Women who are otherwise responsible can become pregnant but out of no fault of their own. Keeping abortion legal ensures that all women have the right to determine their own destiny; no woman should be forced to carry a child who was actively trying to prevent pregnancy in the first place. Even if a woman was trying to become pregnant she might need to get an abortion in cases in which doctors revealed serious birth defects. To prevent unwanted physical and emotional strain not just on the mother but on the father, the extended family, and the community, abortions should be allowed in extreme cases.
The vast majority -- at least 98% -- of all abortions performed in the United States are for women who elect to have them not for physical or mental health purposes or to terminate a pregnancy known to contain genetic defects or birth defects (Johnston). Johnston notes that those 98% of all abortions are performed primarily for social or economic reasons. For example, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy or a pregnancy from an illicit affair would lead to extreme...
Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted or unexpected child just to punish her would be akin to outlawing all returns on any purchases, to outlawing U-turns, or to outlawing divorce. Human beings make mistakes, period. As Johnston also points out, about one-fourth of all abortions performed are because the woman and her partner cannot afford to support a child. Abortion is often the ethical choice: preserving civil liberties, mental health,
physical health, and family integrity.
Works Cited
Fu, Haishan. Darroch, J.E., Haas, T. & Ranjit, N. Contraceptive Failure Rates: New Estimates From the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Family Planning Perspectives. Volume 31, Number 2, March/April 1999. Retrieved 26 Feb 2008 at http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3105699.html
Johnston, W.M. "Reasons given for having abortions in the United States." 4 Dec 2006. Retrieved 26 Feb 2998 at http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html
National Abortion Federation. "History of Abortion." 2008. Retrieved 26 Feb 2008 at http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/history_abortion.html
Ross, J. Illegal Abortions Rampant in
Latin America. Women's eNews. 28 Nov 2004. Retrieved 26 Feb 2008 at http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2086/context/archive
Seletz, J. "Is Abortion Safe?" Retrieved 26 Feb 2008 at http://www.todaysplanet.com/pg/beta/medical/abortion_save.htm
