History and Origin of Abortion - Essay Example

The Legality of Abortion Introduction Abortion is one of the most controversial and important subjects of this generation. Proponents argue that women should be offered a chance to choose on motherhood and that it reduces stress in respect to unwanted pregnancies among others according to Baumgardner (2008). Opponents on the other hand say that fetus removal is killing of human life, there is posttraumatic stress, and adoption window is always open among others. 1 in 4 of our generation is not living because they were killed before they were born. Around 42 million abortions are done yearly worldwide while around 115000 occur daily. Of these US takes 1.3 million and 3700 abortions per year and per day respectively (Naden, 2007). Developing countries take a huge share of not less than 80% and the developed ones take the rest. It is therefore quite a popular practice whereby there are even voting blocks that vote purely according to the abortion issue. Parties have distinct opinions on abortion so as to woo votes from one side. The statistics show that 1 in every 6 women has had an abortion (Naden, 2007). Looking into these statistics it is clear to deduce that many people are affected by it directly and indirectly. History and Origin of abortion Abortions have been done the world over for centuries. It is important to note that before 1800 in Europe and United States women practiced abortion without much legal interference. Abortion in the US was actually prohibited in the 19th century (Naden, 2007). Juries in this century were reluctant to convict offenders and by 1880 abortion was generally illegal except in cases where the life of the mother was at risk. Mid 19th century had seen huge resentment of the practice by medical doctors as they aimed at eliminating midwifery which posed an economic threat. 1800s had also seen a decline in birth rate in the US forcing the government to openly encourage reproduction to avoid race suicide. Naden (2007), states that 1973 is the year that the right to abort was granted to a pregnant woman and her doctor (although with restrictions) by the US Supreme Court. This right was more liberal in regards to the 1st trimester but more restrictive in the 2nd and 3rd. Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger Planned Parenthood was a concept developed by Margaret Sanger in New York in 1916 (Rubin, 2000). It was established to offer birth control advice to women in the US. She made sure that the organization is expansive enough to at least offer services to as many women as possible. Currently it boasts of having more than 850 clinics in the States and having a budget of around US $1 billion. Due to its prochoice campaigns it has received huge condemnation from those campaigning against abortion. It is actually the leading organization in offering surgical abortions in the US. Public perception Abortion as earlier stated is a subject that has received huge controversy. As a result public opinion has been varying depending on many factors among them religion, education level, political affiliation and age among others. Notable is the fact that religion seems to override all the rest. Most Americans want abortion illegal for exceptions such as rape and incest. However, most abortions are not for rape and incest meaning that this opinion is neither here nor there. In general terms Americans argue that abortion can be done under special circumstances. When the question on legalization of abortion is asked, about 90% agree that an abortion should be carried out when a mother is in danger (Public Agenda Online, 2006). It is interesting to find that only 17% of the respondents support legality of abortion in the 3rd trimester. For those who take keen interest in religion their opinion is that abortion should be totally illegal while others approve it under certain circumstances. For those less affiliated strongly with any religion their opinion is that abortion should be fully legal or under certain circumstances. This is a clear indicator that religion carries huge weight in as far as decisions regarding abortion are concerned. Legislation has been passed in the US to control abortion. One is the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. This law was constitutionally enforced in 2007 in Gonzales v. Carhart case according to Baumgardner (2008). The Act states that this medical procedure is not only unnecessary but also inhumane. Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 is the other that protects an infant who comes out alive after an unsuccessful abortion endeavor. The other is The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004. Under this Tracy Marciniak and her son Zachariah’s case has prominence. Zachariah was killed just four days to his date of birth after his mother sustained violent injuries. Abortion industry is quite lucrative for those practicing it not only in the US but the world over. The centre of interest for prochoice activists is arguably the profits gained as a result of the numerous abortions undertaken. Planned Parenthood for example scooped over a billion dollars in total revenue in 2007 of which around US$100 million was the profit according to Baumgardner (2008). Abortion pills Abortion pills have started hitting the markets with a bang considering the increasing popularity of the practice. RU-486 is one of them which is receiving prominence for its effectiveness to cause abortions. Going also by the generic name Mifeprex, its effectiveness is as high as 60% when taken alone but Cytotec is administered 48 hours afterwards to guarantee abortion (Fiala and Gemzel-Danielsson, 2006). At times it is used as a contraceptive but mostly functions effectively within the first 2 months of pregnancy. Cramping, nausea and headache comprise of its most possible side effects while rigors and vaginitis are the least prevalent. People are changing very little in opinions Over the last 25 years opinions have been very static. The issue of many Americans opting to support abortion only under specific circumstances has actually been in the offing since 1975 as stated by Rubin (2000). As earlier stated religion plays a key role in determining people’s side in the debate. Since religion is a conservative aspect then the ideas that religious people hold remain static for long. The same applies to those not affiliated to any religion as they are static also in respect to their prochoice opinion. In more specific terms those that have been against abortion totally have been swinging around 15% while those who are prochoice form 25% (Public Agenda Online, 2006). The middle ground whose occupants support abortion under specific circumstances form 60%. The variations in these statistics have been minimal over the last 25 years. Opinions are no longer extreme but are merely personal such as, "I would never do it but who am I to tell someone else not too?”. This has in the process made the debate more interesting and extensive as individuals hold varying view points on the same issue. As a result the debate on abortion has been and will intensify as time passes. Conclusion Abortion is a controversial subject drawing this conclusion from the debates and divisions that have been there. The society seems to be divided into prochoice and prolife factions. It is also clear that due to the high statistics and the increasing popularity, abortion has affected nearly everyone. People personally know someone who has participated in an abortion or considered it. It is a subject that is here to stay being controversial as the world becomes more liberal therefore more and more people taking liberal stances on abortion. Religion, being of huge influence, on the other hand is quite restrictive on the subject making religious affiliated people remain conservative. References Baumgardner, J. (2008). Abortion & life. Akashic Books. Fiala, C. and Gemzel-Danielsson, K. (2006). "Review of medical abortion using mifepristone in combination with a prostaglandin analogue". Contraception, 74 (1). 66–86. Naden, C. J. (2007). Abortion. Marshall Cavendish. Public Agenda Online. (2006). Men and women hold similar views on the legality of abortion. Retrieved November 05, 2010 http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/pcc_detail.cfm?issue_type=abortion&list=9 Rubin, A. J. (June 18, 2000). "Americans Narrowing Support for Abortion." Los Angeles Times. Read More