University of North Carolina Charlotte

The Controversial Issue of Abortion

Evan Fiore

Professor Justin Cary

UWRT 1103 012

February 7, 2017
 The Controversial Issue of Abortion

Potter Stewart wrote, Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures

because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life (Stewart

2017). This quote expresses the opinion of someone who is most likely against abortion. When

the concept of abortion is brought to our attention, the first thing people may ask you is what side

you are on. Are you pro-choice or pro-life? This question may not be a simple yes or no answer.

Some people argue that a woman should have the ability to have full control over what she does

with her body. Others, argue that abortion is the murder of an unborn, innocent child and should

be regulated (Abortion Polls 2017). There has also been cases where people's opinions lie in

between the former and the latter. They disagree with abortion; however, they do not think that it

should be banned by our own government. Knowing what an abortion is helps to understand the

situation. The issue with abortion stems down to where it is and isnt legalized, the reasons for

wanting an abortion, and how a person conceives life.

Its important to first understand what an abortion means. The McGraw-Hill Dictionary

defines an abortion as, The spontaneous or induced expulsion of the fetus prior to the time of

viability, most often during the first 20 weeks of the human gestation period (McGraw-Hill

2003). This quote describes an abortion in the context of medicine and biology. Based off of the

definition, it can be stated that an abortion basically means the cancellation of a pregnancy. An
abortion stops a pregnancy from being carried out. To undergo an abortion, surgical procedures

are required. There are different techniques that medical doctors may perform to achieve an

abortion. The most common method is a technique called suction curettage (Shephard 2014). It is

used for roughly 90% of abortions in the United States alone. The technique removes contents of

the uterus through the use of suction and various instruments found in a surgical setting.

Abortions can also be completed through the administration of certain drugs that create

contractions in the uterus. Dilation and evacuation procedures are another option that women

have when wanting an abortion (Shephard 2014). The process of an abortion has not always been

legal.

Many countries around the world have not legalized the process of terminating a

pregnancy (Shephard 2014). This is because the legal status of an abortion is dependent on each

country. For example, it took until 1973 for the United States to legalize abortion in every state

(Shephard 2014). Because not every country has legalized abortions, some people may even try

to find someone who would perform the procedure illegally. While it seems unethical to go

against the law in your own country, some people will go the distance to get what they desire.

However, most of this is avoided because around 66% of the population of women on Earth are

able to obtain access to abortions when needed (Shephard 2014). Women of different age groups

have considered abortion. Abortions are not limited to people in a certain age group. For

example, women in their 30s and 40s are not the only age groups that are allowed to legally

have a abortion (Shephard 2014). Furthermore, abortion rates have risen since the legalization of

the medical treatment in the United States (Shephard 2014). It can be inferred that, since people

began to learn about abortions and it became legal in more areas, more people began to test the

process waters. Data collected between 1980 to 1985 shows that abortions happen almost 1.3
million times every year (Shephard 2014). This number stands out because it took only seven

years for the number to reach a million people. For the abortion rates to decrease, it is assumed

that more people would need to become abstinent and be more careful to avoid unwanted

pregnancies. It is likely that the abortion rates will continue to increase or level off at some point

in the future. There are various reasons that have been explored as to why people choose to

undergo an abortion.

When asking someone why they would go through with an abortion, a variety of different

responses may be provided. Each and every person has their own reason, whether it is personal

or if they believe in something that others believe. Abortions create pathways that people follow

because they need to fix something, change something that has happened, or remove something

from their lives that they do not want to remember. Articles from the internet and stories on the

news have provided people with insight as to why abortions happen. Other reasons may never be

revealed. However, some countries restrict patients based on their reasons for wanting an

abortion. In the United States, abortions are allowed for most reasons (Johnston 2003). There are

only some states that provide limits on the reasons as to why somebody would want an abortion

(Johnston 2003). The most common reasons for an abortion, as discussed in the tables displayed

in an archive by Robert Johnston, are not being ready to have a child, being concerned at how a

baby would alter their own lifestyle, and not being able to afford the costs and responsibility of a

child (Johnston 2003). Other reasons for an abortion involve health problems with the mother or

child and rape cases (Johnston 2003). There are even cases where the partner in a relationship or

situation does not want the baby and forces an abortion to happen (Johnston 2003). All of the

reasons provided in the tables could be labeled as valid reasons if explained well enough. The

data reported in the archive is from women who have had and reported their abortions (Johnston
2003). Additionally, it is difficult for the United States to report abortion statistics because some

states report more than others (Johnston 2003). It can be inferred that a majority of the reasons

for an abortion branches to the point of unplanned parenthood. Responsibilities are being taken

for granted. People are not being careful when they balance the concept of desire with

consequence. The stance on abortion really depends on how a person conceives life.

The debate on whether a fetus is considered alive has been discussed from generation to

generation. Life is defined as, The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from

dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth,

reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment (Life 2017). There are

many things that are used to dictate life. This quote, from the dictionary, sets the basics for how

we separate the living from the nonliving. There is one question that comes to mind when people

talk about an abortion. Is a fetus alive (Arthur 2017)? It is assumed that a supporter of the pro-

choice stance would dictate that a fetus does not contain all of the qualities of life to be

considered alive. They would believe that women should be able to have an abortion if they so

chose to have one. Someone who supports the pro-life stance, would most likely describe an

abortion as murder. These supporters would agree that fetuses should be allowed to have the

same human rights as we have ourselves. However, these stances can both be described as

flawed because our society does not know the actual answer. There is no general consensus by

biologists, lawmakers, and realists on the topic at hand (Arthur 2017). There is no win-win

situation. There is no true side to either story. Deciding if a fetus is alive or not falls to a persons

beliefs and opinions (Arthur 2017). Furthermore, even if a fetus is lawfully said to be living,

abortions would still happen (Arthur 2017). Some people who are against abortions may still end

up getting an abortion if they have one of the previously mentioned reasons for going through the
process (Arthur 2017). Our conscience will be the ultimate deciding factor to the side that we

choose and the stance that we have on issues like abortions.

In my opinion, the viewpoint I would choose on abortion would fall in the medium. I do

believe that abortion is wrong in some cases and that it should be avoided whenever possible.

However, I do not think that it should be restricted by the government if the issue is valid. For

example, in rape cases, the mother would not want to remember her own child as coming from

someone that hurt her emotionally and physically. Its a burden that a mother would not be able

to bear. Moreover, if the child has the potential to kill the mother or if the child is showing signs

of death before being born, I believe that abortion would be acceptable and maybe even

necessary. On the other hand, I believe that unplanned parenthood is an excuse that many people

use to cover up the fact that they werent being responsible. There are many families in the world

that look first towards adoption because they want to help children that cannot be helped by their

own parents. They do not want to see the struggle of young children. Some people are only able

to adopt children because their bodies will not allow them to naturally reproduce. It is important

to allow people who want to adopt to have a choice in the matter. Abortion is a topic that I

analyze because of the weight it carries throughout our society. It is a topic that is debated and

has sides with valid points that can be deemed worthy of being followed.

In conclusion, the debate of abortions will continue for as long as we live. The

controversial topic will be discussed for generations with no end in sight. As of now, there is no

right or wrong answer to the topic that is discussed worldwide. There is always going to be

people who fight for each side. More reasons will be developed as to why people will choose to

go through abortions. In addition, abortions are like a presidential election. People will take their

stance and choose to follow the Democrats, Republicans, or another party. Some people may not
even pick a side. In the same sense, people are either pro-choice, pro-life, in between, or they

have no opinion on the matter. While our destinies may forever be set in stone, the idea of

abortions and how we deal with the controversial issue can be shaped by future societies. The

question that needs to be weighed heavily and considered is: do we understand the consequence

that follows both sides of the situation? Do we value a young, developing childs life or do we

believe it is right to allow a women to decide her responsibilities and the potential fate of a

family?

References
Arthur, J. (n.d.). Personhood: Is a Fetus a Human Being? Retrieved February 07, 2017, from

http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml

Abortion Poll Results. (n.d.). Retrieved February 07, 2017, from

https://www.isidewith.com/poll/965629

Johnston, R. (2003). Reasons given for having abortions in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved

February 07, 2017, from http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html

Life. (n.d.). Retrieved February 07, 2017, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/life

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed., McGraw-Hill Education,

New York, 2003

Potter Stewart. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved February 7, 2017, from BrainyQuote.com

Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/potter_stewart.html

Shephard, Bruce D. (2014). Pregnancy. In AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education.

https:doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.543100