Abortion Should Remain Legal - Case Study Example

of the of the of the Abortion Should Remain Legal Abortion should remain legal. The outcome of the decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, permitted women in the US to invoke their right of abortion for any reason what so ever, be it medical or social. In most cases, abortion is undertaken for social reasons, because many women found themselves to be unfit to have a baby at that point of time This is also, the opinion of the US Supreme Court, which had ruled in Roe v. Wade, to this effect. In this case Jane Roe had beseeched the Court to declare the Texas laws, which deemed abortion to be criminal acts, as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court accepted her arguments and held that the State’s rules violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects individuals’ right to privacy from state action. It further ruled that privacy rights included the right to have an abortion. Not surprisingly, abortion has become one of the most preferred medical processes for women. Abortion should not be legalized because a women’s ability to reproduce is often associated with serious psychological problems. Furthermore, women who carry the pregnancy to the term are at the risk of developing postnatal depression. Similarly, women who undergo abortion are likely to suffer from post-abortion syndrome (Martin A11). In some cases, their partner pressurized them to undergo an abortion, in some instances by even resorting to physical abuse, and this could be stated as a reason for making abortion illegal. As such, the principal objective of the various relevant statutes is to initiate positive measures in the interest of women; which include the provision of knowledge about the existing laws, supply of adequate information to women about the risks involved in abortions, examination of the biological development of the child that is to be aborted, and the various other choices that are available for such women (Martin A11). This shows that some portions of the law encourage the exercise of caution prior to undergoing an abortion. The objective of such legislation is to prevent indiscriminate abortion. The US Constitution protects the relationship between the mother and the fetus, and abortion would terminate the constitutional rights of the woman with regard to this relationship. All said and done, there is nothing unethical about legalized abortion, and the reasons for this contention are set out below. There are several laws that protect unborn children, and provide help to their mothers. Some laws prohibit partial-birth abortions, while others require parental attention and involvement for surgical abortions involving minors. There are other laws, which enjoin upon doctors to provide adequate prior information to the woman who seeks abortion. This would enable women to make an informed decision, whether to proceed with the abortion or not (Martin A11). There are some objections, on moral grounds, against abortion, because the fetus possesses vital qualities like the capacity to think, act, communicate and feel pain. Life in humans commences prior to conception, because each sperm and egg cell is a living thing. Hence, the fetus has all the rights that a living human being has. As such abortion is tantamount to a preplanned murder. On occasion, fetuses are used in research. Nevertheless, fetuses are not utilized in stem cell research. There are several infertility clinics and laboratories that regularly conduct research, in order to help childless couples to conceive. As such, infertility clinics and laboratories develop a large number of embryos for treating infertile couples. Only a few of these embryos remain unused, and scientists procure some of these embryos for research on stem cells. These infertility clinics constitute the largest source of human embryos for scientists (Rosin A14). Hence, stem cell research is not immoral per se. Moreover, it does not serve to indiscriminately enhance the incidence of abortions. Therefore, it is incorrect to attribute an increase in the number of abortions to stem cell research, which is of great significance in curing terminal illnesses. The decision in Roe v. Wade served to legalize abortion in the US. Prior to this decision, more than eighteen states had lifted all restrictions on abortion. Some states had even liberalized the practice of abortion. At present, there is a gradual change in public opinion with regard to legalizing abortion in rape or on grounds of the mother’s ill health (Schaefer A19). As such, every state in the Union has come to recognize the importance of permitting abortions. Since, it is women who are exposed to the trials and tribulations of unwanted pregnancy, justice demands that they should be given the choice to continue or terminate their pregnancy. It is not true to state that abortion leads to psychological trauma. It has been established, that although, some women suffer from severe psychological problems after abortion; many experts deny the presence of such a post – abortion psychological syndrome. Having an abortion is not always a stressful event for most women. Furthermore, it is the woman who has to bear the child. It is her body that is subjected to the side effects of pregnancy. Therefore, natural justice demands that the woman should be the sole decider as to whether to continue with a pregnancy or to abort it. It is extremely distressing to note that people who are in no way connected with the pregnancy, attempt to wax eloquent on the morality or otherwise of terminating a pregnancy. It is not just a question of continuing with the pregnancy to term and then delivering the infant. The new born has to be reared and provided with a decent life. It is best left to the woman to decide whether she is capable of undertaking such responsibility. Hence, any decision regarding abortion should be taken only by the woman. It is inhuman to impregnate the woman and then force her to conceive, when she is least interested in doing so. It can be surmised that abortion constitutes a moral right for a woman. Whether to undergo an abortion or not should be at the sole discretion of the woman. It is ridiculous for some other person to dictate terms to a woman as to the manner her bodily functions are to be employed. Hence, abortion should continue to remain legal. Works Cited Schaefer, David Lewis. "Putting some honesty in; Roe v. Wade debate." Boston Globe. Boston, Mass. (Oct 8, 2008): p. A.19. Rosin, Hanna. "Outside Laboratory, Moral Objections; Abortion Foes Oppose Embryo Research." The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. (Nov 6, 1998): p. A.14. Martin, Darla St. "Protect the unborn." USA TODAY. McLean, Va. (Jan 22, 2008): p. A.11. Read More