Should Abortion Be Allowed? by Sinar Chen

Background Information:

sc2662_ — 2023-11-18 22:32:28 UTC

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, from Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the United States has continued to strip the right to legal abortion. A large number of states are now seeking to eliminate legal access to abortion. An abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy, and people can either go to an abortion clinic or use medication to have one. With the lowering of gestational age limits, many clinics have closed, and women now have to travel farther to clinics or deal with other issues, such as increased out-of-pocket costs and difficulties accessing medication for abortions. In most cases of abortion, it is already difficult enough to be allowed an abortion because of the cost of travel and the procedure, and not recognizing they were pregnant leads to pregnancies just over the gestational age limit for abortion. Pregnancies over the gestational age limit are denied and they are forced to carry it to term. Even in places where abortion is legal in other parts of the world, the abortion rates are no different from places where it is legal. Also, the clinics and doctors are unwilling to provide abortion services. Despite these restrictions, many women still continue to seek out abortions despite the legal and health risks. Specifically, people who could give birth with epilepsy were significantly impacted by the ruling of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. Research suggests that maternal mortality rates will see an alarming rise as a result of abortion bans. Outside of America, there are places where laws have been passed to allow legal abortion, but clinics are unwilling to mandate it, impeding access to it.

Abortion should be allowed

sc2662_ — 2023-11-18 22:57:49 UTC

Abortion should NOT be allowed

sc2662_ — 2023-11-18 22:58:16 UTC

Discussion Questions

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 00:46:08 UTC

1)How far will some women go to get an abortion? Why is it so important for them to get abortions?

2) Outside of the United States, how have other countries been affected by abortion laws and restrictions?

3) What other facts cause some women to want to get an abortion other than the cause of economic problems?

Sources

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 01:21:54 UTC

Palacio, Herminia. “Over the Precipice Into a Post-Roe World—A Look at Abortion Rights and Access in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 112, no. 9, Sept. 2022, pp. 1273–75. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2022.307016.

https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=212cbf0a-28f2-41f4-99d8-bdb1eaf91d94%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=158508227&db=aph

Vázquez, Paula, et al. “‘Factors Associated with Provider Unwillingness to Perform Induced Abortion in Argentina: A Cross-Sectional Study in Four Provinces Following the Legalization of Abortion on Request.’” PLoS ONE, vol. 18, no. 10, Oct. 2023, pp. 1–16. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292130.

Weatherspoon, Sarah, et al. “Dobbs Versus Jackson: Epilepsy, Reproductive Health, and Abortion.” Epilepsy Currents, vol. 23, no. 4, July 2023, pp. 211–16. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/15357597231176330.

https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=217dc865-5e28-4df5-97b0-bc4349b136c7%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=171103081&anchor=AN0171103081-8

Sources for Future Research

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 01:24:20 UTC

Center for Reproductive Rights, 4 Oct. 2023, https://reproductiverights.org/our-issues/abortion/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2023.

Saunders, Jim. “Abortion rights backers push Supreme Court to OK amendment wording.” Sun Sentinel, 13 November 2023, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/11/13/abortion-rights-supporters-push-court-to-ok-wording-on-proposed-constitutional-amendment/. Accessed 14 November 2023.

Benen, Steve, and Rachel Maddow. “Ohio Republicans offer the wrong response to abortion rights vote.” MSNBC News, 13 November 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ohio-republicans-offer-wrong-response-abortion-rights-vote-rcna124904. Accessed 14 November 2023.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 01:57:57 UTC

Women should have a right to their own body

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:02:10 UTC

It is a basic healthcare need

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:20:58 UTC

Prohibiting abortion won't stop it, instead it will just make abortion less safe

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:26:22 UTC

Abortion is murder

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:28:53 UTC

Legal abortion promotes a culture in which life is disposable

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:30:57 UTC

Increased access to pregnancy prevention would deem abortion unnecessary

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 02:59:00 UTC

Abortion is a safe medical procedure that protects lives

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:13:03 UTC

Preventing women and girls from accessing an abortion does not mean they stop needing one.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:23:35 UTC

The World Health Organization estimates that 25 million unsafe abortions take place each year, the vast majority of them in developing countries.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:26:13 UTC

Making someone continue with a pregnancy they don't want or pushing them to have a risky abortion goes against their basic human rights

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:34:45 UTC

Usually, when people are forced to have unsafe abortions, they may also face legal consequences like being arrested and punished, including going to jail. They might experience harsh and degrading treatment, discrimination, and be excluded from important post-abortion healthcare.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:44:15 UTC

Getting an abortion from a skilled healthcare provider in clean surroundings is very safe, even safer than childbirth

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 06:55:30 UTC

The death rate for legal abortions is 0.7 deaths for every 100,000 abortions.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:03:50 UTC

Women denied an abortion were more likely to have serious health complications, poor physical and mental health, and stay with abusive partners.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:18:07 UTC

Life begins at conception, which is the moment a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, which begins the process of cell division that creates a human.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:18:18 UTC

Ending a life is murder, even a life that is only a few growing cells at the time of death.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:29:59 UTC

Pope Francis explained, “Abortion is murder. Those who carry out abortions kill…. At the third week after conception, often even before the mother is aware (of being pregnant), all the organs are already (starting to develop). It is a human life. Period. And this human life has to be respected. It is very clear…. Scientifically, it is a human life.”

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:49:57 UTC

The legalization of abortion sends a message that human life has little value

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:51:22 UTC

House Representative Randy Hultgren wrote in Jan. 2014 “When we tell one another that abortion is okay, we reinforce the idea that human lives are disposable, that we can throw away anything or anyone that inconveniences us.”

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:55:05 UTC

Access to health insurance to pay for contraceptives also contributed to a drop in abortions

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 07:55:32 UTC

In the United States each year, about half of pregnancies are unintended and about 40% of those lead to abortion. Access to birth control leads to fewer abortions

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 08:00:58 UTC

Now, there are improved choices, like more reliable birth control, improved healthcare and health insurance, and sex education to make sure unwanted pregnancies are avoided from the start.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 08:48:36 UTC

Unexpected pregnancies can lead to serious problems: people are more likely to face health issues and the risk of death. This is made worse by the fact that there are not enough specialized doctors for those who have epilepsy and become pregnant.

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 08:57:29 UTC

Abortion is allowed when it's necessary to save a woman's life, protect her health, or in cases of rape. Yet, even when the law supports it, there are obstacles at the doctor or facility level that can make it difficult to get an abortion. This is a common problem in Argentina and around the world.

Plans for Further Research

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 08:59:41 UTC

Reflection:

sc2662_ — 2023-11-20 09:07:00 UTC

When researching abortion, I was shocked to see how far the government is going to eliminate the chance of legal abortion, what restrictions are already in place throughout the states, and how far women will go to get an abortion. For example, I did not know that there were medications you could take to get an abortion. An abortion is a medical procedure to end a pregnancy, and people can either go to an abortion clinic or use medication to have one. From lowering the gestational age limit to closing down clinics, resulting in having to take other measures, which are usually very costly and difficult to obtain. To add on, these restrictions are happening not only in the states but in many parts of the world as well. Outside of America, there are countries where abortion is legal, however, clinics and doctors are refusing to provide abortion services. The most rewarding thing would be having more knowledge on this topic because depending on the outcome of this fight, it will affect my future and every other woman's future as well. When finding the two supporting sources, I had some difficulty finding articles that talked broadly about abortion rights, many got into specific issues that didn’t focus mainly on the topic of abortion. Now that my other supporting sources don’t have to be scholarly articles, I will have more options. I believe that this challenge is not difficult to overcome after being allowed to add other types of sources. I want to continue to learn more about how the fight for legal abortion is going and if we are any closer to getting this right back and if this is the case around the world for other countries that also have heavy restrictions on abortion.