Pros and Cons of Abortion

The pros and cons of abortion are usually deliberated and weighed when a woman is having an unplanned pregnancy.A woman who is thinking about having an abortion should firstreflect on the things that come with, and consequences that result from the act.  She should take into account her religious and personal beliefs, the health risks and the emotional distress it may give, and the time at which she wants to terminate the pregnancy.

People have different views about abortion and this has paved the way for the existence ofthe pros and cons of abortion. There are people who support abortion while others go against it. Abortion may be legal in some places, but unlawful in others.Women should carefully contemplateabout the pros and cons of abortion to determine if it is really the solution to an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy.

What is abortion?

Examining the pros and cons of abortion starts by learning what abortion is. Abortion refers to the act of terminating a pregnancy. It involves taking the fetus out of the uterus. But the term abortion is sometimes used when referring to miscarriage known as spontaneous abortion. This type of abortion occurs naturally without subjecting the woman to surgical procedures or medical interventions. However, the term “abortion” collectively points to the induced type which happens with the aid of drugs or surgical procedure to eliminate the baby.

When is abortion done?

Studying the pros and cons of abortion gives rise to the question, when is itconducted? Studies showed that about 90% of abortions are done during the first three months of the pregnancy; that is equivalent to up to 12 weeks of pregnancy from the last menstrual period of the woman. Some do it as early as the first month; but many doctors draw the line anywhere between the 12^th and 16^th week or up to the 20^th week of pregnancy. However, abortion can still be done even up to the 24^th week of gravidity. Medical complications will less likely occur when the abortion is done during the first trimester of the pregnancy.

How is abortion carried out?

Learning about the pros and cons of abortion involves knowing how it is done. There are several ways for an abortion to be carried out and they are done according to the number of weeks a woman is pregnant.

• Medical intervention

This method is employed by having the woman take an abortive drug to eliminate the baby. For instance, RU-486 which blocks the progesterone which provides food, oxygen and fluid to the growing fetus,is used which will eventually result to abortion.

• Prostaglandin abortion

A woman is administered with a prostaglandin hormone to induce labor, and the fetus usually dies due to trauma linkedto the delivery.

• Suction-aspiration

This method involves inserting a hollow tube with a sharp edge into the uterus, and everything, from the torn body parts of the baby to the placenta, is sucked into the hollow tube bottle.

• Dilation and curettage

This procedure is almost the same as suction except that a loop-shaped steel curette is inserted into the uterus to tear the baby into pieces and scrape them out into a basin.

• Dilation and evacuation

This type of abortive procedure is done by having the cervix dilated and crushing the baby into pieces and pulling the bits out afterwards.

Arguments for abortion, the pros

• Raising an unwanted child without help would be very difficult.  This is in addition to the hardships a woman has to face from continuing the pregnancy to dealing with the labor pains and childbirth.
• A woman has the right to decide whether she wants to continue or terminate the pregnancy.
• The life of the unborn child depends on the health of the mother and it would be best to let the mother decide if she wants the baby.
• Abortion is a safe procedure which does not have a great effect on the woman’s body or her ability to conceive in the future.
• Restricting abortion will only lead to a staggering increase in the number of unsafe and illegal abortions.
• Teenagers will likely have grim prospects for the future because they will most likely leave school, develop health issues, receive insufficient prenatal care or end up being divorced.

Arguments against abortion, the cons

• Abortion is similar to murder because life has already begun at conception.
• It devalues the sanctity of life.
• Abortion is the intentional killing of another human.  It is no different from the intentional killing of a human beingby another human, and the law condemns such act.
• Abortion will lead to medical complications and high risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies and many more.
• Abortion is not a form of contraception.
• Abortion will only result to severe psychological stress and pain.
• Many women have lifelong regrets about having abortion.

Any women with unplanned or unwanted pregnancy should carefully weigh the pros and cons of abortion before making a decision. Abortion is a personal choice and each woman should not allow other people to decide for her.