moral aspect that abortion is an absolutely wrong action, people should also think about the potential harm caused to their kind. The thousands of killed children could have been raised and become scientists, inventors, doctors. No researcher can estimate the number of great people who could have made outstanding breakthroughs in different areas but were never born due to some person’s decision to implement the cruel intervention.
Health Implications
When considering abortions, it is important to pay attention to health aspects. According to Berer, one of the primary reasons for banning abortions was the adverse effects the intervention had on women’s health (14). Thousands of women died monthly due to the implementation of the unsafe practice in the past. Nowadays, it has been estimated that one in six maternal deaths is due to abortions (Berer 14). Clearly, the most vulnerable groups are low-income females due to their limited or no access to quality healthcare services. It is also important to note that the highest rate of abortions is among low-income females and women of color (Jones and Jerman 1904). The good news is that the rate of abortions is steadily declining in the United States, but it is still high.
Apart from the risk of dying and developing serious issues related to women’s health, females undergoing the procedure tend to be affected mentally. Women develop such disorders as depression and anxiety, while more serious issues are also rather common (Jones and Jerman 1904). Women understand that they have committed a crime, so they have to cope with this trauma, which is not always possible. Thus, abortions are harmful to women in diverse ways, so they cannot be allowed in modern society.
Social Aspects
Although many people are willing to ignore the fact, there is a link between the demographic crises in many countries and abortions. The aging population and the lack of young people to support the elderly are some of the central issues the majority of developed countries are trying to solve. One of the causes of this complex situation is the legal status of abortions in these countries (Napolitano). Instead of giving birth to several children, males and females choose to focus on careers and other aspects and have babies later in life. The number of children in families in European countries has also decreased considerably since the beginning and the middle of the twentieth century. As a result, younger generations can hardly form a sufficient labor force to support the increasing population of older adults, their parents, and grandparents.
It is also noteworthy that the issue in question has negative social implications related to the tension between different groups. The anti-abortion movement is often stigmatized and marginalized as the opponents of the procedures are viewed as violent protestors destroying other people’s property (McGlynn Gaffney). Modern American society is becoming associated with certain misbalances as proponents of the procedure receive legal preferences and media support. The voices of people revealing the immoral nature of abortions are silenced or presented in a distorted way.
Abortion Supporters’ Arguments
The supporters of abortions tend to provide a set number of arguments they see appropriate for legalizing the cruel practice. The central one is related to the female’s right to be in full command of her body. People holding this position are referred to as pro-choice activists (“Roe v. Wade Legalizes Abortion”). These people argue that a woman is in complete control of her health and her life. So, women should be able to make the major decisions as having a baby is a life-changing event. The supporters of abortions stress that making a choice is one of the basic rights of a human in a democratic society. However, the proponents of abortions forget about the child’s right to life. In a way, they place a higher value on an adult’s rights than the child’s basic rights. This aspect is considered above, so there is no need to repeat a simple truth that the child has the right to life as any other human being, including the baby’s parents.
Another argument is deemed to be more complicated as it is associated with the clear threat to the mother’s life. As mentioned above, maternal health risks have become some of the primary reasons for banning abortions, but, ironically, this domain can also justify the procedure. In some cases, which are not rare, pregnancy or delivery can be associated with a serious threat to the mother’s health. The only option to ensure the woman’s survival is abortion, so the choice is complicated here indeed. In many situations, it is not concerned with the mother’s life versus the child’s life, but it is about the loss of two lives. At the same time, the development of medicine and health care leads to diverse improvements each day, and healthcare professionals can save more and more lives these days.
Financial factors are also mentioned by the proponents of abortions. They note that low-income females, especially when it comes to teenage mothers, cannot provide for their offspring. Giving birth to children, as seen by abortion supporters, under such circumstances makes them doomed to remain within the social class of their parents or even become less successful. Nevertheless, the United States remains the country where residents have various opportunities to grow and develop. So, every child has a chance to live a happy life and contribute to the development of American society.
Another seemingly complex issue brought out by those who support abortions is the procedure as a response to a crime (rape). Pro-choice people emphasize that women who have been victims of sexual abuse have the right to choose to leave the experience behind (Napolitano). However, an innocent human being, the child, can hardly be made responsible for the actions of a violent male. Children are not responsible for the actions of their parents, so they cannot be punished for something adults have done. A murder (abortion) cannot be a response to another violent crime. Hence, the situation is not at all complex as a crime cannot be justified by another type of crime, and children cannot be punished for the actions of their parents.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is necessary to state that abortion is an immoral act or rather a crime that has diverse negative implications for individuals and the entire society. The major thing to remember when discussing abortions is the immorality of the act. Abortions are murders of innocent children, and no human has the right to decide whether another human being has the right to live. Women’s health is put at risk as a considerable rate of maternal deaths is related to abortions. Females who undergo the procedure also suffer from mental health issues.
Although the proponents of abortions provide some reasons that can, in their opinion, justify this murder, their arguments are lame. Abortion as a response to rape or incest remains murder and cannot be justified. A child cannot be made responsible for the actions of adults. The only situation when abortion can be considered an option is the definite health risk of losing two lives, that of the mother and the child. However, these cases are becoming rare due to scientific and medical advances. Hence, abortion is a cruel and immoral act that cannot take place in modern society. This mass slaughter has contributed to the current demographic crisis and deprived humanity of numerous talented people who could make this world a better place.
Works Cited
Berer, Marge. “Abortion Law and Policy Around the World: In Search of Decriminalization.” Health and Human Rights, vol. 19, no. 1, 2017, pp. 13-27.
Jones, Rachel K., and Jenna Jerman. “Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008–2014.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 12, 2017, pp. 1904-1909.
McGlynn Gaffney, Edward. “Anti-Abortion Protests Should Not Be Censored.” Censorship. Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, 2001.
Napolitano, Andrew. “Abortion Is Immoral, Even in the Case of Rape or Incest.” Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints Abortion, 2014.
“Roe v. Wade Legalizes Abortion: January 22, 1973.” Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, 2014.