Abortion is a hotly debated issue that many people have strong opinions about. There is an ongoing debate about the morality of abortion in our society. Sadly, every twenty-two seconds, a baby dies from an abortion. The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 legalized that a woman could choose abortion without limitations. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy resulting in the death of the embryo or fetus. Above all, abortion is morally wrong. Abortion should not be legal because it is the killing of an unborn baby, can cause psychological trauma and major medical problems for the mother, and is essentially immoral and unethical.
First, abortion is morally wrong. It is the killing of an unborn baby, which is essentially murder. Within the first four weeks of the pregnancy, the heart and circulatory system forms as well as the foundation of the nervous system. After only a month of pregnancy, a baby has the basis for feeling, thought, and senses. Though this is still the very beginning of pregnancy, this life support system is what will help the baby grow and develop. Aborting immediately stops this process, therefore kills a young and helpless life. Aborted children have done nothing wrong, so there is no reasonable explanation to hurt these children with death. In the United States in 2003, about 16 women for every 1,000 women aged 15-44 years had an abortion, and for every 1,000 live births, about 241 abortions were performed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who discovered the chromosome abnormality that causes Down syndrome, stated, ‘To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion, it is a fact.” Upon fertilization, a human individual is created with a unique genetic identity that remains unchanged throughout his or her life. This individual has a right to life, which must be protected.
Second, having an abortion can cause both physical and emotional problems for the mother following an abortion. Many emotional problems include: suicidal thoughts and feelings, depression, anxiety, insomnia, sense of isolation, shame, guilt, and regret. Some of the physical problems include: infertility, cancer, Anesthesia-related complications, future miscarriages, and in the worst-case scenario, death. In BMC Medicine, a 2005 study found that women who underwent an abortion had significantly higher anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale up to five years following the abortion. The suicide rates gradually increased and over 30.3% experienced depression in a 2007 study in New Hampshire. In addition, a 14-year study published in 2011 in the British Journal of Psychiatry found women who had abortions were at increased risk for mental health problems such as substance misuse and suicidal behavior.
Third, abortions are immoral and unethical. In conclusion, there are many differences of opinions concerning abortion. When all said and done, it is more than a choice to be made, but a child’s life to be saved. They have just as much of a right to live as any other human being. There are many other options to consider rather than performing abortion. For instance, adoption is a great option. A couple that may be unable to conceive a child of their own would then have the opportunity to have a baby that they once could not conceive. Many families are on waiting lists, hoping every day to receive a call, that there is a child waiting for them. A poll conducted by the Dayton Right to Life Society states that the 2,000,000 couples ready and waiting to adopt in the United States severely overwhelm the 50,000 babies placed for adoption each year. If all abortions decreased, the number of families wanting to adopt would also greatly decrease and these numbers would even out. Abortion must no longer be an accepted alternative. Women must accept responsibility, honor their child’s life, and proceed with the pregnancy. If being a mother is no option, then adoption is the next option.
