Have you ever thought of getting an abortion? Well don’t, and here is where people learn why. The issue with abortion is that some people feel that it should be legal everywhere, although they feel that others believe that abortion should not be legal except for when it comes to rape and incest. As defined by the 2018 Merriam-Webster dictionary, an abortion is, “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus” Abortions have constantly been a contentious topic where two kinds of people show up.
These people form groups that are referred to as pro-life supporters and pro-choice supporters. According to Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context, pro-life supporters claim that life begins at fertilization, therefore, abortion at any stage during pregnancy is murder. pro-life supporters believe that life is valuable and the fetus has the same rights as the mother. On the other hand Pro-choice supporters, claim that it is the woman’s right to choose what she does with her body. These pro-choice supporters claim that pro-lifer supporters are against the rights of women. Pro-life and pro-choice supporters have many differences in their opinions, specifically, when life begins for a fetus, affects abortions have on the mother, and how religion plays a major role in abortions. Although some people feel that abortion should be legal, abortion should not be legal unless it is from rape or incest.
In order to fully understand the topic of abortion, an explanation is required. Abortions have been around for hundreds of years. However, in the mid- late 1800’s abortions in the United States became illegal. Due to the lack of medical education, abortions were dangerous. Abortions remained illegal, The American Medical Association stated that abortions were wrong and unsafe. Therefore, according to the National Abortion Federation, abortions were then made into a “doctors-only” surgery, because they could be performed legally only in order to save a woman’s life.
It was not until 1973 that abortions were made legal, due to a Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade by saying that Americans’ right to privacy included the right of a girl to make a decision whether or not to possess kids, and the right of a woman and her doctor to make that decision without state interference. Today, there are restrictions in order for people to teach women about the consequences of getting an abortion and to get parental consent for kids under the age of 18. However, can not be denied to any person over the age of 18 because they are then classified as an adult. Dilation and extraction procedures are two procedures for abortion, however, is not legal in the United States because of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1995 (“American Pregnancy Association”). Most pro-choice supporters say that this ban is a step in the wrong direction in the fight for women’s rights.
Regardless, by the end of the pregnancy, the fetus is nearly developed, including it’s sense of pain, so this surgery is determined cruel. The opinion concerning when life begins has a major effect on a person’s views on whether they are for or against abortions. Pro-choice supporters, believe that the fetus is considered alive when it can does not have to rely on the mother for nutrients. Some of these pro-choice supporters believe that life begins around the 23rd week of pregnancy, because the brain has developed to enough that it can control parts of the body. According to “Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?”, a bug has more characteristics of being alive than a fetus before 8 weeks of pregnancy. In other words, if a person kills an insect, such as a roach, they have just killed something that has more brain activity than a fetus prior to 8 weeks of pregnancy However, the murder of insects is accepted, whereas the termination of a pregnancy is not by pro-lifers.
To counter what pro-life supporters believe regarding chromosomes proving that the fetus is human, pro-choice activists say that chromosomes aren’t the sole parts that verify somebody’s life. Again, “Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?” states that human chromosomes are similar to the blueprints of a building. The blueprints give a guide on how the building is designed. However, the blueprints are nothing more than paper.
Likewise, chromosomes give a genetic set up for human life, however they are not human. In contrast, pro-life supporters are opposed to abortions because pro-life supporters believe that human life begins at conception.The moment a man’s sperm comes into contact with a woman’s egg to form a child, life has begun. According to Facts on File News Services, “Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?” issued in 2005, a motivating perspective that pro-life advocates have is that every living thing grows and develops. A child doesn’t react to things or look identical as he or she is going to once they are an adult.
As the kid grows and develops, they become additional intelligent, mature, etc. due to the fact that they are living. The same concept applies to a child growing and developing in the womb. Although it does not look or act like a baby at the time of birth, the fetus like every other living thing, must have time to grow and develop. Only humans have 46 chromosomes, which the baby possesses from the time it is conceived until birth. They are more than a suggestion or blueprints to a building, they are what makes the fetus somebody within the womb. Therefore, the baby is a human which has life, not pre-human as pro-choice advocates believe. To prove that the baby is alive, several pro-life advocates support the necessary ultrasound needed before getting an abortion.
Humans are the only living species that have forty-six chromosomes, which the baby possesses from the time it is conceived until birth. They are more than a guideline or blueprints to the future human, they are what makes the fetus a human in the first place. Therefore, the baby is a human which has life, not pre-human as pro-choice advocates believe. To prove that the baby is alive, many pro-life advocates support the mandatory ultrasound required prior to obtaining an abortion. According to Issues and Controversies Facts on File News Services, “Abortion: Mandatory Ultrasounds,” of May 2012, abortions are a very serious procedure that requires the woman and doctor to be well informed prior to obtaining one.
For the woman, the ultrasound would provide a way for her to form a connection with her unborn child by actually seeing it and hearing its heart beat. It is hard to deny something is alive when it is moving and has a heart pumping blood to the rest of its body. The ultrasound would also provide a way for the doctor to become well informed concerning exactly how far along the pregnancy is to determine what type of abortion procedure would be the safest for the woman.