Why Abortion Rights should not be Legalized
Introduction
For several decades now, there has been a debate about abortion and whether or not it should be legal in the US. In 1973, the US Supreme Court, under the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, ruled that abortion should be permitted in the country (Lantz 645). In this light, the debate regarding the legalization of abortion rights became active and controversial among citizens and even states. Some individuals claim that abortion rights should be legal since the practice is an essential means for family planning, which is vital during the unavailability or failure of contraceptives. On the other hand, critics of these rights feel that abortion introduces a practice that leads to the violation of human rights with denial of life for the fetus involved. In the US, despite allowance of abortion by the Supreme Court cases of Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), many states have established bans against the practice. Some of the states which have such abortion restrictions include Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, Utah, and Alaska, among others. Thesis statement: abortion rights should not be legalized due to risks and dangers that they pose on individuals and society, including increased immorality, poor mental and physical health, laissez-faire approach towards sexual relationships, devaluing human life, and the emergence of social crimes associated with sex.
Reasons Why Abortion Rights should not be Legal
Firstly, abortion is immoral and associated with allowing irresponsible individuals to kill innocent human life. Donohue III and Levitt (381) state that one of the impacts of legalized abortion on crime is allowing individuals to take the lives of innocent humans on the grounds of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. Proponents of the practice argue that numerous cases of procured abortion take place as a result of health complications that may lead to the death of the mother. However, research shows that over 80% of the abortion cases do not involve health complications among the mothers (Lowen). At the same time, according to Lee and George (7), “the embryo or fetus is human: it has the genetic makeup characteristic of human beings.” Therefore, abortion involves a case that deals with the life of an unborn baby – with the potential of becoming a full human being. As a result, abortion without a health-related cause translates into denying the involved unborn babies the chance to live and experience the world. In most cases, individuals who choose the practice to terminate their pregnancies tend to have more person-oriented thoughts and aspirations. Thus, this translates into taking up the chances of the unborn fetus to reach and experience the world.
Secondly, abortion is a significant root cause of increased immorality among individuals and in society at large (Donohue III and Levitt 386). In the first place, individuals may engage in unchecked and irresponsible behaviors and ways of life with the choice of abortion being at their stake. According to Lowen, about 1% of all pregnancies end up in abortion regardless of whether or not a woman will have a mental or physical health condition. Research also shows that women who engage in abortion have the likelihood of seeking practice again in their life (Lee and George 8). Also, individuals may tend to indulge and participate in laissez-faire sexual relationships (Lantz 651). Legalizing abortion may prompt people to reduce the fear of the adverse outcomes that occur with sexual relations. According to Lee and George (21), the presence of abortion as a choice to terminate unplanned and unwanted pregnancies may lead to increased social crimes like rape or incest. Moreover, abortion may lead to cases of child abuse by irresponsible parents, guardians, relatives, and other society members.
Thirdly, abortion has adverse outcomes associated with health. According to Beckham (106), participating in procuring abortion places the life of a mother at risk of dying. Mainly, the practice of abortion entails the mechanical disintegration of the connection between the fetus and the mother in the womb. The process also takes place through inducing an artificial “birth-like” procedure, which affects the natural progress of pregnancy and the mother’s body. In this light, improper procurement of the practice causes a massive loss of blood and prolonged pain. Also, having multiple abortions damages the uterus by causing abnormal implantation of the placenta in future pregnancies, among other obstetrical complications. On the same note, conducting the practice may cause mental health complications to the mother. The mother-baby disintegration, which may be as a result of external pressure from a spouse or family, may end up affecting the psychological status of the mother (Lowen). At the same time, failed abortion practices lead to defects, deformation, and physical handicaps for the involved unborn babies. More so, poor physical and mental health outcomes can also cause a financial burden to the mother or family in case of hospitalization.
Lastly, legalized abortion rights present the danger of having individuals engaging in the illegal business of assisting women to procure the practice (Lowen). In most cases, such people carry out their operations in private medical clinics or through the prescription of various substances to aid in the practice. At the same time, it also involves minimum control by the legal authorities that are in charge of healthcare. According to Tatalovich (16), some states such as New York and Virginia and countries like Canada have plans to allow and support abortion at any time of the pregnancy, even at the moment of labor. Opponents of the abortion legalization debate have termed this move as infanticide and as associated with the extreme devaluing of human life. Such discussions have showcased that the presence of abortion in society will only result in more and more wrongs in society. Therefore, the only way that can prevent such issues is by preventing the legalization of abortion rights.
Conclusion
Based on the impacts of abortion in the community, it is evident that there should be a total ban on rights associated with the practice. Research has shown that abortion causes significant adverse effects such as increased immorality, poor mental and physical health, laissez-faire approach towards sexual relationships, devaluing human life, and the emergence of social crimes associated with sex. Such outcomes typically affect the mothers, unborn babies, family members, and society at large. Many countries and cultures, including the US, allow abortion in various conditions. These conditions include dangers on the health status of the mother or fetus or in cases where pregnancy occurs as a result of crimes such as rape or child abuse. However, such a scenario should involve detailed investigations and legal permission to allow for the procurement of abortion. Also, in the case of illegal procurement of abortion, the individuals involved should face justice for engaging in murder and causing potential health and social hazards. In such ways, the societal members will ensure responsibility in their behaviors while effectively avoiding abortion and its adverse outcomes.
Works Cited
Beckman, Linda J. “Abortion in the United States: The continuing controversy.” Feminism & Psychology 27.1 (2017): 101-113. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353516685345
Donohue III, John J., and Steven D. Levitt. “The impact of legalized abortion on crime.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 116.2 (2001): 379-420.
Lantz, Paula M. “State Laws Restricting Abortion: The Need to Document Their Impact.” The Milbank Quarterly 97.3 (2019): 645-648. Retrieved from: https://www.milbank.org/quarterly/articles/state-laws-restricting-abortion-the-need-to-document-their-impact/
Lee, Patrick, and Robert P. George. “The wrong of abortion.” Contemporary debates in applied ethics 13 (2005).
Tatalovich, Raymond. The Politics of Abortion in the United States and Canada: A Comparative Study: A Comparative Study. Routledge, 2015. Retrieved from: https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2014-0-41322-7&isbn=9781315699288&format=googlePreviewPdf