Pros of Abortion: Opinion Essay

Hi, my name is Kiran and this is Ify and this debate is based on the pros of abortion. To start everything off, abortion is a procedure that results in the termination of a pregnancy which can happen spontaneously, medically, or surgically. We will be discussing why abortion should be legal and what legalizing abortion can do for us.

• 14.5% of maternal deaths are caused by unsafe abortions in countries that have restrictive abortion laws. This percentage can greatly be decreased if abortion became legal in places that it is currently not (Faúndes, A, 2015)
• Although contraception is effective, it is not 100% effective unless the schedule for each method is perfectly used, even then, it is considered only 99% effective as per NSH (2017)
• Even for those who are practicing abstinence, sexual violence and rape are unfortunately also a factor that contributes to unplanned pregnancies (Faúndes, A, 2015)
• Under Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedom, everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person. Under subsection one, right to life, it clearly states, “Although the sanctity of life is a fundamental societal value, the right to life does not give rise to a duty to live. Like other rights, the right to life can be waived” (Charterpedia, & Department of Justice, 2019).
• Under section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedom, the right to liberty states, “Section 7 also protects a sphere of personal autonomy involving “inherently private choices” that go to the “core of what it means to enjoy individual dignity and independence” (Charterpedia, & Department of Justice, 2019).
• It also states, “This aspect of liberty includes the right to refuse medical treatment and the right to make “reasonable medical choices” without threat of criminal prosecution” (Charterpedia, & Department of Justice, 2019).
• Under section 7 of the Charter of Freedom and Rights, the right to security states, “Security of the person includes a person’s right to control his/her own bodily integrity. It will be engaged where the state interferes with personal autonomy and a person’s ability to control his or her own physical or psychological integrity, for example by prohibiting assisted suicide or regulating abortion or imposing unwanted medical treatment” (Charterpedia, & Department of Justice, 2019).
• Section 7 – Right to security of the person also engages when the action being implemented will cause impairment of an individual’s physical or mental health. If something causes severe psychological harm to an individual, section 7 will engage (Charterpedia, & Department of Justice, 2019)
• Ex. Going through with a pregnancy, not being able to financially support the child, and putting him up for adoption will cause more emotional pain and psychological impairment then simply going through an induced abortion. In the first case, the individual will deal with the drop of hormones at the end of the pregnancy, becoming attached to the child, and then having to go through the emotional downfall of giving the child up due to financial constraints, whereas in the second case, the individual just experiences the hormonal downfall.
• BBC.co.Uk (2014) stated that “women have a moral right to decide what to do with their bodies. The right to abortion is vital for gender equality. The right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential” (p.1). Women are human beings. Just like any other human being, they have rights over their bodies and that includes rights to abortions. Rapes are forced sex without the consent of the woman. Rapes are emotionally devastating to women. It can lead to various psychological problems which can lead to suicidal thoughts and eventually suicide itself. With such psychological trauma, in essence, the life of a woman who endured rape is virtually in danger. Having stated that if a woman is raped and she becomes pregnant, will I suggest that the woman carry the baby to term and deliver it? No, I wouldn’t do that. I would suggest that the woman abort the baby safely. The baby is simply a product of rape and will be a constant reminder of the emotional trauma she went through If she decides to keep it.
• In another situation, for health reasons, there are women that cannot risk getting pregnant. The danger is so real that if they become pregnant and give birth, it may cost them their lives. In situations like that, who in his or her right mind would suggest that a woman bear the child when her life will be in serious danger. A famous example of this health danger played out with Kim Kardashian of the Keeping up with the Kardashian TV show. Parents.com (2017) “I had so many complications. I had this condition called placenta accreta” (p.1). This was a quote from Kim Kardashian. After her second child, her doctor discovered that she had a condition called Placenta Accreta. It is a condition that will cause her excessive bleeding during birth if she decides to have another child thereby putting her life in danger. The dilemma was that she and her husband wanted two more children. In order to preserve her life, they decided to use a surrogate mother for their last two children. I’m sure there are many other medical reasons why women can’t give birth safely. In situations like this, if a woman becomes pregnant, abortion is the rational way to go to save the life of the woman.
• Plannedparenthood.org (2018) cited that “women have an abortion because they want to finish school, focus on work, or achieve other goals before having a baby” (p.1). The situation of having a baby when one is unprepared for it is a fast track to perpetual poverty and misery. If a young woman in high school has the misfortune of getting pregnant, it is clear that it will disrupt her education. In first instance, she will be forced to drop out of school thereby minimizing her chances of a better life in the future. How is she going to take care of the baby when she can’t work? She won’t be able to afford daycare for the child, therefore, contributing to her miserable existence and suffering.

Plannedparenthood.org (2018) asks “why do women have an abortion? They are in an abusive relationship” (p.1). This is one of the reasons for my pro-abortion stand. If a woman is in a bad relationship or bad marriage, bringing a child into a bad situation is not only bad for the woman but for the child too. The woman is barely surviving in an abusive relationship and have to take care of a child. That is like making a bad situation worse. If the woman can’t help herself in such a situation, it is obvious that she can’t take care of the child within that setting. In addition, the psychological wellbeing of that child will be in danger as he or she grows up and the innocent, defenseless child could be abused by the man as well. With all that said, it is a wise decision to abort that to go through life of endless suffering and misery.

1. BBC Ethics Guide 2014. Arguments in favor of abortion. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/mother/for_1.shtml#top
2. Explore Parents 2017. Kim Kardashian Had Placenta Accreta: What Is That? Retrieved from: https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/everything-pregnancy/kim-kardashian-had-placenta-accreta-what-is-that/
3. Planned Parenthood 2018. Considering Abortion. Retrieved from: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/considering-abortion
4. Faúndes, A., & Shah, I. H. (2015). Evidence supporting broader access to safe legal abortion. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 131. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.03.018
5. Erdman, J. N., Grenon, A., & Harrison-Wilson, L. (2011). Medication Abortion in Canada: A Right-to-Health Perspective. American Journal of Public Health, 98(10), 1764–1769. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2008.134684
6. NSH. (2017, June 30). How effective is contraception at preventing pregnancy? Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/how-effective-contraception/.
7. Charterpedia, & Department of Justice. (2019, June 17). Section 7 – Life, liberty and security of the person. Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/art7.html.