A woman’s right to choose
The topic of abortion is and likely will remain highly controversial. It is about a woman’s right to choose vs. the rights of the fetus. In 1973, the case of Roe vs. Wade abortion was made legal without restrictions during the first trimester and legal in the second trimester with the purpose of protecting maternal health. Even still years later we remain divided with most falling into one of the two positions which are pro-choice or pro-life. To understand the viewpoints of both parties we must first look at abortion facts and controversies.
According to webmd.com, each year, nearly 1.2 million American women have an abortion to end a pregnancy. The most common reasons women consider abortion are; “Failure of birth control, over half of women reported using birth control in the month they became pregnant”; Inability to support or care for a child”; “To end an unwanted pregnancy”; “To prevent the birth of a child with birth defects or severe medical problems, many of these defects are often unknown until routine second-trimester tests are done”; “Pregnancy resulting from rape or incest; “Physical or mental conditions that endanger the woman's health if the pregnancy is continued”. A majority of these abortions are performed within the first trimester of pregnancy, with most being performed during the first 9 weeks of the pregnancy. Very few of these abortions are done after 16 weeks of pregnancy. Some women report they had to delay having an abortion because they had trouble paying for it, or locating and traveling to an abortion specialist.
Under constant debate is the question “When is abortion acceptable if ever?” Much of the public would agree that abortion is acceptable for reasons of rape, incest, serious birth defects, or because the woman’s physical life is in danger. But many pro-lifers do not agree and feel abortion is never the answer .Pro-abortionist feel that whatever reason a woman has for terminating a pregnancy that it is her right to do so and no restrictions should be placed.
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. Many anti-abortionists believe that life starts at conception so the voluntary removal of an embryo or fetus at any stage or viability is wrong and considered murder. They believe that the fetus has a right to live that must be protected. Pro-abortionist believe it is the rights and privacy of the women that must be protected and believe the rights of the fetus begin at birth. So the main argument here is at what point this embryo or fetus considered a person. If you believe it is not yet a person, then it is simply part of the woman's body and subject to her control. On the other side if you believe the