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Abortion Essay, Research Paper Abstract Abortion, the ending

Abortion Essay, Research Paper

Abstract

Abortion, the ending of pregnancy, has been a very controversial topic for decades.Is abortion moral or immoral? People all over the world have different opinions.There are different ways that abortion can be performed: surgically or medicinally.The 1973 Supreme Court decision known as Roe vs. Wade marked an importantturning point in abortion. This decision made it legal to have abortions. Differentstates have various laws on abortion. Abortion continues to be debated worldwide.

Abortion Controversy

Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy. It is the removal of a fetus from the uterusbefore the fetus is mature enough to live on its own. Abortion has been around fordecades. Each year, more than 50% of all pregnancies among young woman areunintended. Half of the unintended pregnancies will end in abortion, which is 1.5million each year. There are no specifications on who will have an abortion. Womenwho have abortions come from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religiousbackgrounds. Calculating abortion rates, older teenagers and young adults have thehighest abortion rates. Young women between the ages of 11 and 19 account forabout 21% of all abortions; women 20 to 24 account for another 34 %; and about22% of abortions are brought about by women who are 30 or older. Over half of allabortions are obtained within the first eight weeks (Women who?, 1995).

Is abortion moral or immoral? People who favor abortion most invoke the ?right tochoose? of woman who conceived the child. The people who oppose abortion focuson the ?right to life? of the fetus. John Paul II, the pope of the Roman CatholicChurch, contends that abortion is a particularly heinous crime because it kills aninnocent human being who has yet to be born. He feels that every human being hasa sacred and inviolable right to life. New York Archbishop John J. O?Connor linked

abortion with the Nazi Holocaust. He stated ?Now Hitler tried to solve a problem, theJewish question. So kill them, shove them in the ovens, burn them. Well, we claimthat unborn babies are a problem, so kill them. To me it really precisely the same?(Roleff, 1997, p.. 33).

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There are two ways to obtain an abortion: surgically and medicinally. A medicalabortion is brought about by taking medications that will end pregnancy; it?s donewithout entering the uterus. There are two well known medications that will endpregnancy: Methotrexate and Mifepristone also known as the RU 486 Pill. Analternative to this method is surgical abortion. This ends the pregnancy by emptyingthe uterus (or womb) with special instruments (What is medical abortion, 1995).

Methotrexate has been used in the United States since 1953, which is when it wasapproved by the FDA to treat certain kinds of cancer. The FDA did not intend for thisdrug to be used to end pregnancies. There are some clinicians prescribingMethotrexate for early abortion. This drug is given to pregnant women in the form ofan injection, or shot. Methotrexate stops embryonic or fetal cells from dividing. Thepregnancy stops once these cells can no longer divide (What is medical abortion,1995). This procedure involves three visits to the doctor for complete process andthe woman will abort the baby at home ( How abortions?, 1998).

Another medication that might be used is Mifepristone, also known as RU 486. It isa newer medication that was developed and tested specifically as anabortion-inducing agent. RU 486 was invented in 1980 by Dr. Etienne-EmileBaulieu. It is the first of a new generation of birth control drugs called?antiprogestins,? which is considered to be a breakthrough in birth controltechnology. RU 486 works by binding to the progesterone receptors in a women?suterus and blocking the progesterone. The lining of the woman?s body breaks downand sheds (like normal period) without progesterone. RU 486 also opens up thecervix and leads to contractions that help dislodge and expel the embryo. Thisprocedure will only work during the first 9 weeks of pregnancy, or up to 63 days oflast menstrual cycle. Apparently, the women?s own progesterone level is too high tobe affected by the drug if it?s done later. It is administered through several clinicvisits; it is not a do-it-yourself pill (RU 486, 1996). This method takes place over aspan of several days.

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There are two methods that can be used to induce surgical abortion. The mostcommon method is to open the cervix slightly (entrance to uterus) and remove thecontents of the uterus (this includes the placenta and fetus). They may use a smallsuction machine to empty contents of uterus or dilation. . A woman is considered tobe in her first trimester if less than 13 to 15 weeks have passed since her lastmenstrual period, this is when this method takes place. The second method is usedless frequently, mainly when pregnancies are over 22 weeks. This method involvesinducing labor so that the fetus and placenta are expelled as in childbirth. The entiresurgical procedure of emptying uterus takes 5 to 10 minutes. There are somewomen that experience pain, sort of like the menstrual-type cramping, but nothingthat is that painful (What is surgical abortion, 1995).

The Roe vs. Wade court case arose out of a Texas law that prohibited legal abortionexcept to save a woman?s life. Jane Roe, a 21-year-old pregnant woman,represented all women who wanted abortions but couldn?t obtain them legally andsafely. The Texas Attorney General, Henry Wade, defended the law that madeabortions illegal. The Supreme Court made their decision to make abortion legal.This ruling on January 22, 1973 opened the way to more than thirty-one million legalabortions. The Supreme Court ruled that American?s right to privacy included theright of a woman and her doctor to make that decision without state interference, atleast in the first trimester of pregnancy. They wanted to balance a woman?s rightsand the states? interest to protect the woman and the life of the fetus. They did thisin the following way: (a) For about the first 13 weeks, state laws and regulationsmay not interfere with woman?s right to end pregnancy through abortion. (b) For 14to 24 weeks, state laws may regulate abortion procedures in order to protectwoman?s health. (c) After 24 weeks, when fetus is viable, state laws may prohibitabortion except when it is necessary to preserve the health or life of a woman(Celebrating 25 years, 1995).

The Roe vs. Wade had a deep impact on the daily lives of women. Without legalabortion, all women?s health was threatened. Thousands of women died in backalleys from illegal abortion, and thousands more suffered serious medicalcomplications. After Roe, access to legal abortion turned a dangerous experienceinto a safe and legitimate health care option (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995). American Civil

Liberties Union stated that ?The movement to newly restrict reproductive choiceis?.a grave threat to all Americans? cherished right to privacy, bodily integrity andreligious liberty? (Roleff, 1997, p. 66)

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In the early 1970?s many women had to travel outside their states of residence toobtain abortion. Traveling outside the state hurt the women who were poor. BeforeRoe vs. Wade there were 3 states that prohibited all abortions, and there were 4states that permitted abortion for any reason (Craig & O?Briem, 1993).

Today, abortion is legal but the states have put restrictions on abortions such as:mandatory waiting periods, ?informed consent? requirements, parental consentregulations, and weakening the standard which further constraints will be judged.These restrictions hit the low-income women hardest, along with any women whodepend on the state for their health care (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995).

In. conclusion, the decision made in the case Roe vs. Wade launched the debatethat modern society still deals with everyday. The House, Senate, and even thePresident are face with bills and laws pertaining to abortion almost everyday. Thesepeople have helped set standards in this issue such as parental notification,parental consent, and they have made late-term abortions illegal unless themother?s physical or emotional health are at risk. They have also approved somestandards in some states such as a mandatory waiting period and two visitations tothe clinic before having the abortion. There are many different types of abortionranging from a simple pill to sucking out the contents of the uterus. In my ownpersonal opinion, I think abortion is murder. Whether the fetus can live outside of itsmother or not, it is still a human being; taking its life is no different than taking anadults life. I do agree, however, that there are extenuating circumstances such asthe risk of the mothers health or high risk of birth defects in which abortion is one ofthe options. I do not honestly think the debate of abortion will ever die downbecause if they make it illegal, they punish some that haven?t done anything wrong.On the other hand, if they keep it legal they stir up a lot of anger in people who thinkit is murder.

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Bibliography

References

Celebrating 25 years of reproductive choice. (1995). National Abortion Federation[online] available: Http://www.prochoice.org/facts/historyfs.htm (11/2/99).

Craig, B., & O?Brien, D. (1993). Abortion and american politics. New Jersey:Chatham House Publishers, Inc.

Cozic, C., & Petrikin, J. (Eds.). (1995). The abortion controversy. San Diego:Greenhaven Press, Inc.

How abortions are done. (1998). [online] available:Http://w-cpc.org/abortion/methods.html (11/11/99).

Roleff, T. (Ed.). (1997). Abortion: opposing viewpoints. San Diego: GreenhavenPress, Inc.

RU-486 the abortion pill. (1996). Childbirth by Choice Trust [online] available:Http://www.cbctrust.com/ru486.html (11/2/99).

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What is medical abortion. (1995). National Abortion Federation [online] available:Http://www.prochoice.org/facts/medab.htm (11/2/99).

What is surgical abortion. (1995). National Abortion Federation [online] available:Http://procoice.org/facts/whatis.htm (11/2/99).

Women who have abortions. (1995). National Abortion Federation [online] available:Http://www/prochoice.org/facts/womenwho.htm (11/2/99).