The scientific definition of abortion, according to a variety of sources, is the “ending of a
pregnancy by removing the embryo before it can survive outside the uterus” and in the
developed world is one of the safest procedures in medicine. Therefore, I am standing here
today to elaborate on why we should be giving the pregnant mother in question the right to
choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion.
Firstly, I would like to make known that 77% of pro-life supporters are men. Out of this 77%,
none will ever get pregnant, and will, for the rest of their foreseeable lives, be unable to
claim that they have had to decide whether or not to remove an embryo from their
non-existent wombs. This is important to note because while men have the freedom to have
an option just like everyone else, this does not mean the option in question is always right.
Whilst men can make their own choices, they don’t have the right to make a woman’s choice
for her. Bearing all that in mind, many arguments for pro life are also put forth by men, who
will never, ever have to experience carrying a child that they themselves do not want.
Logically, none of their arguments are valid, because they simply don’t have the right to
speak about an issue that, at its very core, does not pertain to them. Of course, I have to
acknowledge that some pro-life supporters are women, who very much have the right to
talk about this issue, so I will move on with my next point.
Pro-life supporters seem to think that abortion is uncivilized and shouldn’t happen, however,
if we are going to talk about this from a civil point of view, Article 3 in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and personal
security, whilst Article 30 states that any given individual has the freedom from State or
Personal Interference in any of the rights and freedoms on the declaration. This means that
any given woman has the basic human right to govern her own life, and the liberty to make
her own decisions. Furthermore, it also means that the governing state she resides in, or
anyone else in her personal life, cannot stop her from choosing to have the abortion, seeing
as it is her right to decide. The most common reasons for wanting an abortion include birth
control failure, the inability to support or care for a child, ending an unwanted pregnancy, to
prevent the birth of a child with severe medical problems, or to protect the life of the
mother. All the above are perfectly reasonable reasons to want an abortion, and to prevent
a pregnant woman from getting one is going against the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
Women often get strangled in situations such as rape and incest. Imagine the following
situation: a woman was raped by her uncle and becomes unwantedly impregnated. This
Burdens the victim with psychological issues. Many who are against abortion argue the
putting up the baby for adoption is a great alternative. However, having an abortion is not
always about not wanting to take care of the child. It is about unwantedly carrying a baby
that was conceived by a violent act.
Moreover, by making abortion illegal, the victim will look for an alternative to remove the
fetus, such as unprofessionally performed abortions, which can result in death or a lifetime
of health issues. According to NCBI, nearly 20 million worldwide abortions are performed in
an unsafe manner, from which 68,000 women die. Legalizing abortion will prevent victims
from undergoing illegal unprofessionally performed procedures. This reduces maternal
injury and death amongst victims. As Dr Jaydeep Tank, Chair of the FIGO Safe Abortion
Committee, said “Any one woman or girl dying from an unsafe abortion is one too many”.
There has, also, been a major debate on the fact that abortion will be used as an
unnecessary form of birth control when being legalized. However, considering that other
contraceptives are much cheaper, less time consuming and less painful invalidates this
argument.
In conclusion, the debate over abortion is undeniably complex, but it is crucial that we
prioritize empathy, understanding, and respect for individual autonomy. By safeguarding a
woman's right to choose, we contribute to a society that values the well-being of its
citizens.Let us strive for a future where individuals can make deeply personal decisions
without fear of judgment, and where we build a society that supports the diverse needs and
circumstances of its members.
