The Past, Present, and Future of Abortion - Report Example

The Past, Present, and Future of Abortion Most women view motherhood as a gift. The child in the womb of a mother is deemed a blessing and to some couples a miracle that must be loved and treasured. However, this is not the case, when a pregnancy, leads to abortion. Abortion is one controversial practice that is being condemned by some individuals, who see it as a sin, yet is being accepted by other individuals, who see it is as a means to avoiding complications, whatever complications that may be. The world is divided, when it comes to the issue, of abortion. However, amidst this debate is the reality that the aftermath of having an abortion is damaging to the physical and emotional well being of a woman, whether it is intentional or not. Society cannot instantly blame women for having an abortion, but, unfortunately, women are in the middle of the issue because they are the subject of the issue. Perhaps, there are many reasons provoking a pregnant woman to having an abortion, and society do not have the right to judge them for their choices. Abortion: definition and legality Abortion refers to the act of terminating pregnancy in order to prevent “the birth of a child” (“What is,” 2010). It can be performed through medical abortion (taking pills to terminate the pregnancy) or through surgical abortion (involving surgical procedures) (“What is,” 2010). Abortion is different from infanticide because infanticide happens, when the human being is killed, after giving birth (Kaczor, 2011, p. 7). It also differs from contraception, where the sperm or egg cell is killed not to form a pregnancy (Kaczor, 2011). Nevertheless, abortion takes place because there is an intention to ending pregnancy and to preventing the birth of a child. On the other hand, abortion is not anymore a new concept or practice that many individuals do not know. In fact, during the mid 1840s abortionists in the United States were already advertising their abortion services, which prompted anti-abortion activists to questioning the morality of the act (“History-global,” 2011). Although abortion was illegal during the 1900s, it was turned legal again in 1973 (“History-global,” 2011). There were several instances, in the country, when the court acknowledged the right of a woman to having an abortion e.g. in Roe v Wade, and Planned v Casey (“Facts on,” 2011). Hence, since the 1970s, women were protected by the constitution in deciding an abortion. Since the olden days, the practice of abortion is being condemned mostly by church leaders. It is considered a mortal sin, which is likened to the act of killing an already living innocent individual. However, whether abortion is acceptable or not, the only thing certain is the impact of abortion to a woman, which may last for a lifetime. Changes may happen to the life of a soon to be a parent or mother who has gotten an abortion, but the scar of intentionally killing an innocent fetus will remain unless the abortion had to be done to save the live of the mother. Nonetheless, any woman may have an abortion, until twenty four weeks of pregnancy with the agreement of two physicians to the terms stipulated in the 1967 Abortion Act. Abortion: from the past to the present Nowadays, unintended pregnancies occur because of social pressure. As a consequence, unprepared women resort to abortion. According to the National Right to Life Committee, the total number of abortions in the U.S., since 1973, is 54, 559, 615 (2012). From 2008 to 2011, there were 1, 212, 400 reported cases of abortion (National Right to Life Committee, 2012). These statistics show that, in almost every year, since the 1970s, the likely annual average number of abortions amounts to more or less than a million. Some women of today’s generation see abortion as a solution to the dilemma of having responsibilities, in particular, parenthood and family life (“Facts on,” 2011). It may be that these women, mostly teens fear the responsibility and they end up considering abortion as a solution rather than pursuing pregnancy and making it an inspiration to changing their life for the better. Most unintended pregnancy leads to abortion because it is seen as a hindrance to living a carefree life. On a positive note, a recent report has indicated a decline on the rate of abortion in the U.S. (“U.S. Abortion,” 2012). This is a sign that people are becoming more aware of the consequences of their actions and that an unintended pregnancy at times of an economic crisis is not and will never be economical. Most importantly, women are keeping themselves secured by using methods, such as contraception, to prevent getting pregnant. At least, it is a step closer to lessening abortion, and to letting women realize their capability to avoiding unintended pregnancies, especially having an abortion. Abortion: in the future People have varied opinion regarding the issue of abortion. They have different beliefs of what its impact will be on women, and to the society, in general. Still, in the midst of this endless argument is society’s neglect of what advantage or disadvantage abortion may bring, in the future. Apparently, since the 1970s, until now, abortion is still seen as an effective means to getting rid of pregnancies. Teenagers even resort to having an abortion because they see it as a way to get rid of the huge responsibility of parenthood. The rate of abortion may be falling now, but it may still rise in the future because the law permits the act. What has to be done now is to teach the young generation of the things they can do to prevent unintended pregnancy. If teens do not want to become parents at an early age and if mothers do not want to suffer from having many children, then the most effective way is to prevent unintended pregnancy. The Catholic church and other Christian religions ask those who are unmarried not to engage in premarital sex. On the one hand, the government encourages people to use pills or contraceptives to avoid pregnancy. Although these commandments come from the two different pillars of society, they are united by their intention to reducing abortion. To a certain extent, there is hope that abortion will not anymore be an instrument to getting out of a responsibility that, in the first place, was a result of people being irresponsible of their own actions. Conclusion Knowledge is always the key to implementing change. In the case of abortion, knowledge of how it can affect the life of a woman, as well the society, is essential to bring about positive changes. An innovator of change is someone, who is able to inspire others to making the right things, for the right reason. Thus, in order to inspire women to avoiding unintended pregnancy, they must be led to realize that life is a matter of choice, and they are given the free will to engage or not in such things that they think will put their lives in misery. To become an innovator of change, one must not make poor judgment. Women must not be judged if, at some point in their lives, they have chosen to abort the innocent human being in their womb. Again, there may be some reasons why women have done those things. What is essential is to encourage women to being responsible with their actions so that regret will not come in the end, and abortion will not become a solution to ending a seemingly preventable problem. References Facts on induced abortion in the United States. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html Kaczor, Christopher. (2011). The ethics of abortion: Womens rights, human life, and the question of justice. New York, NY: Routledge. History-global. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.life.org.nz/abortion/aboutabortion/historyglobal/ National Right to Life Committee. (2012). U.S. abortion statistics by year (1973-Current). Retrieved from http://www.christianliferesources.com/article/ u-s-abortion-statistics-by-year-1973-current-1042 U.S. abortion history. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_history/ What is an abortion? (2010). Retrieved from http://www.bpas.org/bpasyoungpeople/what-is-abortion Read More