Abortion and Women

Abortion and Women

Abortion has been one of the most controversial issues in most jurisdictions. Some of the jurisdictions in the world like China allows abortion while it remains illegal and punishable in other countries like Iraq. It is such a sensitive issue that requires well-thought discussions around it. Women continue to lose their lives as well as those of their unborn babies as they try to procure abortions in illegal procedures. However, many women choose to risk and carry out abortions, especially if they had not planned for the pregnancies.

The Article “Judicial History and Legislative Response” states and explains whether abortion should be allowed or not as per the law and the constitution. The Article which was updated on September 9, 2019, was written by Congressional Research Service (CRS). As per the Article, in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States made a ruling that the Constitution protects a woman who decides to do abortion. However, the ruling was controversial to people who believe that life begins at conception. Abortion cases have continued to rise in the United States, with many women terminating their pregnancies because of different reasons. Abortion is a prevalent practice in the US as far as reproductive health care is concerned (Jerman, Jones &Onda, 2020). Various researches further show that most of the women who do abortion are young. According to Jerman et al., through a study that was done, reports that 60 per cent of the abortions procured was done by women who are on their 20s.

The Article discusses what is called “Partial-Birth Abortion”. According to the Article, the court decided that a Nebraska Statute that was against partial-birth abortion was not constitutional. The court cited lack of a clause that explained how the life of the mother would be protected and hence determined that the Statute was vague and unconstitutional. On further deliberations, Congress passed legislation that prohibited the performance of partial-birth abortion unless if it was necessary. The bill was signed to law by the then-president George W Bush in 2003 November. The passing of this bill restricted women from doing such kind of abortion unless advised to do so by a physician..

From personal experience, I have witnessed women I know, procure abortions. From what I witnessed, abortion can be a dangerous procedure primarily if not conducted by highly qualified physicians. I have heard stories of women who either lose their lives or their unborn babies as they try to procure an abortion. Unsafe abortion has been identified as one of the major causes of increasing maternal mortality rate (Coast & Murray, 2016). According to research done in Zambia, 30 per cent of maternal mortality is caused by illegal and unsafe abortions. In this regard, a woman seeking to procure abortion should be sure to seek the services of qualified personnel. Furthermore, abortion should be done upon advice from a physician in case of a country that allows restricted abortions. For countries that allow total freedom to do abortion, a woman should also seek services of qualified personnel in order to reduce deaths caused by careless abortion practices.

In conclusion, it is without a doubt that abortion is such a controversial issue. Research has proven that unsafe abortions can have adverse effects, such as maternal mortality. Thousands of women continue to engage in unsafe abortions; hence, putting their lives in danger. Countries have a big responsibility to ensure that they create legislation that protects their people against engaging in unnecessary abortion procedures. As much as abortion is a dangerous procedure, sometimes it is necessary to save the life of a mother or that of the unborn baby.

References

Coast, E., & Murray, S. (2016). “These things are dangerous”: Understanding induced abortion trajectories in urban Zambia. Social Science & Medicine, 153, 201-209. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.02.025

Darney, B., Powell, B., Andersen, K., Baum, S., Blanchard, K., &Gerdts, C. et al. (2018). Quality of care and abortion: beyond safety. BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, 44(3), 159-160. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2018-200060

Jerman, J., Jones, R., &Onda, T. (2020). Retrieved February 21 2020, from https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/characteristics-us-abortion-patients-2014.pdf