Introduction
The term abortion refers to the deliberate ending of a pregnancy, which has been the subject of fervent debate and contentious discussion for many years. The debate over whether or not abortion should be legalized is frequently influenced by various factors, including societal, economic, moral, and religious beliefs. The legality of abortion varies widely from country to country and region to region, and these factors similarly impact the debate over whether or not it should be legalized.
This paper will investigate the question of whether or not women’s access to abortion should be protected by law. This article will examine the social, economic, moral, and ethical ramifications of legalizing abortion and evaluate the primary arguments for and against legalizing abortion. Legalizing abortion is essential for promoting women’s reproductive rights and preventing unsafe abortions, even though some people may argue that abortion is immoral and violates the fetus’s right to life.
Legal Status of Abortion
There is a significant distinction in the legal status of abortion in various countries. In certain nations, getting an abortion is not only legal but also very easy to do, while in others, it is a crime that carries severe penalties. A woman has the legal right to have an abortion in the US; nevertheless, the states have the authority to impose varied degrees of regulation on the procedure.
Roe v. Wade, the seminal abortion case in 1973, established that women have a constitutional right to terminate their pregnancies before the fetus can be considered viable (Cohen et al., 2021). This point in the gestational process is generally agreed upon as being around 24 weeks (Bearak et al., 2020). However, in recent years, several states have enacted legislation that makes it more challenging to have an abortion by imposing restrictions such as mandatory waiting periods, gestational age limits, and mandatory counseling requirements. Abortion is legal and extensively available in several European nations, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, though with various limits.
Comparison of Abortion Rights between the US and El Salvador
There are significant differences in the rates of unintended abortion between countries where abortion is legal and those where it is not. Countries in which abortion is legal have significantly lower rates of unintended pregnancy and considerably higher rates of abortion when compared to countries where abortion is illegal. For instance, the rate of unintended pregnancies was estimated to be 45 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in the United States (Bearak et al., 2020). In contrast, the rate of abortion was 15 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in that country (Bearak et al., 2020).
In comparison, the rate of unintended pregnancies was estimated to be 98 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in El Salvador, while the rate of abortion was only 1 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in that country (Bearak et al., 2020). This is because abortion is illegal and severely punished in El Salvador (Bearak et al., 2020). According to these findings, having access to safe and legal abortion services may be one factor that helps reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and the demand for unsafe abortions.
Arguments for and against the legalization of abortion in each of these nations differ depending on various circumstances, such as the prevalent political ideologies, the population’s cultural and religious views, and the social conventions. Abortion proponents believe that the procedure should be legalized because it is vital for protecting women’s reproductive rights, health, and well-being. Philosophers argue that it has the potential to lower the number of abortions that are carried out in unsafe and unlawful conditions, which can lead to significant health consequences or even death (Bearak et al., 2020).
Abortion is ethically reprehensible, according to those who are opposed to making it legal, and it violates the fetus’s right to have a life of its own, according to opponents of abortion legalization (Bein, 2022). They frequently hold religious or moral convictions that consider abortion a sin or immoral act, and as a result, they support the legalization of abortion. Some people believe it will lead to a downward trend in society’s value of human life and send the wrong message to the next generation.
In recent years, several nations have altered the legislation governing abortion in their own countries. For instance, abortion was considered a crime in Argentina until 2020, when new laws made it lawful to terminate a pregnancy up to 14 weeks into the gestational period (Bein, 2022). A referendum was held in Ireland in 2018, ultimately resulting in the repeal of a constitutional abortion ban. As a result, abortion is now legal up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy (Bein, 2022). These shifts are a reflection of developing political ideologies as well as changed sentiments within society in general about abortion.
Health and Safety
When it comes to the question of health and safety, the decriminalization of abortion has substantial repercussions for the welfare of women. Women in nations where it is against the law to terminate a pregnancy may have to turn to unregulated and potentially harmful techniques to do it. These procedures can potentially result in life-threatening problems for the patient, including infections, bleeding, and even death. It is believed that unsafe abortions are responsible for around 13% of all maternal fatalities worldwide (Ekendahl, 2019).
Research has demonstrated that legal abortions, when carried out by skilled medical experts, are generally safe and pose only a little danger to a woman’s overall health (Ekendahl, 2019). Complications are uncommon, and even when they occur, they are often low severity and are straightforward to treat. According to the World Health Organization, the level of expertise possessed by the individual performing the procedure and the type of services rendered significantly impact the degree to which abortion is risky (Ekendahl, 2019).
There are multiple ways in which women’s health and safety can benefit from the legalization of abortion. To begin, it lessens the likelihood of women experiencing health difficulties or even passing away by ensuring that they have access to abortion options that are both safe and legal. Additionally, it enables women to seek medical attention if they encounter difficulties in the aftermath of an abortion. Furthermore, legalizing abortion can potentially lessen the social stigma attached to the procedure, which may result in improved mental health for women (Ekendahl, 2019).
Opponents of legalizing abortion, on the other hand, claim that doing so would have unfavorable effects on people’s health and safety. For instance, they would claim that women would be encouraged to participate in hazardous sexual activity if abortions were legalized, which would increase the number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases. They may argue that women who have had abortions are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, and that this is another reason why abortion should not be legalized.
Ethical and Moral Considerations
The moral and ethical concerns raised by abortion are challenging to address and include a wide range of viewpoints. It is a common argument made by people who are against abortion on ethical or moral grounds that it is unethical to kill the life of a fetus, which they view as a human being with underlying value and a right to life. Those who take this position believe that fetuses have a right to life. They can claim that abortion fosters a culture that celebrates death and devalues the importance of human life.
Many different faiths, such as Catholics, hold the view that abortion is a form of immoral behavior and should never be performed (Popinchalk et al., 2021). For instance, the Christian tradition holds that abortion violates the sanctity of life. On the other hand, the sanctity of life is considered a fundamental principle in Islam, which forbids the taking of the life of an innocent person. Some interpretations of other religious traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, support a woman’s right to choose abortion, while others do not, resulting in a more nuanced approach to whether or not a woman should be able to have an abortion (Popinchalk et al., 2021).
A wide range of philosophical justifications and critiques can be offered for or in opposition to the practice of abortion. Immanuel Kant, a prominent philosopher of the Enlightenment era, believed that human beings have inherent dignity and moral worth and that treating them as merely a means to an end is unethical (Ekendahl, 2019). Kant argued that this makes it wrong to treat people as if they are nothing more than a means to an end. He thought that a human existence possesses an innate value that is not contingent on external variables, such as the standard of living or the preferences of other individuals. Since it demeans the value that is already there within the fetus, abortion would be regarded as unethical if viewed from this perspective.
John Stuart Mill, another famous philosopher who lived during the same period as Plato and Aristotle, argued for the significance of individual liberty and autonomy (Furlan, 2022). Abortion would be viewed as ethically acceptable from his point of view since it enables women to exercise their right to control their bodies. He thought that people should be free to make their own decisions so long as they do not cause harm to other people.
Mary Anne Warren, a prominent contemporary philosopher, posited that the fetus is not a fully formed person who possesses all of the same moral rights as any other person but rather a prospective person (Furlan, 2022). She believed that the right to life does not apply to fetuses since they do not possess certain qualities required for personhood, such as consciousness and self-awareness. A fetus does not have the same moral position as a fully developed person; hence, aborting the fetus would not be seen as a violation of any moral principles according to this line of thinking.
Don Marquis, another modern theorist, argued that the ethical immorality of killing is not based on the victim’s characteristics but rather on the fact that it disenfranchises the person of a precious future (Ekendahl, 2019). He claimed that this is the primary factor determining whether killing is immoral. He argued that fetuses are entitled to a worthwhile future and that terminating their lives deprives them of this destiny (Ekendahl, 2019). Since it denies the unborn child their right to life, abortion would be considered morally reprehensible if viewed through this lens.
Abortion being legalized would have extremely complicated repercussions for the morality and values of society as a whole. On the one hand, the decriminalization of abortion might be interpreted as a move toward the advancement of women’s reproductive rights and gender equality. On the other side, it could be interpreted as a departure from conventional cultural values such as the importance of family and childbirth, which place a premium on the sanctity of human life and the primacy of procreation. In the end, the decision to support or oppose abortion is very personal and subjective; therefore, it is essential to approach the topic with empathy, an open mind, and a desire to participate in polite discourse with others who have different points of view.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that the arguments in favor of and against legalizing abortion might change depending on the nation and its particular cultural, religious, and political environment. It is possible that the case for abortion being legalized would be stronger in nations that focus more on individuals’ rights and liberties. On the other hand, the case against decriminalizing abortion may be more compelling in nations that place a greater premium on the sanctity of human life and traditional morality than other nations. When formulating an opinion on the subject, it is essential to consider various aspects and points of view because, ultimately, the argument over the legalization of abortion encompasses several complicated and delicate concerns.
References
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