FREE ESSAY ON ABORTION

ABORTION

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 important turning point in
abortion. This decision made it legal to have abortions. Different states 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 uterus
before the fetus is mature enough to live on its own. Abortion has been around for
decades. Each year, more than 50% of all pregnancies among young woman are unintended.
Half of the unintended pregnancies will end in abortion, which is 1.5 million each year.
There are no specifications on who will have an abortion. Women who have abortions come
from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. Calculating abortion
rates, older teenagers and young adults have the highest abortion rates. Young women
between the ages of 11 and 19 account for about 21% of all abortions; women 20 to 24
account for another 34 %; and about 22% of abortions are brought about by women who are
30 or older. Over half of all abortions are obtained within the first eight weeks (Women
who..., 1995).
Is abortion moral or immoral? People who favor abortion most invoke the "right to choose"
of woman who conceived the child. The people who oppose abortion focus on the "right to
life" of the fetus. John Paul II, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, contends that
abortion is a particularly heinous crime because it kills an innocent human being who has
yet to be born. He feels that every human being has a 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, the Jewish question. So kill them, shove
them in the ovens, burn them. Well, we claim that unborn babies are a problem, so kill
them. To me it really precisely the same" (Roleff, 1997, p.. 33). 
There are two ways to obtain an abortion: surgically and medicinally. A medical abortion
is brought about by taking medications that will end pregnancy; it's done without
entering the uterus. There are two well known medications that will end pregnancy:
Methotrexate and Mifepristone also known as the RU 486 Pill. An alternative to this
method is surgical abortion. This ends the pregnancy by emptying the 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 was approved
by the FDA to treat certain kinds of cancer. The FDA did not intend for this drug to be
used to end pregnancies. There are some clinicians prescribing Methotrexate for early
abortion. This drug is given to pregnant women in the form of an injection, or shot.
Methotrexate stops embryonic or fetal cells from dividing. The pregnancy stops once these
cells can no longer divide (What is medical abortion, 1995). This procedure involves
three visits to the doctor for complete process and the woman will abort the baby at home
( How abortions..., 1998). 
Another medication that might be used is Mifepristone, also known as RU 486. It is a
newer medication that was developed and tested specifically as an abortion-inducing
agent. RU 486 was invented in 1980 by Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu. It is the first of a new
generation of birth control drugs called "antiprogestins," which is considered to be a
breakthrough in birth control technology. RU 486 works by binding to the progesterone
receptors in a women's uterus and blocking the progesterone. The lining of the woman's
body breaks down and sheds (like normal period) without progesterone. RU 486 also opens
up the cervix and leads to contractions that help dislodge and expel the embryo. This
procedure will only work during the first 9 weeks of pregnancy, or up to 63 days of last
menstrual cycle. Apparently, the women's own progesterone level is too high to be
affected by the drug if it's done later. It is administered through several clinic
visits; it is not a do-it-yourself pill (RU 486, 1996). This method takes place over a
span of several days.
There are two methods that can be used to induce surgical abortion. The most common
method is to open the cervix slightly (entrance to uterus) and remove the contents of the
uterus (this includes the placenta and fetus). They may use a small suction machine to
empty contents of uterus or dilation. . A woman is considered to be in her first
trimester if less than 13 to 15 weeks have passed since her last menstrual period, this
is when this method takes place. The second method is used less frequently, mainly when
pregnancies are over 22 weeks. This method involves inducing labor so that the fetus and
placenta are expelled as in childbirth. The entire surgical procedure of emptying uterus
takes 5 to 10 minutes. There are some women that experience pain, sort of like the
menstrual-type cramping, but nothing that is that painful (What is surgical abortion,
1995). 
The Roe vs. Wade court case arose out of a Texas law that prohibited legal abortion
except 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 and safely. The Texas
Attorney General, Henry Wade, defended the law that made abortions 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 legal abortions. The Supreme Court ruled that
American's right to privacy included the right of a woman and her doctor to make that
decision without state interference, at least in the first trimester of pregnancy. They
wanted to balance a woman's rights and the states' interest to protect the woman and the
life of the fetus. They did this in the following way: (a) For about the first 13 weeks,
state laws and regulations may not interfere with woman's right to end pregnancy through
abortion. (b) For 14 to 24 weeks, state laws may regulate abortion procedures in order to
protect woman's health. (c) After 24 weeks, when fetus is viable, state laws may prohibit
abortion 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 legal abortion,
all women's health was threatened. Thousands of women died in back alleys from illegal
abortion, and thousands more suffered serious medical complications. After Roe, access to
legal abortion turned a dangerous experience into a safe and legitimate health care
option (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995). American Civil Liberties Union stated that "The movement
to newly restrict reproductive choice is....a grave threat to all Americans' cherished
right to privacy, bodily integrity and religious liberty" (Roleff, 1997, p. 66)
In the early 1970's many women had to travel outside their states of residence to obtain
abortion. Traveling outside the state hurt the women who were poor. Before Roe vs. Wade
there were 3 states that prohibited all abortions, and there were 4 states 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 consent regulations,
and weakening the standard which further constraints will be judged. These restrictions
hit the low-income women hardest, along with any women who depend on the state for their
health care (Cozic & Petrikin, 1995).
In. conclusion, the decision made in the case Roe vs. Wade launched the debate that
modern society still deals with everyday. The House, Senate, and even the President are
face with bills and laws pertaining to abortion almost everyday. These people have helped
set standards in this issue such as parental notification, parental consent, and they
have made late-term abortions illegal unless the mother's physical or emotional health
are at risk. They have also approved some standards in some states such as a mandatory
waiting period and two visitations to the clinic before having the abortion. There are
many different types of abortion ranging from a simple pill to sucking out the contents
of the uterus. In my own personal opinion, I think abortion is murder. Whether the fetus
can live outside of its mother or not, it is still a human being; taking its life is no
different than taking an adults life. I do agree, however, that there are extenuating
circumstances such as the risk of the mothers health or high risk of birth defects in
which abortion is one of the options. I do not honestly think the debate of abortion will
ever die down because 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 think it is murder. 
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: Greenhaven Press,
Inc.
RU-486 the abortion pill. (1996). Childbirth by Choice Trust [online] available:
Http://www.cbctrust.com/ru486.html (11/2/99).
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).