Abortion: Pro-Life Or Pro Choice Essay, Research Paper
Abortion is an issue which more than a simple question of women controlling their own lives and bodies. Since Roman times, abortion and the destruction of unwanted children was permissible, however as our civilisations has aged, it seems that such acts were no longer acceptable by rational human beings. In 1948, Australia along with most other nations in the world signed a declaration of the United Nations promising every human being the right of life. At the same time, the World Medical Association meeting in Geneva stated that the utmost respect for human life was to be from the moment of conception.Medical research proves that the foetus is a living organism from the moment of conception. It is no doubt that the life of a baby begins at the moment of conception in the mother s uterus when a human sperm fertilizes a human ovum. A new human is being created, who carries genes in its cells that make human being uniquely different from another, which undeniably is a member of the great human family. This has been the perpetual process since the evolution of human race. Pro-lifers believe that each human being from the time of fertilisation to natural death has immeasurable dignity and an unalienable right to life. An embryo is a distinct human life and deserves to be granted the same moral status, respect and dignity granted to an infant, child or adult. In cases where the baby s life is threatened due to unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, alternative solutions to abortion such as adoption and family parenting should be considered. The protection of all innocent human beings should be honoured as a courageous life choice to be supported by our society. Pro-lifers sees life from the starts with conception view , therefore when abortion occurs in a case of rape and incest where the victims are completely innocent of those acts and does not deserve to be killed because of the crimes of its father. Making a women bear the child of the rapist is absurd. This is a sufficient clue taken from the pro-life sentiment that such acts does not starts from the conception formulation.Abortion for pro-lifers is undeniably the taking of human life, the most fundamental human right, – the right to life, in respect for the unborn child. Anti-abortion activists claim abortion is unsafe for the mother, the threat to the mother s physical and biology health, however this has not been defined. This variously interprets to mean very serious medical conditions and anything that interferes with social or economic well being. Quoting from Ft. John. L. G, medical examiner for Florida State Attorney s office, I believe it can be stated with certainty that abortion causes more deep seated guilt, depression and mental illness than it ever cures . Vincent, R. (Nov/Dec, 1995). Studies have shown the health of women who were mentally ill before they become pregnant, had not improved by an abortion. Thus those women whom considers legal abortion on psychiatric grounds are the ones who have the highest risks of post-abortion psychiatric disorders.
We used to hear a lot about the risk of suicide among those who threatened such action if their request for abortion were reused. How real is that risk, it is not the fact. The suicide rate among pregnant women be they happy or unhappy about the pregnancy, is + of the rate among non-pregnant women in child-bearing years. An accurate 10 year study was done in England on unwed mothers who requested abortions and were refused. It was found that the suicide rate of this group was less than the average population in England. In contrast, among the first 8 deaths of women aborted under the liberal law in England, 6 committed suicide directly following the abortions. Studies have shown that these women suffered from psychosis disorder compared to those women whom carried the pregnancy through term. Perhaps the strongest arguments for pro-lifers is the story below which many people might have heard of it;One doctor was saying to another doctor, Abortion the termination of a pregnancy, I want your opinion. The father was syphilitic, the mum had tuberculosis, of the four children born, the first was blind, the second died, the third was deaf and dumb, the forth also had tuberculosis. What would you have done? I would have ended the pregnancy . Then you have murdered Beethoven .Whatever abortion may do for the mother, it is obviously not therapeutic for the fetus. Death is hardly a constructive therapy as suggests by Dr. Hellengers of John Hopkins Hospital says, While it is easy to feel abortion is being performed for the sake of foetus, honesty requires us to recognise that we perform it for the adults. (Shepler, L T .1991). There is no evidence indicating that the infant with congenital defect or birth defect would rather not be rather born since it cannot be consulted. This evidence exists if suicides were common among people with congenital handicaps. However to the contrary, these people seems to value life, since the incidence of suicide is less than of the general healthy population. The pro-life stand is just not an anti-abortion stand. It is one trying and preventing unwanted pregnancies, and to take care of the mother and child if they are ever faced with an abortion crisis. Pro-lifers will also counsel people after an abortion if they suffer physical or psychological problems. Women, who turned to the pro-life community for help, have been helped, not yelled or condemned. Pro-lifers stand up for the sacredness of life, and they speak mainly out the love for the babies that were not seen, for the frightened women who don t understand what they are going through. Once a women has conceived, she is already a parent, be it willing or otherwise. The only way she ceases to be a parent is by natural death or an act of killing. Killing is not any form right. It is not the solution to the so called unwanted human beings at any age.