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RileyBranham
Ms.Huckabee
APLanguage
17April2016
AbortioninAmerica
Attodaysrate,about3outof10Americanwomenhavehadanabortionbytheageof
45.Theargumentfororagainstabortionlargelystemsfrommoraldifferences.Thesedifferences
resultinverystrongopinionsontheissue.Theseopinionsareexpressedinblogs,opinion
editorials,andothermeansofcommunication.Thesolutionwillneverbeblackorwhite.
However,therearecertaincasestheoptionshouldstillbeavailable,patientsshouldalwaysbe
educatedontheiroptions,andwomenshouldneverfeelpersonallytargetedbyantiabortion
movements.
Amajorityofprochoicesupportersarguethatabortionshouldnotonlyremainlegal,but
thatitshouldalsobemadeeasilyaccessiblesothatpregnantwomenareabletoterminatean
unwantedpregnancywithouthavingtojumpthroughhoops.Thethoughtprocessbehindthisis
thatifanabortionismadeaccessibleforallwomen,itwillbemadeasaferprocessbecause
womenwillbeabletoreceivetheprocedureinaresponsiblemanner.Otherprochoice
supportersbelievethatthisoptionshouldonlybemadeavailiableundercertaincircumstances
andonlywithinacertaintimeframe.Mostdoctorsrecommendhavinganabortionwithinthe
initial12to13weeksofpregnancy.Thiscouldbedifferentdependingonwhatstateyoureside

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in.Unbornbabiesbegintogainpainreceptorsasearlyas16weeksupuntil20weeks.Inorder
forthefetustoundergoapainlessabortion,theprocedureshouldtakeplacebeforeitreachesthis
developmentalstage.
Thosewhoargueagainstabortionsarejustaspassionatebecausetheybelieveitis
morallywrong.Forsome,itcontradictstheirreligiousbeliefs.Forothers,itisviewedas
unlawful.Itisstillconsideredmurdertothemevenifthebabyhasnotbeenbornyet.Prolife
supportersbelievethateveryonehastherighttolifenomatterwhatagetheyareor
developmentalstagetheyarein.
ChristopherKaczorspeaksoutagainstabortion.Hearguesthatitdoesntmatterinwhat
stageofpregnancytheabortiontakesplace.Inhisopinioncausingapainlessdeathisjustas
muchamurderascausingapainfuldeath.Hemakesavalidpointwhenquestioningifitisstill
consideredamurderifyoukillsomeonewhosuffersfromchronicinsensitivitytopain.People
whohavebeendiagnosedwithchronicinsensitivitytopainarenolongerabletoexperience
pain.Sincethesepatientsarenolongerabletofeelpain,doesthattakeawaytheirrighttolive?
Isitnolongerconsideredmurdertoendtheirlife?No,thelawsstillprovideprotectionforthese
individuals.Kazorarguesthatthissamephilosophyshouldbeappliedtounbornbabies.
Themiddleground,whichiswhereIstand,ismorecomplicatedthanyesabortionshould
belegal,orno,abortionshouldnotbemadeillegal.Therearecertaincircumstancewherethe
optionshouldbemadeavailable.Inordertodothisabortionmustremainlegal,butthe

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regulationsonwhoandwhenyoucanreceiveonmustbestricter.Everyonewillnotmeetthe
qualificationstoreceivetheprocedure.Otheroptionswillbeencouragedforallsituations.
Itisnotraretohavecases,liketheonedepictedinthecartoon,whereyounggirlsare
rapedandleftpregnantasaresult.AccordingtoRAINN,Oneinninegirlsundertheageof
eighteenexperiencesexualabuseorassaultatthehandsofanadult.atsuchayoungagethese
girlsaremorelikelytofacecomplicationsthatcouldbelifethreateningforthemaswellasthe
baby.Ifthereisevidenceofrapeduringearlystagesofpregnancy,theoptiontohaveanabortion
shouldbemadeavailablehowever,itshouldbemadeknownthatotheroptionslikeadoptionare
available.
Apregnancythatiscategorizedasahighriskpregnancyisonethatcouldpotentially
threatenthehealthorlifeofthemotherand/orherbaby.Thispotentialriskusuallyresultsfrom
butisnotlimitedtopreexistinghealthconditions,weightissues,youngoroldmaternalage,or
carryingmultiplebabies(NationalInstitutesofHealth).Apregnancythatisknowntobehigh
riskduringthetimeframeofasafeabortionshouldbeabletoconsidertheprocedureasa
potentialoption.Onceagain,itshouldbemadeveryclearthatthereareotherroutesthatcanbe
takentotrytosavethebabyand/orthemother.
Informationiskeyinhelpingmothersmakethebestdecisionsthroughouttheir
pregnancy.Doctorsmustknowhowtoaddresssituationswhereamothermaybeconsideringan
abortion.Thiscanbeaverydifficultandcomplexdecisionforsometomakeontheirown.Input

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fromtrustedandknowledgeablepeoplecanbeveryhelpful.Notonlyshoulddoctorsberequired
torelaytherequiredinformation,buttheymustalsoberequiredtolayoutaplanwiththe
patients.Thisrequiresthemtotalktopatientthroughthedecisionmakingprocess,andthen
actuallywritetheplandownonpaper.
Inthecasewhereanabortionisnecessary,thedecisiontohavetheprocedureshouldbe
private.Somewomenhavestatedthattheyfeelpressuredbylargeantiabortiongroupslikethe
onedepictedinthecartoonfromPlannedParenthood.Organizationsthatdonotbelievein
abortionsshouldneverbeallowedtotargetaspecificperson.Eachindividualshouldhavethe
freedomtomakethedecisionthattheyfeelisinthebestinterestforthemselvesandtheirchild.
Innowayshouldtheyeverbemadetofeelharassedorthreatenedbyagroupsofpeoplethat
maynotapproveoftheirdecision.
Otheroptionsforunwantedpregnanciesthatdonotincludeabortionareeithertokeepthe
child,orputhe/sheupforadoption.Manyorganizationsaresetuptohelpsupportsingle
mothers.Asforadoption,expertsestimatesomewherebetweenoneandtwomillioncouplesare
waitingtoadoptachild(PregnantPause).Thisjustgoestoshowthattherearemanyalternative
optionstoconsider,andalloftheseoptionsshouldbepresentedtomothersconsidering
terminatingtheirpregnancy.Thiswillhelplimitthenumberofabortionscausedfrommakinga
rashdecisionoutoffear.
Doctorsshouldstronglypushforallotheroptionsbesidesabortiontobeseriously
consideredpriortomakingadecision.Thiswillhelpcontinuethedecreasingpercentageof

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unintendedpregnanciesthatendwithabortions.AccordingtothechartprovidedbyAbortionsin
America,fortypercentofunintendedpregnanciesendinabortion,fortysevenpercentgivebirth,
andthirteenpercentendinmiscarriages.Withdoctorsencouragingpatientstocarefullyconsider
alternativesthepercentageofpregnanciesendinginabortionshoulddecrease.
Preventativemeasuresshouldalsobetakenpriortopregnancyinordertodecreasethe
abortionrate.Ifawomangetspregnantbeforetheyarereadytostartafamily,chancesarethat
theywillbemorelikelytoterminatetheirpregnancy.Byeducatingyoungmenandwomenon
waystopreventpregnancy,theywillbemorepreparedandresponsible.Reducingteen
pregnancieswillhaveanimpactonthepercentages,butsincemostabortionsoccurbetweenthe
agesoftwentyandtwentyfour,thiseducationmightalsobeusefultoimplementincolleges.
Thesolutiontothiscomplexproblemwillneverbeayesornoanswerhowever,itis
encouragingtoseethatfrom2008to2011theabortionratefellthirteenpercent,anditcontinues
todeclinetoday(Guttmacher).Informationservesasaveryimportantkeyinhelpingwomen
makethebestdecisionpossible.Asasociety,wemusttakeintoconsiderationthateverywoman
hasdifferentneeds.Nopregnancyisthesameasanother.Wemusttakethetimetoputourselves
insomeoneelse'sshoes.Itisnotourjobtoforceourbeliefsandopinionsontootherpeople,but
insteadweshouldbeguidingthemandhelpingthemmakethebestdecisionforthemselfby
puttingourpersonalbeliefstotheside.Letsnotallowabortiontobecomeourgotofix,butlets
alwaysremembertokeepsomeone'sbestinterestatheart.

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