Persuasive Essay - Pro-Choice or Pro-Life

Pro-Choice or Pro-Life

For many years, the topic of abortion has been a sensitive subject for many people. Only a few decades ago, abortions were illegal. Some people consider abortion to be a form of murder because the minute a woman conceives there is life. On the other hand, others believe that women should be able to choose whether or not they would want to be responsible for another life. As a woman that has seen the challenges of raising a child, I consider myself to be pro-choice because I believe that a woman should be able to make a decision as to whether or not she is up for the challenge of raising a child.

This very topic has divided our society in to two opposing sides, both filled with emotion on the subject. Women understand that getting pregnant is a direct consequence of sometimes being irresponsible, but there are many instances that responsibility is not a factor. For example, in instances of rape or incest, a woman should be able to terminate an unwanted pregnancy that is a result of a situation over which she had no control. A woman should not have to bear the consequences of someone else's actions for the rest of her life if something can be done about it. While there are options to reverse the pregnancy, many women who are victims of these crimes do not know they are pregnant and the available procedures to reverse the pregnancy will no longer be effective. As far as women who get pregnant from having consensual sex, I do feel that they should still have a right to abort. While there are other options out there such as adoption, carrying a baby for nine and a half months, giving birth to it, then giving it away does not appeal to a lot of women. In those nine months, a great deal of emotional ties is formed with the baby, and sometimes it may seem as though adoption was worse than abortion. There are many issues that arise from having a child that isn't wanted such as; single parenthood, financial hardship, child abuse or neglect, the need for government assistance, and many others that do not have a ready solution.

For those who think that abortion is murder, please consider the following. There is a difference between personhood and human life. Human life is considered to be formed at conception, but if we think about it, eggs that are fertilized and used for in vitro procedures are also human lives and the eggs that are not implanted are routinely thrown away. Is this not murder? If this is not considered murder, then how can we consider abortion murder when it is basically the same thing? Abortion has been proven time and time again to be a safe medical procedure, and a vast majority of women who have had the procedure do not regret it.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are the people that are pro-life. Many believe that an unwanted pregnancy is a consequence of being irresponsible and that women should accept the consequence and learn