According to statistics one in four women in the United States will have an abortion by the age of forty-five. Between 2008 and 2014 the abortion rate had declined by twenty five percent. Statistics also show that abortion is higher among poor women. Abortion varies widely by race and ethnicity. A poll done in 2018 by the Knights of Columbus found that fifty one percent of Americans are prochoice, and forty four percent are prolife. In 2017 Pew Research did a survey finding that fifty seven percent of Americans thing that abortion should be legal, and forty percent say that is should be illegal.
Prochoice believes that choosing to abort is a woman’s right. It should not be determined by the government or religion. Women will end up resorting to unsafe illegal abortions if they do not have a legal option. Prolife advocates position is that life starts at fertilization and believe that it is murder if you have an abortion because you are killing an innocent human being. They believe that it inflicts suffering to the unborn child. Some believe that the fetal body parts are sold.
Some of the prochoice believe that abortion should be used as a last resort and others believe it should be used whenever needed. There are faith groups that fund and support prochoice organizations and they believe that woman should get quality health care that includes abortion regardless of money, if they are insured or where they live. With prolife it should not be used at all, some for religious beliefs and for giving a chance to couple who cannot have children given a chance to adopt. Some prolife believe that abortion may possibly be used it a woman it raped, incest or a life and death situation. Some prolife organizations oppose in using public funding to promote and fund the organizations, so they can perform these abortions. A lot believe that it should be criminalized.
There are many reasons that contribute to the decision of a woman getting an abortion. The woman who is now pregnant may have had a different belief about abortion before she became pregnant. They may have felt that they would choose abortion without difficulty. Even with abortion being their best option some feel that it would not be right for them. Prior to being pregnant some women feel that abortion is unethical, but when they become pregnant and it was not expected they look at the situation that they are in and consider maybe it would be better not bringing the child into the world. Women choose what is the best option for them. They look into their values when determining what is best for them. The decision that is made should not be for what others want and that becomes complicated when others are involved. Regardless of the decision that is made the woman making the decision it the one that is going to effected by it and other influences should not be a factor in it. Religion can be a big factor in what decision she will make.
I have always been prochoice. I firmly believe that women have the right to choose what they can do with their own body and to not be judged about it. I feel that the woman knows what is best for her and her situation. Regardless of the decision she makes she is baring the impact of her decision. The woman’s beliefs and her decision need to be respected. Women should not feel any conflict when determining what is best for her. She should not feel that whatever option she chooses will challenge her moral or ethical values. Criminalizing abortion will only make women desperate and resort them to seek other means of terminating their pregnancy. We may end up seeing underground clinics performing the old “coat hanger” procedure. Abortion pills may end up being sold illegally. Using teleological reasoning we can focus on the consequences instead of the action. If you take the woman’s right away from having an abortion, you are taking away her right of what she can do with her own body. Instead of focusing on the action of abortion focus on the consequence of taking her choice away. We need to focus on the woman’s right to choose. The child is made, carried and birthed by a woman then she should have the decision to choose what is best for her. Whether her decision is made based on religion or her own personal beliefs she should be the one to decide if she should keep her child or not. Focus on the woman’s health and wellness before we think about her decision of having an abortion.
