FREE ESSAY ON ABORTION

ABORTION

Should A Women Have The Unrestricted Right to Have an Abortion?
Abortion is a very controversial subject that has been continually argued over for the
past few years and probably many years to come. The main controversy is should abortion
be legalized? First, before we get into the many sides of abortion we must first define
abortion. Abortion is the destruction of the fetus or unborn child while the child is
still in the mother's womb. This can be done by almost anyone from the mother herself to
back alley abortions and even to abortions by clinics set up especially for this purpose.
There are two sides to this abortion topic, the PRO-LIFE, which is those who are against
abortion altogether and, the PRO-CHOICE, or those who believe it is the woman's right to
choose if she wants to have an abortion. These two groups offer different solutions to
the problem. The pro-life solution is to have the child and basically live with it. They
believe abortion is not an answer. The pro-choice solution is abortion because of reasons
they feel are appropriate. 
Although abortion is morally and ethically wrong should it be legal for victims of rape
or incest who have no other alternative?
There is no real answer to this controversy, there are two sides which have been arguing
for many years over the subject. The first is the pro-life group. This group does not
believe in the abortion factor. To understand where the pro-life stands we must first
understand its beliefs and reasons for its beliefs. Then we can discuss what their
solution to the abortion topic is.
Pro-life believes that rape and incest are very emotional topics. They often elicit
throughout the population feelings of revulsion; people draw back from the issue of rape
and incest. People don't know how to handle a person who is in that much pain. There is
no quick fix. That is why it is difficult for even pro-life people to come to grips with
the argument over abortion in cases of rape and incest. 
Some of those who are pro-life will allow abortion in these cases because they don't know
what else they can do for the victim and accept it as a rare case. But it is known that
allowing abortion in these cases usually does not help the victim, instead it only
worsens the problem because the victims needs are not being met. 
But what the facts suggest is that only a minority of rape and incest victims actually
choose abortion. This is where pro-life has its biggest problem. Pro-life states that
abortion is not usually chosen as the immediate solution for rape and incest victims but
that is the prevailing belief of the general population. A woman has been raped and made
pregnant: Oh, she's got to have an abortion. No one has studied the rape and incest
victims needs; abortion is presumed to fill her needs.
Various studies and research indicate that rape and incest victims fall into a high-risk
category of abortion. But what happens after a victim has an abortion? Jackie Baker, a
victim states: I soon discovered that the aftermath of my abortion continued a long time
after the memory of my rape had faded. I felt empty and horrible. Nobody told me about
the emptiness and pain I would feel deep within causing nightmares and deep depressions.
They all told me that after the abortion I could continue with my life as if nothing ever
happened. This is the story we hear from a lot of aborted women. Today in our society it
is believed by most people that it is the woman's fault just as much as the man's fault,
if not more. Many people think women are responsible for contributing to the rape itself.
Then the rape victims feel self-blame and guilt. And even then a rape or incest victims
family members or close friends may reinforce these negative feelings. Or they drop the
problem because they don't know how to talk about it.
We even see the same thing in the abortion experience. When a person becomes pregnant
because of rape or incest there is a permanent symbol of the rape, at least until it is
aborted. Women who have had abortions fear being rejected by G-d and loved ones. It is a
very traumatic experience which takes time. The fact is that you are really telling your
loved ones of a death in the family. 
Opinion polls have shown for years that women are more against abortion than men are.
Women led the opposition of abortion. In 1983, a Los Angeles Times poll, found that only
47% of women (compared with 51% of men) favored the general availability of abortion. So
what is this telling us? The facts are very clear men prefer abortion over women by a
large percent. And most women do not agree with abortion. So why does it still exist
today?
What pro-life feels is really happening is that in our society today abortion is becoming
the solution to carelessness. Abortion does nothing to help the victims rape, and that is
the problem they are trying to address in the first place. Instead abortion encourages
the victim to vent their anger out on others. 
Pro-life also believes that childbirth can be a victory. For those victims who choose
childbirth over abortion it can be a triumph. It can state that the victim is not going
to let rape destroy her life. When the needs of pregnant victims are closely examined it
can be shown that abortion is not the answer and is in fact only worsening the problem. 
But the worst strain abortion has on the victim is mental strain. Many victims become
confused and overwhelmed by feelings they thought they would never have, and don't know
what to do. After having an abortion victims thought they had solved the problem, but in
fact they had really just started a whole new one. Many victims began thinking there was
something wrong with them and began to doubt themselves in situations that they would
normally be sure of themselves. Others plunge into deep depressions which they don't come
out of for weeks at end. This is one of the worst side effects of having an abortion and
most women don't realize it will happen to them because they are too busy trying to
correct the immediate problem.
Pro-life persons don't have any reason to be ashamed to defend pro-life view in the case
of rape and incest. They feel the ones who should be ashamed are the pro abortionists who
have been exploiting the problems of the victims. 
Pro-choice has a different view to this whole abortion controversy. Pro-choice believes
that it is the persons right to have an abortion if they want to and that no one should
interfere with that right. Pro-choice has many reasons for feeling this way. First lets
talk about who has abortions and why they have abortions. There are 1.6 million abortions
in the United States every year, there is no real special class of people who have
abortions.
Why does pro-choice feel that abortion is all right? Well pro-choice believes that the
answer is what the woman believes. The most common reason for abortions is when
contraception fails. What is a person suppose to do when the birth control method fails?
The fact is that contraceptive failure led to 1.6 to 2 million of the 3.3 million
unwanted pregnancies in the United States in 1987. These pregnancies account for about
half of the 1.5 million abortions performed every year. Besides these reasons for
abortion, women also give researchers other reasons for getting an abortion.
In 1987 a survey of 1,900 women at 30 abortion facilities were asked, why do women have
abortions? The women could give as many reasons as they wanted, and most of the women
responded with one or more of these top six reasons: 
1. Concerned about how having a baby could change her life, 92 percent.
2. Not mature enough or too young to have a child, 81 percent.
3. Can't afford baby now, 73 percent.
4. Doesn't want others to know she had sex or is pregnant, 42 percent.
5. Has relationship problems and doesn't want to be a single parent, 37 percent.
6. Unready for responsibility, 33 percent. 
There have been many studies done on smaller groups that expressed the exact same reasons
for having an abortion. Older women were more likely to say that their families were
complete while younger women said that a baby would interfere with education, career, and
personal freedom. At any age women say they have too many responsibilities and not enough
money to take care of a baby. 
The reasons for which the public is approving of abortions is not always the reason of
the person who wants to have an abortion. Women do not have abortions because of rape,
incest, deformed fetuses, or because their physical life is in danger. But these are the
best reasons accepted by the public. Being poor, too young, unmarried, and not wanting a
baby are the most unpopular reasons for having an abortion and are looked down upon by
the public. Pro-choice feels the main reason for abortions is because contraception
failed and they didn't want to have a baby at the time. 
What are some of the benefits to having an abortion. Well the most obvious one is the
abortion itself. First of all pro-choice wants to make it clear where they stand. They
believe in first time abortions. This is usually because of contraceptive reasons or
maturity, but where they draw the line is at third or fourth time abortions. This is
because although they think abortion should be legal they believe that is a little
extreme and may be a solution to a bad habit. 
But the big benefit of having an abortion can be seen right away. The feeling most women
have after having an abortion is relief. A 44-year-old psychologist with three children
had an illegal abortion at 18 and a legal abortion at 28. Both times she primarily felt
relieved for herself and all the family members for whom she was responsible. 
Another example is a newly married 27-year-old elementary school teacher who had two
abortions at age 18, and 21. She felt the same relief as the psychologist. There have
been many studies that researched what the primary reaction to having an abortion was.
One study done by Kaiser Permanent in northern California asked women subscribers how
they felt about their abortions. The most common answer was relief. This emotion is
understandable, especially in light of the fact that the majority of aborting women
report feeling under intense pressure to get it over with. 
Abortion also leads to safer contraception. After a person has to go through an abortion
because of a failure in contraception it is found that from then on the couple is much
more cautious about safe-sex. It is found that almost all of the 742 low-income women who
received abortions in 1970-1971 at the State University Hospital in Syracuse, New York,
intended to use contraception in the future, an attitude that was even stronger after
their abortions. Perhaps the abortion is actually a lesson in life.
Another positive impact is maturity. How might a person mature because of their abortion
experience. Well the most obvious example of maturity is after an abortion the aborted
person usually changes their bad habits. This could be anything from safe-sex to everyday
things like listening to others. This may not have been the case before the abortion.
When people were asked how they felt about themselves after the abortion many of them
responded by saying they felt more mature. It caused them to reevaluate their behavior,
their lives and their future. Others felt they were freer and stronger. 
Two benefactors to having an abortion is increased self-image, self-esteem, and increased
psychological health. It is said that an abortion usually changes a woman's uncertain
self-image into a good self-image. The average woman gets back the self she had before
she got pregnant and sometimes a little more. It is also said that it can increase your
psychological health. Can this really be? Pro-choice states that a woman is damaged by
abortion, but pro- choice women state that is not so and it actually benefited them.
Pro-Choice also believes that it is the moral right for a person to be able to control
their own body whether it is having a baby or destroying it. They feel it is the woman's
right to be able to do what she wants with herself and what she has created. Pro-Choice
also argues that at the stage where abortion is done the fetus is not really a human
being therefore it is like you are not destroying anything. It is merely biological and
really does not exist until further stages. 
These are the reasons why pro-choice is arguing for the legalization of abortion. They
feel that the increase in more mature women after abortion, safer-sex, increased mental
health, and increased self-esteem and self-image are good enough reasons for legalizing
abortion.
After researching about abortion the solution that I find best fit to the abortion
controversy is that although abortion is morally and ethically wrong there is no real
alternatives for those who are victims of rape or incest. That is why the best solution
to this controversy is to legalize abortion for those who are victims of these awful
crimes.
Although pro-life and victims of rape and incest state that abortion adds to the pain of
these crimes there is no other real solution. Most victims would agree that it would be
better to suffer through the pain of abortion than to have to live with a deformed child
or even worse a child that is not really your own as a product of rape or incest. Victims
of these crimes also report feeling dirty, guilty, sexually violated, etc... But is that
as bad as having to be constantly reminded of the traumatic experience you went through
everyday you see your child? Your child is a victim too!
But the most obvious reason is the fact that a victim of rape or incest was violated
against her will. She did not ask for it, and does not deserve it. She should not then
have to deal with the child if she does not want to because it may lead to further
complications for the victim and child. By further complications I mean mentally,
physically, and emotionally. Many victims often go through long periods of depression
when they are forced to keep the child because it often stirs unwanted memories. This is
why abortion should be allowed or legal for those unfortunate few who have no other
choice but to have an abortion or live with this great burden.
Abortion on the other hand should not be legal for all. When a person chooses to have sex
she is taking a chance. This she does of her own free will, and she has control over what
she is doing. This is the total opposite of the rape victim. If a person decides to have
sex whether it is safe or not, what happens after that is her responsibility as well as
his. And if you are going to chose to participate in this risky and unsafe practice then
you must be ready to pay the consequences.
I also believe that a fetus is still a child contradictory to the beliefs of the
Pro-Choice. I think that when two people create something like a child, even if it is as
small as a fetus it should still be considered a child because it is a living breathing
organism made by the two people and G-d. I think that even a fetus has rights to a good
life, love and happiness no matter how small it is and no one should be able to take that
away from him. Anything given by G-d deserves a chance. Parents do not own their
children, they are helping them grow into G-d's child. Therefore they do not have the
right to destroy. 
Therefore my solution to the abortion problem is it should be legal for only those who
are victims of rape or incest if they so chose to have an abortion. But should be illegal
for those who are not victims because they chose to do what they did and they must deal
with what they have created.