Abortion

By: Serena Vargas

Define The Dilemma

For:

Against:

Proponents, identifying themselves as prochoice, contend that choosing abortion is a right

that should not be limited by governmental or
religious authority, and which outweighs any
right claimed for an embryo or fetus. They say
that pregnant women will resort to unsafe illegal
abortions if there is no legal option.

Opponents, identifying themselves as pro-life,

contend that personhood begins at conception,
and therefore abortion is the immoral killing of
an innocent human being. They say abortion
inflicts suffering on the unborn child, and that it
is unfair to allow abortion when couples who
cannot biologically conceive are waiting to adopt.

Trends Over Time

For:
Abortion gives women the right to choose if they
can or not afford to have a child. It allows them
to choose and thus to be free. If abortion was
forbidden for women the present of women that
actually needs it will be unjustly deprived from
their freedom to have sex and to sometimes
make mistakes. It is a better idea to abort
instead of letting the child live in poor situations
and without being loved. If abortion didn't exist a
lot more teenagers would have kids and it would
not be healthy for both at all. Moreover, in a way
it gives women the right to have free sex without
being judged for their mistakes or for their
somewhat lake of precaution.

Against:
Abortion is not safe. It does not protect women
from sexual exploitation. It does expose women to
sexual exploitation. The entire procedure of
abortion is exploitation and makes a woman left
vulnerable. Abortion is dangerous. Besides the fact
a woman is going through the termination of a
pregnancy there are physical and emotional
damages that go along with it. The damage from
these procedures will never be recovered from.

For:

Scientists Contributions Against:

Surgical abortion (aka suction curettage or vacuum

curettage) is the most common type of abortion procedure.
It involves using a suction device to remove the contents
of a pregnant woman's uterus. Surgical abortion performed
later in pregnancy (after 12-16 weeks) is called D&E
(dilation and evacuation). The second most common
abortion procedure, a medical abortion (aka an "abortion
pill"), involves taking medications, usually mifepristone and
misoprostol within the first seven to nine weeks of
pregnancy to induce an abortion. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 64.5% of
abortions performed in 2011 were performed at or less
than 8 weeks gestation, and 91.4% were performed at or
less than 13 weeks gestation. 79.6% were performed by
surgical procedure, while 19.1% were medical abortions. In
2009, the average amount paid by US women for a surgical
abortion at 10 weeks gestation was $451. For a medical
abortion, the average amount paid was $483. Abortions
performed in physicians' offices are generally more
expensive than those obtained at an abortion clinic, and
abortions performed later in pregnancy are usually more
expensive also. Abortions after 20 weeks gestation can
cost over $1,000.

A human starts as an embryo, becomes a fetus,

is born an infant, develops into a child, grows
into an adolescent, matures into adulthood, and
eventually dies. Scientifically and philosophically,
there is no good reason to believe a human being
is created at birth, because nothing is created at
birth. At birth, a fetus simply changes location
and changes its mode of acquiring food and
dispensing waste, but at no point does it become
something entirely new or different. Life begins
at conception and proceeds through its stages
until death. From the moment of conception, the
unborn are human beings.

For:

Marketing MaterialAgainst:

Abortion is a medically sound procedure

(actually, several procedures, each for different
circumstances) used by medical doctors to
terminate a pregnancy. An abortion can be
necessary to save the life of the mother, or to
terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.

Abortion leads to depression and suicide

Of all the myths surrounding abortion, I feel that

the assertion that it leads to depression and
suicide must rank as the most odious. It is a
perennial favourite of anti-abortion groups. Antiabortion campaigners call it PAS postabortion-syndrome, a term coined by Dr Vincent
Rue. Rue is a prolific anti-abortion campaigner
who testified before the US Congress in 1981
that he had observed post-traumatic stress
syndrome in women who had undergone
abortions. The claim rapidly mutated into the
ominous and potent suggestion that abortion
leads to suicide and depression. Yet despite the
ubiquity of this claim by anti-abortion advocates,
PAS is not recognised by relevant expert bodies.
It does not appear in the DSM-V (the handbook
of mental health), and the link between abortion
and mental health problems is dismissed by
organisations tasked with mental health
protection including the American Psychological
Association, the American Psychiatric Association
and the Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists.

Vocabulary:
ABORTIFACIENT: An agent whose sole or primary purpose is to cause abortions. Such agents
include low-dose birth control pills, minipills, 'morning-after' pills, NORPLANT, Depo-Provera, true
abortion pills such as RU-486, and intra-uterine devices (IUDs).
ABORTION: Defined by Williams Obstetrics as "The interruption of pregnancy before viability at the
request of the woman, but not for reasons of impaired maternal health or fetal disease. The great
majority of abortions now being done belong in this category." This definition by an authoritative
source confirms that most abortions are performed for reasons that are considerably less than
compelling; i.e., basically convenience.
There are many different terms applied to abortion, most of which overlap to some degree and are
confusing to most members of the public unless explained clearly. These terms are listed among
others below.
ABORTION RATE: The number of abortions obtained by women of childbearing age (15 to 44) over
a given period. This rate is usually expressed in terms of abortions per 1,000 women annually.
ABORTION RATIO: The number of abortions obtained by women of childbearing age (15 to 44)
over a given period compared to the number of live births to the same population of women. This
rate is usually expressed in terms of abortions per 1,000 live births annually.
ACCIDENTAL ABORTION: An unintentional abortion (usually termed a miscarriage) caused by a
fall, blow, or any other accidental injury.
AFEBRILE ABORTION: A natural or spontaneous abortion resulting from a tubal or abdominal
pregnancy. Does not refer to a procedure designed to remove the fetus from the Fallopian tube or
abdomen.

Citations:

Abortion: Does abortion protect or expose women to sexist/sexual exploitation? (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from
http://www.debate.org/opinions/abortion-does-abortion-protect-no-or-expose-women-to-sexist-sexual-exploitation-yes

Abortion ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://abortion.procon.org/#Background

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PROLENC/APPENDC.HTM

The Humble Libertarian: The Abortion Debate: A Reasoned, Scientific Pro-Life Argument. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016,
from http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/06/abortion-debate-reasoned-pro-life.html