Somoundjian 1

Alina Somoundjian
English 28
Professor Batty
8 November 2016
Reproductive Rights in the United States: The Value of a Life
In the year 2012, 699,202 legal induced abortions were reported to the CDC from 49
reporting areas. The abortion rate for 2012 was 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 1544
years, and the abortion ratio was 210 abortions per 1,000 live births. 51% of abortions are being
performed on women 25 years of age or younger. Approximately one out of three women have
had an abortion by the age of 45. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). As widespread a
practice as it is, abortion has been and remains a controversial topic worldwide.
Although the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Roe v. Wade case in 1973, many people
want the 7-2 decision overturned and argue abortion should be illegal. Supreme Court Justice
William H. Rehnquist wrote [abortion] is not 'private' in the ordinary usage of that word. Nor is
the 'privacy' that the Court finds here even a distant relative of the freedom from searches and
seizures protected by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution..." (Roe v. Wade). Additionally,
it can be argued that the practice of abortion is unconstitutional. The United States Constitution
prohibits the government from denying any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law." (U.S. Constitution). The Supreme Court pushed their boundaries when they did
not consider unborn children as persons a 3-month-old fetus has the same potential of
becoming an adult as any child does, and taking away this potential undoubtedly violates that
childs unalienable right.

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Additionally, abortion violates the original Hippocratic Oath taken by medical
professionals. In taking away the life of an unborn child, these doctors and medical professionals
are essentially playing God. This oath states "I will not give a woman a pessary [a device
inserted into the vagina] to cause an abortion." Even still, the modern version of the Oath forbids
doctors from performing abortions in the line, "Above all, I must not play at God. (The
Hippocratic Oath).
As of now, many different methods of abortions are legally available to women. The most
common of those is the process of inserting a suction curette into the uterus after the dilation of
the cervix, known as suction abortion. The powerful suction tears the fetuss body while sucking
it via hose into a container. This method is especially common in the first twelve weeks of
pregnancy. There are numerous medical risks that come alongside this method as other available
methods. Infections, scarring of the uterine lining, endometritis, and many other medical
endangerments. Getting an abortion also puts women at a much higher risk of getting breast
cancer, placenta previa, and ectopic pregnancy. Furthermore, there are emotional complications
to consider. Eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, and depression are just a few of those
consequences.
Being the controversial issue it is, abortion may be a difficult thing to discuss. This is
why women who get abortions often choose not to tell anyone even the father of the child.
Although it is the womans body, she did not create that child on her own, therefore it is immoral
for her to make that choice on her own.
Personally, I don't think any circumstances justify the taking of an unborn childs life.
Whether that situation be rape, unprotected sex, or any other occurrence. Many pro-choice
advocates argue it is completely the womans choice to decide if they would like to keep the

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child, since it is the womans body. However, the pro-choice, and more convincing argument is
that women need to take responsibility for their actions. Having sexual intercourse, even when
contraceptive methods are used, carries with it the risk of a pregnancy (British Broadcasting
Corporation: BBC). The unborn child should not have to be deprived of their life simply for a
mistake made by an irresponsible adult. The standard and belief that abortion promotes is that
human life is disposable and that any selfish action is acceptable as long as it makes the
individual committing it happy.
Furthermore, many women take the right to abort a child for granted. A problem that may
inevitably result from the practice of abortion is women taking it for granted and using it as
contraception. Abortion should not be seen as a form contraception. The Guttmacher Institute
reported that half of all women having abortions every year have had at least one previous
abortion (Guttmacher Institute), while 8.5% of abortions reported to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in 2010 were undergone by women who had three or more previous
abortions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
There are many solutions to an unplanned pregnancy beside abortion. Adoption is one
alternative. There are many couples looking to adopt a child. People always argue that foster kids
or adopted kids don't always have the best lives, but at least they get the chance to experience life
first hand for themselves. The only time I think abortion is justified is when the woman carrying
the baby is at risk of death or harm. Otherwise, there is absolutely no excuse in my opinion. As
long as you are fully capable of having the child, you should.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, it is ensured that every woman
considering an abortion receive complete information on her alternatives and that every woman
submitting to an abortion do so only after giving her voluntary and informed consent to the

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abortion procedure. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Skloot writes, I am entirely
sympathetic to your reasons for withholding the name of the patient and thus prevent a possible
invasion of privacy. However, I do believe that in the kind of article I am projecting there would
be complete protection of the rights of all individuals. Berg didnt explain how releasing
Henriettas name to the public would have protected the privacy or rights of her family. In fact,
doing so would have forever connected Henrietta and her family with the cells and any medical
information eventually derived from their DNA. That wouldnt have protected the Lackses
privacy, but it certainly would have changed the course of their lives. They would have learned
that Henriettas cells were still alive, that theyd been taken, bought, sold, and used in research
without her knowledge or theirs. (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks). In the book, Henrietta
is not informed about what she is giving her consent to, but gives it regardless because as a black
patient she doesnt know any better. However, women getting abortions nowadays must receive
complete information on all her options and the procedure itself before actually going through it.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That said, I stand firm in the belief that abortions
should be illegal. As long as women are taking advantage of these procedures, I dont think it is a
right that should just be granted to everyone. It ultimately is a morality issue above all else. The
more people begin to understand the complexity of abortions, the more they will realize how
anti-life and anti-human it is.

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Bibliography
"Abortion Facts | Department of Health | State of Louisiana." Abortion Facts | Department of Health |
State of Louisiana. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
"Abortion Facts." Students for Life. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
America, NARAL Pro-Choice. "Who Decides? The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the
United States." NARAL Pro-Choice America. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), "Responsibility of the Mother," bbc.co.uk (accessed Apr.
22, 2014)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Abortion Surveillance United States, 2010,"
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Nov. 29, 2013
Constitution of the United States: Amendment XIV, archives.gov, July 9, 1868
"Data and Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2016. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
Guttmacher Institute, "Induced Abortion in the United States," guttmacher.org, July 2014
Henry E. Sigerist, The Hippocratic Oath: Text, Translation, and Interpretation, 1996
Roe v. Wade, US Supreme Court, lp.findlaw.com, Jan. 22, 1973
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.