Dacquel 3

Zac Dacquel
Mr. Rogers
Government
October 22
Mock Congress Research Paper: Abortion
How would you feel if someone took away your chance to live and imagine not having
any say into whether you want to live or not? Well in many cases around the world that is what
exactly is happening; In the United States alone, research has shown that about 1.21 million
babies are being aborted a year and 50% of those women are younger than 25 years old. Studies
show that 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of
potential health problems with either the mother or the child; and 93% of all abortions occur for
social reasons (that is, the child is unwanted or inconvenient). An estimated 35% of all women
will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. Having an abortion have many
side effects that affect the human body physically and mentally and sometimes will result into
death or suicide. The United States should ban abortion (unless it endangers the mothers the
life) because abortion is killing a human baby, adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and
accomplishes the same result, and an abortion can result in medical complications later in life.
A fertilized human embryo carries out the processes of metabolism, it grows and
develops, it responds to stimuli and maintains homeostasis, and it contains the genetic potential
for reproduction. While it is not capable of reproducing at such an early stage in its development,
neither is a four year old boy; the important issue is that it has reproductive potential, or to be
even more accurate, that it belongs to a genus which can reproduce itself as a whole, as not all
particular living organisms are fertile. Someone might counter that the embryo is unviable- that it

cannot "do all of these things by itself." Actually, a fertilized embryo does carry out metabolism
by itself. When people make this objection, they mean that the fetus only processes energy that it
acquires from its mother who actively acquires it herself. Yet there are many other organisms
which are considered separate, living beings that also live inside the mother (in her skin,
digestive tract, and elsewhere) and acquire their energy from her. All organisms acquire their
energy from their environment. And for some organisms, their environment is another organism.
Such is the temporary state of the unborn human being until it reaches a transition into the next
stage of its life cycle, infancy. The embryo or fetus is getting no "help" in absorbing and
processing the energy. It doesn't simply remain passive while energy is actively pushed through it
from an external source. By its own power, it actively works to obtain energy from its
environment and process it to grow and develop, which it also does by itself. According to the
Encyclopedia Britannica, life is, a material complex or individual characterized by the capacity
to perform certain functional activities, including metabolism, growth, reproduction, and some
form of responsiveness and adaptation. After conception, human embryos exhibit all of these
features. Embryos are no different in their fundamental humanity from a 5-month fetus in the
womb, a 5 year-old girl, or a 50-year old man. At every stage of development, human beings
(whether zygote, blastocyst, embryo, fetus, infant, adolescent, or adult) retain their basic human
identity as they grow through their successive stages. Despite their unfamiliar appearance,
embryos are very young humans.
Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. Although
each state has its own laws about adoption, the general process is that shortly after the baby is
born, the birth mother signs papers that end her rights to the child and give her consent for the

adoption. If the birth father is known and he admits to being the father, he also signs consent
forms.
Sometimes the baby leaves the hospital with the adoptive parents. Sometimes the baby is first
placed in foster care. During this time, the adoptive parents file legal papers asking to adopt the
baby. A judge approves the adoption after a waiting period (usually 16 months). At this time,
the adoption is final. There are three types of adoptions; open, closed, and semi-open. In open
adoption, the birth mother and the adoptive parents may meet and share names and addresses. In
a closed adoption, the birth mother and the adoptive parents do not meet or know each others
names. The adoptive parents only get information about the birth parents medical information or
family historynothing that would identify them. In a semi-open adoption, the adoption agency
will provide the birth mother with information about the baby from the adoptive parents and vice
versa, but there is no direct contact between the birth mother and the baby. Identities usually are
kept hidden. There are many advantages of adoption for birth mothers. Adoption can give her a
chance to receive an education or achieve other goals. Placing a child for adoption with a loving
family who can provide a safe and happy home can be a great comfort for a birth mother. One of
biggest advantages of choosing adoption is the ability to still be a part of your childs life. Many
birth mothers are able to stay in contact with the adoptive family and their child through open
adoption. They may receive letters, emails, photos, and phone calls regarding the welfare of their
child. In some cases, there may even be visits with the child. There are many advantages for
children who are adopted. They grow up in a family that you lovingly and selflessly chose for
them. Your child will know that you made a loving decision to choose the best life possible for
them. Your child will be grateful for your courageous decision and thankful that so many people
care about him or her.

Surgical abortion is an intrusive procedure that violently interrupts a natural biological

process. Documented complications include hemorrhage, infection, cervical damage, uterine
perforation, pelvic inflammatory disease and retained fetal or placental tissue. Abortion can also
result in death. Large record-based studies from Finland, Denmark and the United States found
that maternal mortality rates after abortion were significantly higher than after childbirth.
Increased mortality rates persist at least 10 years following abortion. Abortion can hinder future
reproductive success. It greatly increases the risk of following preterm birth, which seriously
threatens the lives and health of newborn children. The risk of premature delivery increases with
each additional abortion. Abortion is also connected with an increased risk of infertility,
miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and placenta previa. In addition to its risks to a womans physical
health, abortion can have negative psycho-social consequences. A 2011 studies found an 81%
increased risk of mental health problems among women who had undertaken abortions; nearly
10% of the incidence of psychological problems was directly attributable to abortion. These
problems included anxiety, depression, alcohol use, drug use and suicidal behavior. Abortion can
also damage a womans relationships with her partner and others and can adversely affect men
and children. Many women and men now regret their decision to procure or encourage an
abortion, and many seek support and help to deal with their grief.
Historically, a fetus has never been considered a human being, at least not before " an
old-fashioned term indicating noticeable movement of the fetus and there is a great deal of myth
and misinformation about the safety of abortion, but in fact there are fewer medical risks
associated with abortion than with a full-term pregnancy and delivery. Fetuses are uniquely
different from born human beings in major ways, which casts doubt on the claim that they can be
classified as human beings. The most fundamental difference is that a fetus is totally dependent

on a woman's body to survive. Early abortion is one of the safest of all medical procedures. Antiabortion activists claim that having an abortion increases the risk of developing breast cancer and
endangers future childbearing. Not only are these myths but are used to tactically manipulate
peoples mind into thinking that abortion can lead to many deadly things.
With all these facts and reasons the United States should ban abortion (unless it
endangers the mothers the life) because abortion is killing a human baby, adoption is a viable
alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result, and an abortion can result in medical
complications later in life. Banning abortion will not only help the mothers health healthy (post
abortion) but will help the child get adopted and will be with a loving family. The United States
is a Christian based country and together we can bring justice to unborn babies by banning
abortion.