Late Term Abortion

Research Paper

Late Term Abortion

When it comes to abortion, views and opinions often vary. Many view it as a personal problem or decision. Despite the moral values that most are raised to believe. People often choose to follow what rules they want rather than to follow them all. The bible clearly states "Thou shall not kill" but in which way do we reference this, as a belief or choice? So as we come across this issue we have to ask and determine: does a fetus, (a living human being), have rights and when is too late, too late?

In the third edition of (The Ethics of Abortion) there is a revised version of an article from Common Wealth, The fetus and fundamental rights, borders on the question of abortion but also the consistency. One of the issues at hand is personal (moral) beliefs in a powerful position but not using that power to prove what is believed by righting the wrong because of pro-choice issues. It is a matter of believing in something as fundamentally valuable as life, but not fighting for it. Even though if someone has chosen to have an abortion, not for medical purposes, it is the killing of an unconsenting person and in this case if it were an adult it would not be justifiable and is considered a wrongful act. So how can this be morally justified?

On page 297 (Baird) states that most people say life begins at conception but before conception the sperm and eggs are already alive. In either case the fetus is a living being. Knowing this, should the living human fetus be recognized to have the same rights as we do? One right, to not be killed without very good reason. Many who oppose elective abortion believe that it is the of a unique, distinct person and that's why a policy allowing it is wrong.

Robert M. Baird, the author of Pro-Life Pro-Choice writes in his book that one can grant that life of a unique human being begins at conception, but can't know for sure that a distinct person emerges at conception and since the two claims are not equal it questions fetal personhood. If you ignore the question of twins then it becomes uncontroversially true that the life of a unique human being begins at conception. The biological claim is that "a human life begins at conception" but to say that "a person emerges at conception" is a moral claim. To accept the truth of a biological claim we have to accept the moral claim. It also says that since fetuses do not have the kinds of characteristics which compel us to recognize beings as persons we must decide whether the fetus should be recognized as a full-fledged person as a matter of public policy, giving human fetuses the same range of fundamental rights we have. From the time the fetus is in the womb to right after delivery, priorities change. Why immediately after birth is this life now worth preserving? Where is the big change that says this being is now a human life?

A woman has a right to terminate a pregnancy but does she have the right to the death of a fetus if the fetus can survive? If the child can sustain a viable life after being aborted is it acceptable to not use the same measures to preserve this life? Determining what rights a fetus has brings you to the awful truth of late term abortion of partial birth.

The procedure IDE, intact dilation and extraction, is done in the later stages of pregnancy. In (Facts on File) it's stated that this procedure is when a dead fetus is partially removed from the woman's vagina feet first. A sharp instrument is inserted into the base of the skull and the surgeon uses a suction tube to remove the brain matter. The fetus' skull collapses so the head can be removed completely. It is similar to giving birth and therefore has been termed by abortion opponents as "partial birth abortion".

The issue with this procedure is that it cannot be illegal because some people need to have this done for medical purposes. Special circumstances, or situations whether the mother is at risk. Supporters believe this procedure must be an option.

There are some abortion supporters who believe that it is the right of the mother and there are those against it believing it is considered murder. Facts on Files states that 75% of Americans polled have said they support the ban on the procedure.

On page 2 of this same article it says that 90% of abortions are done in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy and are mostly performed by vacuuming the fetus with a suction catheter. During the second trimester abortions are rare but performed mostly by IDE. The fetus can also be dismembered in the womb and the pieces removed.

There are often questions why a woman would wait so late and usually when it comes down to it there are a number of reasons. Most women are not ready for children and are confused. Some cannot financially support a child and there are those who have been raped. So there are those