The Problem of Abortion
All studies have noted that legal medical abortion is less risky for women than full-term pregnancy and childbirth. Although the risk of death in both cases is extremely low, in the United States, the death of a relatively healthy woman from a legal abortion occurs 1 time in 100,000 cases if the abortion is performed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. With an increase in the duration of pregnancy, the likelihood of such lethal cases will increase. If we compare this number to 20 deaths per 100,000 labor cases it proves the point.
Termination of pregnancy during the first trimester of pregnancy is the easiest and safest and has no more heavy complications than bleeding and subsequent infection, which is treated with antibiotics. If the fetus is not completely removed, the infection may occur and the uterine wall will need to be scraped, usually using a dilation and scraping method. With abortions later in the pregnancy period, the risk of bleeding and infection is higher, since it stimulates contractions. But doctors say that the danger to the woman’s life, in this case, is still minimal even though med students debate about this in their argumentative essays on abortion as there is contrary evidence regarding the issue. Although two or three terminations increase the risk of miscarriage in the next pregnancies, they do not usually lead to infertility.
Recent studies have suggested that the termination of pregnancy of young women slightly increases the risk of breast cancer in later years, but other studies do not appear to support these facts. The most recent finding is that there is no link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer.
Moral Aspects of Abortion
The psychological impact of abortion on a woman largely depends on her own ideas and values and the care she is surrounded by when making this decision. She needs to share her feelings with loved ones. Some people find that decision as an easy one, but the majority see it as personal trauma.
Although the serious emotional complications of termination of pregnancy are extremely rare, some women and their life partners experience some degree of depression, resentment, remorse, or feelings of loss. These reactions are most likely with a second or third abortion. Support and advice from friends, family, or professionals can help relieve stress, and it usually goes away within a few weeks after the termination of pregnancy. Counseling is often helpful when the grief persists over time. An analysis of the plethora of data from surveys conducted by the American Psychological Association suggested that most women do not experience long-term psychological trauma after abortion. There appears to be no evidence to support the existence of what is termed “post-abortion syndrome,” and severe adverse reactions associated with abortion are relatively rare.
Abortion Dilemma: Liberal and Pro-life Positions
From the so-called liberal point of view until the moment of natural birth, a woman has every right to decide on the termination of pregnancy, and the doctor is obliged to ensure the implementation of this right. The unborn fetus is not recognized in any sense as a human person; therefore, it is not a member of the social community. Liberal position adherents think that the right to life does not extend to the unborn fetus and, therefore, it does not have a quality that would oblige others to refrain from actions that terminate its existence. This position is mainly held by the most emancipated women, as well as representatives of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, for whom this is one of the methods of birth control.
The pro-life point of view is directly opposite to the first. Pro-lifers think that abortion cannot have a moral justification – it is viewed as outright premeditated murder. From the moment of conception, the fetus is regarded as a person who must be given the list of human rights, first of all, the right to life.
