Abortion Case

Introduction

Imagine a young woman, who decided to be irresponsible and not use protection with her partner. One day she finds out that she is pregnant. Rather than going through the pregnancy and having the child, she decides to get an abortion. She goes to the doctor, the doctor performs the surgery, and she goes home. She just killed what would have been a perfectly innocent child. This hypothetical situation happens all the time. Woman become pregnant, then decide they do not want to have the child. Is getting an abortion wrong? Is it irresponsible? Do abortions really 'kill' babies? Should abortions even be legal? In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to examine what an abortion really is.

Précis

Lena Kakos in her term paper, "Abortion" argues that abortion should be outlawed. Kakos supports her argument by explaining historical background information and providing supportive information. The author's purpose is to persuade in order to help readers understand that abortion is wrong because it involves killing an innocent child that has a right to life. The author writes in formal tone for pregnant women.

Chapter 1

Abortion has become one of the most controversial issues of our time. "Abortion is the act of removing a human embryo or fetus from the uterus of a pregnant woman prior to the completion of the full term of pregnancy. As early as the thirteenth century, abortion after five or six weeks was considered homicide and was punishable by hanging. But during the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, many states became more liberal in their abortion laws allowing abortion for health reasons or rape and incest (Rich)." "Abortion became legal in the United States in 1973. Prior to that time, only a few states permitted abortion at all, and even then it was typically only allowed when a doctor decided that the procedure was essential for the mothers' health (Lee)."

"For some, the primary concern when performing an abortion is the safety and health of a woman (Rich)." There are two types of abortions, spontaneous abortion and induced abortion. A spontaneous abortion is also called a miscarriage and it is "the body's way of preventing the birth of a defective child. Spontaneous abortions also happen due to maternal health problems ("Abortion")." An induced abortion is performed surgically using a procedure called curettage ("Abortion")." Sometimes an induced abortion is dangerous. "A doctor might accidently tear or cut the uterus during a procedure, causing damage and infection. Injecting the uterus with drugs can also carry the risk of infection. Any uterine damage or infection can potentially rob a woman of the ability to bear children afterwards. If the woman already suffered from a serious medical condition, complications from a late-term abortion could prove life-threatening or fatal (Lassieur 53)." "The longer a woman waits before having an abortion, the more dangerous the procedure becomes (Anderson)." "With advances in technology and education, the abortion rate in the United States has dropped in recent years (Rich)."

"Abortion is just one option in what should be a range of choices and family planning information available to everyone (Anderson)." "Religious and pro-life groups work to make their views and beliefs about abortion known. Patients and clinic workers are sometimes prevented from entering medical facilities because of blockades and threats of violence (Lassieur 8)." Anti-abortionists will do anything they can to try to stop any unborn babies from being murdered. Mothers can also get an abortion by taking a pill. The drug is called mifepristine or RU486. By taking the prescription drug, women would no longer have to go to abortion clinics. They would be able to have an abortion privately in their own home and not have to worry about other people judging them.

"Although there have been a few attempts to find common ground, both sides of the debate find little to agree on. The antiabortion side is committed to respecting an individual's right to life, even if that individual is not yet born. On the other side, pro-choice advocates stress freedom of the individual (Lassieur 8)." Some say that since the mother is the one that is carrying the child, it should be her decision to keep the baby.

Chapter 2

Abortion is the most common way of getting out of unwanted pregnancies. "Much of the debate on the topic of abortion revolves around the question of whether or not an embryo or fetus is a person, or at what point an embryo or fetus becomes a person, or achieves viability (Rich)." Abortion has been a topic of controversy for many years now. Whether you believe abortion should be outlawed or legal, everyone has a right to there own opinion.

People who believe that abortion should be legal believe that it should be a personal decision and the government should not interfere. Since the woman is the one bearing the child and it is her life, she should decide her own future. Whether she wants to keep her baby or not, it is her decision and she will have to face the consequences after. By not keeping the baby, she will suffer emotionally. She will have to live the rest of her life knowing that she killed a baby that she created. Her reasons for wanting an abortion may have been legitimate though. The only reason that you should decide to not keep a baby is because of a health reason; whether it concerns your own health or the child's.

There are other reasons why a woman decides to get an abortion, like the timing not being right and not having a stable foundation for the child, but there are other ways to go about those situations. Giving your child up for adoption is a solution. Another solution is by changing the life you live now and making things work for both yourself and your child. Religion is also a big part of this topic. The Sixth Commandment of the Bible's Old Testament is "Thou shall not kill." Religious people believe that abortion is a sin because it involves killing a human being. Every child deserves to have a right to live.

Chapter 3

Millions of women choose abortions when they are faced with unplanned pregnancies. In a perfect world, no woman would ever need to end a pregnancy. But in reality, "one in three women will have at least one abortion by the time she is forty five (Welch)." Pro-choice