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Claudia Torres

Dr. Jason Dew

English 1302

9 April 2024

A pro-choice stance on abortion

The topic of abortion has been around for years, always being sensitive and controversial, with

the ability to cause disagreements between people with ease. Through the years, there have been

many changes in the course of its legality, how safe it is, and people's ethical/moral viewpoints

around it. Everybody has an opinion and their own reason as to why they took the side they

chose. This paper will look at the research that supports and encourages abortion or the

“pro-choice” side. Abortion has many factors to it that make people take the stance they do.

Many people's beliefs may not be accurate and are just something they believe because they saw

or heard it and didn't take the time to research the topic. When it comes to an important and

dangerous topic like this that deals with people's lives and well-being, it's crucial to be

well-educated on the most recent facts. Regarding the moral aspect, there are no facts, everyone

has their own beliefs as to what they believe is wrong or right, whether it be religious or a case of

morality. It's not permanent, though, as time moves on, people's points of view tend to shift on

controversial topics. Many things that were seen to be wrong 70 years ago could be seen as right

today. The medical aspect is where there are facts. And stances on topics that deal with people's

quality of life should be based on facts.

So what exactly is being pro-choice? Pro-choice means being on the side of supporting women

in having a choice in what happens to their bodies. Not only having these reproductive rights but
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also just being able to have the ability to get an abortion. Because of the way things are right

now, having an abortion is very difficult. Being pro-choice would mean wanting to get rid of

current laws that make having a safe, legal abortion so hard. “If you identify as pro-reproductive

rights, it means you want to keep abortion legal, and you believe people have the right to be able

to access abortion.” (Miriam 2019)

Regardless, abortion has an eventful history with many of its ups and downs in legality and

opinions. The act of performing an abortion itself has been around for centuries. “Abortion was

frequently practiced in North America during the period from 1600 to 1900. Many tribal

societies knew how to induce abortions... During the 1860s, a number of states passed

anti-abortion laws… After 1860 stronger anti-abortion laws were passed… many women began

to utilize illegal underground abortion services.” (Alliance for Perinatal Research and Services

(1979). Just like people are fighting now to legalize abortion, the opposite used to be the case. In

1910 abortion was banned throughout the nation, and only those who were wealthy could go and

find it elsewhere. Though, Abortion was rising to be made legal in the 1960s. Later, it became

legal in 1970, with the significant Roe v. Wade case. At the time, unfortunately, racism that is

rooted in America made it hard at the time for women of color to have access to abortion by not

allowing them to pay for abortions by using Medicaid through the Hyde Amendment, which is

mostly used by minorities. Recently, on June 24, 2022, the court case Roe V. Wade, which made

it legal, was overruled, and heavy restrictions were placed in various states. In certain places,

trying to get an abortion because of some tricky restrictions makes it so difficult for people. It

seems like even though certain places couldn't make it completely illegal, they will make sure

the experience is a difficult one. It's unfair. Some restrictions consist of having to have parental

consent or notifying the parent, making it tough for minors who don't want their parents to know.
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Consent laws are only in place with the sole purpose of discouraging the person trying to get an

abortion by making them receive counseling that is biased against getting the abortion or making

them get an ultrasound, sometimes, they'll make them do both with a certain amount of time

between both. None of these benefits the person in the unfortunate position. There’s the Hyde

Amendment previously mentioned. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws are

laws targeted toward the doctors who provide abortions by placing certain regulations that are

said to make abortions safer but are just excuses to shut down abortion clinics and stop the

doctors.

One of the reasons why a person would be opposed to abortions is the moral and ethical

standpoint. People with this stance take the argument that an embryo in the womb is a human

and deserves rights, to abort it would be murder of a person that can't defend themselves. Until

around the second to third week since fertilization is when an embryo is considered a person.

Since there is science behind it, it’s simply up to a person on how they interpret it. Whether or

not they believe that aborting would be as horrible as murder is up to a person to decide for

themselves. In this stance, there is a heavy persuasion aiming at people's emotions, even using

phrases like “abortion is the opposite of love” and harsh ways of describing it, such as “killing

children.” There is also a religious point of view that isn't always the case, but can be tied into

this. Some religions are more open and understanding, like the episcopal church, while they may

not think it's right, they understand that it could be necessary. For the more strict religions, there

is an important term here: “ensoulment.” Ensoulment refers to “ the moment at which the soul is

believed to enter the body… when a fetus becomes human.”(Colorado Arts and Sciences

Magazine) In catholicism, ensoulment happens the moment the sperm meets the egg, and so

aborting it would be killing a human no matter the circumstance. There are many religions, and
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they all follow their own opinions on this, though those two opinions are what they typically

range from.

Even just considering having an abortion is a very difficult and painful one, why would anyone

consider having one in the first place? Abortions tend to happen because the pregnancy was

simply unintentional. A pregnant woman might not be in the position to be having a baby.

Having a baby might just make life more difficult for some people. Not everyone has the

resources that are needed to have and properly take care of a child. Having a child could also put

roadblocks in a person's life, for example, stopping them from finishing their education. There

could also be more dangerous reasons. Some women face greater health risks in being pregnant

or giving birth where terminating the baby would save them. Lastly, there could be more violent

reasons, like being made pregnant without their consent.

Though having access to abortions is important, what is the procedure? And how safe is it all?

There are two types of abortions; The pill and in-clinic abortions. If the pill is chosen, then the

process is very simple, the person will take a combination of two pills; mifepristone and

misoprostol. First, mifepristone is taken, then the second pill, misoprostol, either immediately or

after forty-eight hours. Within the next 24 hours, the person will feel heavy cramping and

experience bleeding. “At eight weeks pregnant or less, it works about 94-98% of the time. At

eight to nine weeks pregnant, it works about 94-96% of the time. At nine to ten weeks pregnant,

it works about 91-93% of the time. If you take an extra dose of misoprostol, it works about 99%

of the time. At ten to eleven weeks pregnant, it works about 87% of the time. If you take an extra

dose of misoprostol, it works about 98% of the time.”(Planned Parenthood) The percentages

make it seem very effective and successful with a good amount of time before the window to

have an abortion closes. While it seems to be an amazing choice, what are the risks? While it's
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said to be very rare, the risks consist of; it failed and the person remains pregnant, blood clots in

the uterus, more bleeding than usual, infection, or an allergic reaction to the medication.

However, these problems shouldn't be a big worry, for they can be easily treated. The normal

reaction to taking the pill should be feeling better about a day after the day of inducing the

abortion. So if that is not the case, the person should definitely go to the doctor because there can

be more fatal side effects such as death, but keep in mind it is very rare. Finally, just like all

medications we take, it's best to ask a doctor before taking any medicines to see if that's the best

choice for them. Are there any long-term effects? Other than the emotional aspect, there are no

long-term health risks. Women don't have problems getting pregnant again, risk the increase of

breast cancer, or no risk in overall health. The other way is getting an abortion in a clinic. There

are two ways in the clinic; a suction abortion and the dilation and evacuation procedure. Both

ways are very effective, working “99 out of every 100 times.” Like the last method of the pill, it

is very safe and has similar complications that can end in death. However, they are rare, and

some are also treatable. This method also offers no negative long-term effects.

Not having easy access to abortions could result in consequences such as denial of emergency

care in fatal situations, an increase in rates of preterm births, and an increased risk of mortality to

the infant and mother. It's up to the patient or their personal preference. The pill would be more

private, giving the opportunity to do it in a comfortable place when they decide right, and

in-clinic would also give comfort in knowing they are in a space surrounded by nurses and

doctors.

In summary, the choice of what a person thinks is right most significantly comes down to their

own personal beliefs, whether influenced by religion or just their way of thinking. Regarding this

debate, facts are more important than anything because these things deal with the lives of people
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who are already here and existing. People should have the right to do whatever they want with

their bodies. If there are safe, effective ways of terminating a pregnancy, then why shouldn't

people have a choice of whether or not they do? This is a rights issue. Is it correct to ban it based

on conservative and traditional values instead of whether it is safe and effective? Should women

have the right to choose what happens to their bodies? There are many opinions and thoughts out

there. As of right now, abortion access is available in America, but it's very limited, and there are

so many restrictions that make it impossible to get one and are there just to discourage women.

Still, maybe one day, it will be accessible again without it being so troublesome, and further

research can be conducted. Opinions on debatable topics like these have changed continuously

throughout the years.

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References

“Can You Explain What Pro-choice Means and Pro-life Means?” Planned Parenthood, 10 Aug.

2023,

www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/can-you-explain-what-pro-choice-means-and-pro-life-

means.

“Abortion in U.S. History.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund,

plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/abortion-central-history-reproductive-health

-care-america#:~:text=The%201960s%20gave%20rise%20to,Wade%20case.

Center for Reproductive Rights. “Abortion Laws by State - Center for Reproductive Rights.”

Center for Reproductive Rights, 16 Aug. 2023,

reproductiverights.org/maps/abortion-laws-by-state.

Where Can I Get an Abortion? | U.S. Abortion Clinic Locator.

www.abortionfinder.org/abortion-guides-by-state/abortion-in-the-united-states.

“Why Pro-Life? The Case for Inclusion | MCCL.” MCCL, www.mccl.org/whyprolife.

Website, Nhs. “Risks.” nhs.uk, 11 Mar. 2024, www.nhs.uk/conditions/abortion/risks.

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References

Lmhc, Dawn Stacey PhD. “Why Do People Have Abortions?” Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2023,

www.verywellhealth.com/reasons-for-abortion-906589#toc-health-reasons.

“The Abortion Pill | Get the Facts About Medication Abortion.” Planned Parenthood,

www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill.

“Is The Abortion Pill Safe? | Read About Abortion Pill Safety.” Planned Parenthood,

www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill/how-safe-is-the-abortion-pil

“Are In-Clinic Abortion Procedures Safe?” Planned Parenthood,

www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures/how-safe-is-an

-in-clinic-abortion.

“There Is No One ‘Religious View’ on Abortion: A Scholar of Religion,.” Colorado Arts and

Sciences Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024,

www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2022/06/24/there-no-one-religious-view-abortion-scholar

-religion-gender-and-sexuality-explains.

Pew Research Center. “Where Major Religious Groups Stand on Abortion | Pew Research

Center.” Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020,

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www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/06/21/where-major-religious-groups-stand-on-ab

ortion.