Abortion Essay: Should Abortion Be Banned Worldwide?

Should Abortion Be Banned Worldwide?

Whether to ban abortion or not is a controversial issue. Some people strongly feel that abortion should be banned. Others strongly feel that women should have freedom over their bodies. Abortion mostly occurs with unplanned pregnancies. Unplanned pregnancies occur when people fail to use birth control. Other times birth controls fail. Other times, women are raped. But why do women seek an abortion?

Reasons For Abortion Worldwide

Women cite different reasons for abortions. While some reasons are reasonable others may not be. But the following reasons tend to be most cited across the world.

Health-related reasons

Some women say that health-related reasons lead to the abortion decision. Some people with back problems, diabetes, and blood pressure issues may consider having an abortion. Others have mental problems that limit their ability to take care of their babies.

Other women worry about their lifestyles and their effect on the baby. For example, women who use alcohol excessively, and smokers are concerned about the health of the baby. They also worry about the effect of their addiction on raising their kid.

Others worry about the effects of different medications on the baby. For example, women on psychotropic medications worry about the potential birth defects of the medications.

Rape and incest

Sadly, women are vulnerable to rape. Thousands of rape cases are reported worldwide. While this may be pronounced in developing countries, it is also common in developed nations. One of the effects of rape is pregnancy. Most women would not want to carry such pregnancies. For many people, it would be impossible to forget the ugly incident when you carry that pregnancy to term. Also, the chances of hating that baby are higher. Rape may also cause damage that carrying a baby is impossible. Similarly, women cite incest as a key reason for abortion.

Finances

Some women say finances drive them to seek an abortion. They say they cannot afford to take care of a baby at the moment. A 33-years old woman says she had to seek an abortion after realizing she was pregnant. When asked why, she said, “currently I am unemployed. I rely on my sister with my son. This sister earns less than $1000. If I can’t take care of us, how can I take care of another person.” A majority of women cite finance as the major reason for seeking an abortion.

Partner-related issue

Some women seek abortion because of partner-related issues. For example, some say they don’t have a stable relationship with their partners. Other partners are not supportive. Some partners don’t want to have a baby. Others are abusive. Some only want a baby boy and not a girl. Some partners want to get married first. All these issues drive some women into seeking an abortion.

Career and future opportunities

Some women say that having a baby at a certain time would affect their future opportunities and career. For example, they argue that having a baby would interfere with their school. They would be forced to drop out of school. Cathy is 17 years old in high school. She says she would be unable to take care of a baby and still attend school. The only option would be to drop out of school. Other women argue that advancing education would be a challenge with a baby or an additional baby. Mayra is in college. She says that having a baby would hinder her from completing her college education. This means that she may not secure a good job.

Timing

Some other women say it is not the right time to have a baby. Most say, “I did not feel ready for the baby.” What do they mean by not being ready? Some say they are not ready financially, physically, or emotionally. Others say they are only ready to take care of other children. They say it is overwhelming to have more kids.

Influence

Then, there is a group of women who say they seek abortion because of influence. The influence may come from family or friends. For example, Prude says, “I would have stressed my family.” Another say, “how would my family react?” Other women fear negative feedback from their friends.

In a Nutshell

Should we ban abortion worldwide? People who are against abortion argue that;

First, abortion shows a lack of respect for human life. When women seek an abortion, they show that they don’t respect the lives of their children.
Second, abortion is equal to murder. Whatever action women take to terminate their pregnancy is equal to taking the lives of those babies.
Third, abortion shows disrespect for human creation. Fourth, abortion is risky. Some women lose their lives when terminating the pregnancies. Fifth, children have a right to life.

Looking at both sides, it is difficult to decide whether to ban abortion or not. Maybe it is impossible to ban abortion in general. We may allow reasonable abortions. For example, if the mother is at risk of death, then it would be fair to allow abortion. If the pregnancy is a result of rape, then we may consider allowing abortion. Or should we subject women to the pain that comes with rape?

We would be killing them emotionally. Some reasons may not be justified. For example, we cannot allow abortion simply because one is afraid of friends. So, there is a lot to consider before having a definite answer. Should we ban abortion?