PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA (University of the City of Manila) Intramuros, Manila COLLEGE OF NURSING

Paula Nicole Anne Marin BSN II I

ETHICS Prof. Lester O. Camacho

One Foot in the Grave

Nothing like the sight of the increasing abortion cases hauling on this Earth to remind me that Im lucky enough to be happy, yes, I whom the mockery-challenged refer to as the queen of the ungrateful people. Who am I kidding? I should be very thankful for my luck doesnt just end with happiness, it focuses much more on being alive, a luck that others do not experience all because of abortion. Abortion, in medical parlance, is defined as the termination of pregnancy, spontaneously or by inducement prior to viability. (Timbreza, 2007) I think when we speak of abortion; were weighing the right to life of the fetus and the right to autonomy of the pregnant woman. The heart of the said issue highlights the legal status of the fetus; when does a fetus actually get the right to life? Anti-choice activists argue that abortion is synonymous to murder and it should be illegal since a fetus is never anything other than human. Still, human or not, abortion may still be justified as womens bodily autonomy, not that it is automatically ethical but I think some will see it as a choice. Having autonomy means being in control of ones body and having to decide for oneself, hence, the death of a fetus is an unavoidable consequence of choosing to terminate pregnancy. It [autonomy] functions as an ethical necessity and I myself, am not sure on how far that autonomy extends. No one can actually force women to carry their pregnancies to term. Not giving women choice over being pregnant and reproducing is not in sync with justice in a democratic state. I dont actually condemn people who consider abortion as an option but I for one, do not, and Im happy that my mom wasnt part of that club either. But that doesnt give me

any right to pre-judge women who choose to have abortions. We all have our opinions regarding this very famous moral issue and its best to hear both sides first. Excluding rape cases, I think women know when pregnancy might result. Being pregnant means taking good care of a new life growing inside you. The fact that women consented to sex and/ or didnt properly use contraceptives gives them some sort of ethical obligation to the fetus. Another way to look at this issue is since its illegal; it only puts women at higher risk by forcing them to use illegal abortionists Our mothers once put their foot in the grave for us when they decided to carry us until term, to terminate it will be very unfair not only to them [our mothers] but to the fetus as well.