Abortion
Student
Priscilla Mattey Solano
Teacher
Estefany Cubero Fernández
Group
G13
Year
2024
Abortion
Despite the evidence, abortion continues to be stigmatized, there are still several countries
where abortion is strictly prohibited or permitted only to save a woman's life, and access to
safe abortion is denied in many countries even when the legal condition for abortion is
met. Moreover, one of the main barriers to accessing safe abortion is the resistance of
health professionals to provide these services by alleging conscientious objection,
although many times the real reason is fear of being stigmatized for providing legal
abortion services. Approximately one in five women in South Africa who were aware of the
legal status that entitled them to a safe legal abortion did not seek it from the legal services
because of the anticipated fear of rude treatment by the medical staff or because of the
expected poor quality of service Faúndes, A., & Shah, I. H. (2015)
The calls for legalizing abortion continue to defend the women's autonomy, make
healthcare safe for and accessible to those who need it, and uphold human rights. Even as
abortion remains a contentious subject drawing on moral, health, and human rights
implications in giving each policy a direction towards enacting the needed safe abortion
services, it is something that has to be worked out after mutual consultations.
Bodily Autonomy as a Human Right
Already in existence since 2019, abortion advocates have claimed that it is a woman's
prerogative to determine for herself when she is ready to bear a child-the state should
have no claim in that decision. The Center for Reproductive Rights put it this way: since at
least 2019, abortion rights advocates have asserted that determining whether and when to
bear a child is solely a woman's prerogative and should not rest with the state. The United
Nations concurs with this notion and postulates it as a reproductive right, characterizing it
as a basic human right.
But, where there is no access to safe and legal abortion, many women may resort to
unsafe self-induced methods through which greater risk of injury and, indeed, death arises
(WHO, 2020). Furthermore, little access to abortion may have compounded factors that
contribute to the plight of women who are a marginalized community- young mothers or
economically disadvantaged groups and cause a rise on maternal mortality rates and life
chances.
Economic and Social Burdens That Come with Legal Abortions
Yet, access to abortion implies serious social and economic consequences for
marginalized populations. Guttmacher Institute analysis provided in 2020 shows that
women who are economically disadvantaged have a higher risk of economic insecurity
from unintended pregnancies. Last but not least, many women balance between
termination and completion of their education or career pursuits when they do not have
access to abortion, which in turn influences their future opportunities (National Women’s
Law Center, 2021).
Faúndes, A., & Shah, I. H. (2015). Evidence supporting broader
access to safe legal abortion. International Journal of Gynecology
& Obstetrics, 131, S56-S59.
