Abortion as a Social Dilemma - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: SOCIAL PROBLEMS of Paper: Social Problems and Number: Submitted: IntroductionAbortion is a social dilemma, which has continued to attract raged debate on issues concerning its legality. It has divided the society into two main groups i.e. those in support, categorizing themselves as pro-choice and those against it, usually referred to as pro-life. However, even as the debates continue to take place, women continue to die while others continue to become disabled due to lack of appropriate action by the government to control the vice. It is estimated that more than 70000 women die each year due to post abortion complications, deaths which can be controlled through effective monitoring (Heary, 2009). Abortion occurs under two major scenarios i.e. Therapeutic abortion, which is when it is necessitated by the need to save the mother from harm, usually prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner as well as elective abortion, which is when a pregnant woman decides on her own to request for the procedure (Baumgardner, 2008). This paper is a critical evaluation of abortion as a societal dilemma. Abortion Abortion is a process, which can be dated back to more than 1000 years ago, as it is believed that the first case was documented approximately 1550 BC (Baumgardner, 2008). During this time, the practice was viewed as a normal way of birth control and even the church had not at that time deemed it as totally ungodly as it is in the present. In fact, the only restriction the church and the authorities at that time had was only if quickening could be felt then abortion was considered as unacceptable. Quickening is a term that refers to the movements of the fetus in the uterus and which can be felt by the pregnant woman. In this context, a woman was not permitted to abort a child if quickening had already taken place. In the early US history, it was considered a normal practice to advertise abortion, before quickening, services. It may be important to note that during this time, industrial revolution had not taken place and therefore, the field of medicine had not developed enough to facilitate surgical operations. As a result, abortion was achieved through primitive means such as administration of strong herbs, performing strenuous activities such as weight lifting as well as other vigorous activities, applying pressure on the abdomen for example by lying on a hot coconut shell among others (Baumgardner, 2008). It was not until late 19th century that the legality of abortion in various states began to receive opposition from medical practitioners, civil societies, and the church among other influential groups in the society. According to Baumgardner (2008), some of these groups were motivated by the assumption that the indigenous populations would be dominated by immigrants, whose rate of child bearing was becoming higher than that of the locals. To avoid this, laws were put in place to control and reduce birth control through abortion, in order to maintain and increase their numbers. Similarly, legal health professionals wanted to drive native doctors out of business so as to protect their own business interests. Consequently, they championed for a legislation to outlaw abortion with the exception of therapeutic abortion, which requires the intervention of a qualified health practitioner. Apparently, traditional doctors and midwives were not considered to be qualified and therefore had to close down or work from the underground. It is after these developments that the issue of abortion became contentious, with women rights activists demanding the withdrawal of these legislations while others demanded the opposite (Heary, 2009). Unlike abortion in the ancient times where there was a societal consensus on its legality, the modern society is divided along numerous issues for example its morality. Ancient societies may be forgiven for they may be considered to have been living in a primitive society, which had no basic structures strong enough to facilitate quality education. Religion was establishing its roots and therefore lenient towards abortion. Churches in the modern world have been on the forefront to oppose the practice, basing their arguments on the belief that God is the only giver and taker of life as he is the creator. The church goes further to state that life begins at conception and not at birth as most people tend to believe (Beckwith, 2006). In this context, abortion is equivalent to murder and therefore should never have a place in the society as it is immoral and goes contrary to the God’s commandments. On the other hand, there are those who feel that the church has overstepped its mandate for trying to control the way people lead their lives. Pro-choice activists argue that abortion before the 24th week of a pregnancy entails the destruction of cells, and not a human, which cannot be categorized as murder (Rosenbaun, 2005). It is ironical that the same church has over a long time continued to disregard the use of contraceptives as a way of family planning for reasons that can be considered as being out of touch with the reality. This is due to the fact that despite the high levels of sexual indulgence by people across all ages, the church has failed to realize that the solution does not lie in abstinence, as this has already proven futile, but in other preventive mechanisms. As a result, more and more cases of abortion will continue to be recorded, which can be reduced if the church can go ahead and utilize its numerous avenues and machinery to counter the moral aspect of the problem. However, it is worrying to find that more and more groups are determined to ensure that abortion is legalized, without taking into account the numerous damages that can be accrued from doing so. So far, more than 50 countries world wide have bowed to pressure although some have restricted it to therapeutic abortion. Some of these include and not limited to; US, UK, Australia, Germany, Denmark among others, most of which are highly developed. In some countries such as China, the government has contributed significantly to the increase of the rate at which people seek abortion due to its one child policy (Koukl, 2007). This policy demands that couples do not give birth to more than one child else face legal consequences. However, some states and countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua, Vatican City, and El Salvador among others have stood their ground and disregarded the pressure to legalize abortion. However, it is interesting to find that even in these countries, the rate of illegal abortion correlates highly with that of places where it is legal. According to statistics, more than 46 million abortions are conducted annually throughout the world. Out of these, approximately 56% are in countries where it is legal to have an abortion while the rest 44% are in countries where it is illegal; translating to a difference of approximately 6 million abortions. Generally, it is possible for 40% of women to access these services regardless of the legal status in their countries meaning that the problem lies not with legislation but with the society morals (Koukl, 2007). In order to be able to provide a viable solution, it is only fair to examine the various underlying factors that drive pregnant women to have an abortion. One of the major aspects which can assist in developing an understanding is the examination of the prevalence rates among different groups of women. A survey conducted in the US in 1996 indicated that abortion cases were highest among women who had never married before and who commanded a significant share of approximately 65% while those married accounted for 19% of all the abortions recorded in that year. Divorced women contributed 10%. On the other hand, it is important to mention that teenagers contributed as high as 20% while those of the age between 20 and 24 constituted 32% though captured among the unmarried. Surprisingly though, women under the age of 15 years also had a share of the spoils as they accounted for at least 1% of the number of abortions (Gentles, 2000). This means that there is a problem in the society especially in the way children are brought up due to the fact that one cannot expect a child below 15 years to participate in sexual activities. Fornication is a vice which is responsible for the highest number of unplanned pregnancies, according to the above statistics. Having noted this, the government should come up with a strategy of ensuring that the use of contraceptives is popularized among the youth and the society at large. Free condoms should be made accessible to all especially by placing them at strategic points where one can pick one without feeling ashamed or being inconvenienced by the lack of cash to buy one. Such places could be for example within health centers, near night clubs or even supplying them to the institutions of learning for the sake of sexually active students. Some people especially the church may be tempted to view this as offering the society a blank check to participate in sex but on the contrary, it is a way of acknowledging the fact that unsafe sexual practices are on the rise among the youth (Heary, 2009). It is a positive development that the Catholic Church, which has for a long time disapproved the use of contraceptives, has, through the pope, indicated the intention to rethink its approach. The pope hinted that he is willing to accept these methods as a way of birth control (Reuters, 2010). The moral standing of the church has been that its congregation and the society at large should use the only available natural method i.e. abstinence, to solve issues concerning reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases. Some of the reasons that motivate women to request for abortion include and not limited to poverty, rape, incest, future plans among others. Over the time, rape cases have continued to subject innocent and unprepared women to motherhood. According to statistics, rape cases reported to the US authorities in 2005 amounted to approximately 192 000, a figure which could be higher if all the victims accepted to report to the police. In fact, statistics indicate that of all the rape cases which occur in the country, 16% is the only figure that reaches the police desk (Reardon, 2006). In addition, it has been established that women who are in their college age have the greatest risk of being subjected to rape, actually 4 times higher than other groups. These are women who are yet to shape their future and getting pregnant at this stage of their lives is something which may not be acceptable both to them and their families. Even though the rate of abortions conducted under these circumstances is as low as 1%, they are enough to show that rape and abortion have a positive correlation, which cannot and should not be ignored. The government should strengthen its actions towards sexual offenders so that people are discouraged from committing the crime especially after the realization that less than 10% of rapists get the desired punishment for their crime (Reardon, 2006). On the other hand, victims should be encouraged through counseling and therapy to protect the child conceived through rape based on the fact that it has nothing to do with the committing of the crime. Pro-life activists are of the view that that there are numerous couples willing to adopt children indiscriminately and therefore, rape should not be used as an excuse to have an abortion. Prostitution, which is also equally contentious, also contributes greatly to abortion. A prostitute, in this context, is a woman who indulges in sexual activities with multiple partners for money. If conception takes place in the process, the possibility of abortion not occurring is minimal due to the fact that maintaining the pregnancy would mean interference with the running of the business. Prostitution in itself is immoral though some countries and states such as Denmark, Nevada, and Netherlands among others have legalized it. This assertion is in conformity with religious teachings, which describe sex as holy and therefore should not be commercialized (Beckwith, 2006). A pregnant prostitute has various disadvantages such as the loss of customers due to her condition which may repel potential clients. She may also be forced to remain at home for a long period of time even after delivering the baby so as to be able to nurse properly. Consequently, she would have to look for alternative sources of money or opt to spend what she may have saved and this may not be appealing to such people. In addition, it would be difficult to know who the father of the child is as a prostitute may serve more than two clients in a day depending on her energies. It may be difficult to blame these women for what they do but the government should be keen on ensuring that these people are taken out of the streets probably by arresting and punishing them or else facilitate them with alternative sources of income. By so doing, these persons would live a decent life, free of caress sexual behavior thereby reducing the rate of abortions. Indeed, those opposed to abortion claim that if it is possible to assist such women economically and emotionally then, there would be no need for them to seek abortion (Rosenbaun, 2005). As the debate of whether to legalize abortion or not continues, one cannot fail to observe the fact that the act is capable of creating more harm than good to the patients seeking it. Those in its support concentrate their arguments more on the material welfare of the patients but fail to reason and see the numerous possible health implications as argued by their opponents. It is true that our medical facilities have evolved with time such that a woman can have a surgical operation to remove the fetus without feeling much pain after the invention of anesthesia. However, this does not protect her from having mental problems after the procedure. According to research, 30% of women are affected by heavy guilt and regret after having an abortion, and this puts them at a risk of suffering from depression (Gentles, 2000). This may become worse if there had been a disagreement between a couple on the issue but the woman went ahead to have the procedure done. Post abortion syndromes such as depression among others can lead to loss of self esteem or in worse cases overindulgence in drug and substance abuse. Such a person may end up becoming a failure in the society if she fails to acquire professional help. It may be true to say that majority of the women yearn to have families of their own at one time or the other. However, an accident may occur and in the process a child is conceived at a time when she is not ready to start a family of her own maybe because she is still under the care of her parents and she does not want to humiliate them or due to other personal reasons. If she decides to have an abortion, she is exposed to the possibility of becoming sterile as the uterine may be scarred in the process, requiring her to undergo a hysterectomy (Gentles, 2000). She may also suffer from cases of blocking of the fallopian tubes as well as an increase in the chances of having tubal babies. Tubal babies occur as a result of, among other causes, prior damage to the fallopian tubes. This inhibits the movement of the ovary to the uterus making it possible for the fetus to be developed in the fallopian tubes, which is not capable of supporting full gestation. Consequently, the tubes rapture as the fetus continues to grow thereby resulting to miscarriage (Gentles, 2000). Such a woman may be forced to regret ever having an abortion or even to lead a miserable life, though it has become possible in the modern world to adopt children. It is therefore necessary that people are made aware of the consequences so as to enable them make viable decisions regarding abortion. Conclusion Abortion is a societal dilemma, which is immoral and therefore should be eradicated at all costs. The first case of abortion is said to have occurred 1550BC, a time when it was viewed as a normal method of birth control. However, the modern society has utilized abortion as an exit from facing the consequences of illicit sex, which has put various groups at loggerheads, each trying to either justify or condemn it. Prostitution, rape, and fornication are the major causes of unplanned pregnancies, which end up being aborted, accounting approximately 65%. Pro-choice activists justify abortion as a woman’s right to decide when to start a family which is highly disputed by the pro-life groups, who view abortion as a threat to a woman’s physical, psychological and reproductive health. Despite these arguments, the government has a key role to play which is to ensure economic empowerment of women, administration of justice to offenders as well as facilitation birth control equipment such as condoms and other contraceptives. References Baumgardner, J. (2008). Abortion & Life, Akashic Book Beckwith, F. (2006). Law, Religion, and the Metaphysics of Abortion. Journal of Church & State, 43(1), 105-115 Gentles, I. (2000). Women’s Health after Abortion: The Medical and Psychological Evidence. British Medical Journal, 324(10) 100-110 Heary J. (2009). Abortion Issues, the Spinney Press Koukl, G. (2007). Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice, Cambridge University Press Reardon, M. (2006). Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault, Acorn Publishing Reuters (2010). AIDS Activists Welcome Pope's Words on Condoms, Retrieved 25 February 2011 from< http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/21/us-pope-book-idUSTRE6AK01Q20101121> Rosenbaun, S. (2005). The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-Life Vs. Pro-Choice, Prometheus Books Read More