Arguable Issue
Medical topics, specifically concerning issues that involve life and death decisions, are often viewed controversially in the society. In that regard, it can be stated that there issues that have polar opinions on, regardless of their legal status, although such aspect might differed as well. Among such arguable topics, the issue of abortion might be seen as one of the most controversial, considering the outcomes at stake. Nevertheless, omitting worst-case scenarios, abortion is viewed as acceptable in certain cases, while in others, it is seen as totally unacceptable. The latter conflict calls too many political debates, protests, and even to cases of murder, for example, George Tiller, George Tiller, a famous abortion doctor who was murdered by an anti-abortion activist (Tumulty, 2009).
Claim
This paper argues that abortion should be accepted as a legal practice in medicine, as long as certain rules are followed that should prevent misuse.
Premises
Banning abortion can be considered as a violation of women’s constitutional right to choose. The burden of carrying the baby and raising a baby in case of separation lies on the woman. When such outcome of carrying is forced on a woman, it is her right to make such an intimate decision, which only involves her body. T he woman is the only party involved carrying the baby and she is the only party involved in terminating pregnancy.
The right to terminate abortion is as personal as the right to conceive a child, as well as any other reproductive right. As stated by The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, “The respect of physical integrity and freedom to control their own bodies is one of the fundamental rights of all human beings, including women” (Shaw, 2010, p. 9). There are simply too many cases of when forced carriage of the baby lead to negative consequences, on the mother as well as on the baby whose right is claimed to be protected.
Such cases include rape, poverty, teenage pregnancy and others. In each of those cases the enforced decision of becoming a mother can negatively affect the mother, in terms of academic performance, career, psychological condition, and financial situation, as well as the child, in terms, of adequate care, poor environment, and other outcomes. In that regard, all of these situations assume the child was unwanted in the first place.
The rationality for abortion to be a legal practice can be based on the outcomes of an opposite situation, for example, abortion deemed illegal. Such situation will lead to many cases of black market underground abortions, in which health care requirement will not be followed.
Such case can be apparent in countries in which abortions is totally restricted. In Nigeria, for example, a study examining women who were treated for pregnancy, revealed that 36% had attempted to end the pregnancy before coming to the hospital (including 24%with and 12%without serious complications), 33%obtained an induced abortion at the facility (notwithstanding the country’s restrictive law) without having made a prior abortion attempt and 32%were treated for complications from a miscarriage” (Henshaw, Adewole, Singh, Bankole, Oye-Adeniran, & Hussain, 2008, p. 40).
Claim: The prohibition of abortion can be considered as a violation of women’s rights, might lead to negative consequences for the mother and the child, and ultimately to the prosperity of underground illegal medical practice. Therefore, abortion should be accepted as a legal practice in medicine.
References
Henshaw, S. K., Adewole, I., Singh, S., Bankole, A., Oye-Adeniran, B., & Hussain, R. (2008). Severity and Cost of Unsafe Abortion Complications Treated in Nigerian Hospitals. International Family Planning Perspectives, 34(1), 40-50. Web.
Moore, B. N., & Parker, R. (2006). Critical thinking (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Shaw, D. (2010). Abortion and human rights. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, In Press, Corrected Proof.
Tumulty, K. (2009). George Tiller Murdered. TIME. Web.