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NoemiSoto
ERWCP3
14October2015
Shouldabortionbelegal?
Abortionisasensitivetopicbecauseitallcomesdowntosomeone'smorals.But
sometimes,insteadofquicklyexpressingopinionswhynotsitandlistentothewomanssideof
thestory.Thereisalwaysareasonbehindwhyanabortionisdone,sowhydopeoplequickly
judge.AbortionhasbeenlegalintheUnitedStatessince1973,andhasalwaysbeenoneofthe
mostcontroversialissues.Therearetwosidestoabortion:prolifeandprochoice.Prolifeare
thosewhoareagainstabortionandclaimthatanyonewhodoesnotthinkthesameisantilife.
Prochoicearepeoplewhobelieveitisawomanschoice,becauseitisherbodyandherlife.
Althoughsomepeoplefollowtheirreligiousideals,manyothersbelieveitisawomanschoice
onwhatshedoeswithherbodysincemadelegalabortionisasafeprocedure,ifmadeillegal
therewillbemorecontroversyandconsequences,andthemostrecentissuewithabortionis
plannedparenthood.
Oneissueconcerningabortionishowsafetheprocedureis.AccordingtoGale
Databases,surgicalabortionsperformedwithinthefirsttwelveweeksofpregnancybytrained
medicalprofessionalsareamongthesafestandsimplestformsofsurgery.(Abortion).Being
oneofthesafestproceduresthereis,thereislittlereasontobeconcernedaboutit.Thereisalso
mifepristone,brandnameMifeprex,betterknownastheabortionpill.Mifepristonehasbeen
usedinaquarterofallabortionsintheUnitedStates.MaryMcCulloughfromthePhiladelphia
InquirerstatedthatMIfeprexhasnotmadeabortionmorecommonorendangeredwomens

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healthasopponentswarned.(Abortionpill).Theabortionpillhasbeenusedformanyofthe
abortions,from20002008outofthe850,000womanwhotookthepilltherewereonlyseven
deaths.Withtodaystechnology,awomanshealthafteranabortion,shouldnotbeabigconcern
becausetheprocedureaswellasmifepristonearesafe.
IfabortionismadeillegalintheUnitedStateswomenwouldstillfindawaytohavethe
proceduredone.Inthirdworldcountrieswhereabortionisillegalwomeneithergetthe
proceduredoneillegallyorabandontheirchildrenafterbirth.Becausetheprocedureisillegalit
isdoneunprofessionallyandresultsinsideeffects.Oftenperformedbyuntrainedindividualsin
unsanitaryconditions,theseillegalabortionsharmwomenphysically,increasedtherisk
associatedwithfuturepregnancies,andevenresultedindeath.(Abortion)Illegally,woman
wouldstillhaveanabortionandrisktheirownhealth.Inmanycountrieswhereabortionis
illegaldependingonreligiousandpoliticalpower.SandraAlterswritesinAbortionAroundthe
World,Incountrieswhereabortionisillegalorseverelyrestricted,itisimpossibletoknowhow
manywomengetprivateabortionsandhowmanyofthosewhoturnupatthehospitalwitha
spontaneousabortion(miscarriage)actuallyinducedtheabortionthroughahomemethod.
(Alters).Notonlydotheysometimesendupinthehospitalafteranillegalabortiongonewrong,
butiftheygothroughlabor,iftheydonotwanttheirchildtheyleavehimorherinsomeone
else'shandsofthechildislucky.Thisisabigsocialissuebecauseifabortionisbannedoreven
limiteditcanhaveanegativeimpactonthepoor,andlessdevelopednations.
Amostrecenttopicofdiscussioninpoliticsisthenonprofitorganization:Planned
Parenthood.PlannedParenthoodprovidesreproductivehealthandmaternalhealthservicesall
overtheUnitedStatestooverthreemillionmenandwomen.Theprovidebirthcontrol,breast

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andcervicalcancerservices,abortions,HIVandotherSTIservices,aswellasmanyother
services.Atthemomentrepublicanswanttodefundplannedparenthoodbecauseofsome
misleadingandhighlyeditedvideosbyantiabortionistswhereitseemstoshowthatplanned
parenthoodissellingorgansandtissuefromabortedfetusesforprofit.Thefederalgovernment
doesnotbyanymeansfundplannedparenthoodforabortions,unlessitisbecauseofrape,
incest,orlifeendangerment.Manycommitteeshavetriedtopassbillstodefundplanned
parenthoodbut,PresidentObamahasvowedtovetoanylegislationtodefundPlanned
Parenthood,andcongressionalleadersdonothaveenoughvotestooverrideaveto.(Kelly).But
thatisonlyfederally,theStateofTexascutsoffMedicaidmoneytoPlannedParenthood.
MedicaidisahealthinsurancecompanythatgavearoundthreemillionsdollarstoPlanned
Parenthood.Louisianaisnexttodefundtheirstateplannedparenthoods.Whatwillhappenwhen
PlannedParenthoodisnolongeranoptionforwoman?StrippingPlannedParenthoodoffederal
fundingwouldalsosacrificethe97percentofitspublichealthworkthathasnothingtodowith
abortion,fromwhichmanypeoplebenefitdirectly.(politicattacks).Theseorganizationsare
locatedinurbancitieswherethewomentherehavenoothermedicalcareandrelyonplanned
parenthoodfortheirhealth.OneinfiveAmericanwomenhaveusedthegroup'sservices,and
threeoutoffourofitspatientsareconsideredtohavelowincomes.(politicattacks).Thereare
peoplewithnohealthcareandrelyonorganizationslikePlannedParenthood.Eventhough
abortionislegal,thefederalgovernmentdoesnotpayforabortions,sowhyshoulditbeillegalif
itisnotcostingthemanything.
Therearetwosidestoabortion,peoplewhoopposeabortioncalledprolifeandthose
whobelieveitisawoman'schoicecalledprochoice.Theoneswhoopposeabortionwould

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probablyobjectthatlifebeginsatbirth,theybelievethatlifestartsatconception.Accordingto
theGaledatabases,Peopleinsocietyhaverights,andisafetusisaperson,thenit,too,has
rights,includingtherighttolive.Manybelievethis,theyarguethattheearliestformoflifehas
thesamerightsasahuman,thereforedisapproveofabortion.Ofcourseeveryoneisentitledto
theirbeliefs,butontheotherhand,prochoicearguethatthefetusisnotaperson.Untilthefetus
isbornthenithasrights,whichbeginatviability,whenthefetusiscapableofsurvivingoutside
themotherswomb.Abiggerquestionsiswhatismoreimportant,therightsofawomanor
rightsofafetus?Awomanschoicesandrightsarefarmoreimportantthanthoseofafetus.
Overall,makingabortionillegalwillcausesomuchmoreissuesforwomenwithoutany
waytocareforachildorevenforherself.Abortionisoneofthehardestdecisionsawomancan
gothrough.Itissafelydoneifitisperformedprofessionallyandlegally.Itshouldstaylegal,that
waytherewillnotbeanyriskyillegalprocedures.PlannedParenthoodshouldbekeptand
fundedbythestates,becauseitisnotonlyforabortions,butforotherhealthissuesforwoman.

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WorksCited
"Abortion."
OpposingViewpointsOnlineCollection
.Detroit:Gale,2014.
OpposingViewpoints
inContext
.Web.14Oct.2015.

"AbortionaroundtheWorld."
Abortion
:
AnEternalSocialandMoralIssue
.SandraM.Alters.2008
ed.Detroit:Gale,2008.InformationPlusReferenceSeries.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.
Web.19Oct.2015

"Asabortionpillturns15,debaterageson."
PhiladelphiaInquirer
[Philadelphia,PA]21Sept.
2015.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.16Oct.2015.

"MifepristoneSafetyOverview."
AssociationofReproductiveHealthProfessionals
.Creative
Commons,n.d.Web.16Oct.2015.

Kelly,Erin."RepublicansTryaNewWaytoDefundPlannedParenthood,AvoidShutdown."
USA
Today
.GannettCompany,28Sept.2015.Web.19Oct.2015.

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"PoliticalAttacksonPlannedParenthoodAreaThreattoWomen'sHealth."
ScientificAmerican
30.6(1June2012).Rpt.in
Women'sHealth
.Ed.LynnM.Zott.FarmingtonHills,MI:
GreenhavenPress,2015.OpposingViewpoints.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.23Oct.
2015.