Free «How Abortion Harms Women's Health» Essay Paper

Abortion can be defined as the termination of pregnancy before the complete development of the fetus. The intentional removal of the preterm fetus is known as abortion, while the accidental loss of the preterm fetus is known as miscarriage. Due to the controversial nature of this topic, debates have risen on whether or not to allow abortion in our communities.

Reasons to Avoid Abortion

Health issues

Health can be defined as wellbeing in physical and emotional sense. Some of the methods used to carry out abortion are crude. The girl may seek assistance from unqualified personnel, because she may be attracted by the promise of the cheap and confidential nature of the operation. These health issues may also occur in hospitals with the most effective equipment. This is because the removal of the preterm fetus is not a natural activity. The most common health issues associated with abortion include:

Pain/cramping

Cramping is brought about by the injury to the uterine muscles. When a muscular tissue is injured, its reflex activity is to contract (cramp). Pain from abortion is an irritating and unpleasant sensation.

 

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Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage is an excessive loss of blood. In abortion, blood loss is more profound than that produced during menstruation. A prolonged loss of blood may lead to hemorrhagic shock and hence death.

Infection

Infection occurs because of lack of skills on the use of sterile equipment. When infectious pathogens like bacteria are introduced into the uterus, infection may follow. Infection may lead to further complications, like infertility. Antibiotics can solve this problem, but in other cases, antibiotics may fail, with the resulting infection.

Long-term effects

Some of the long-term health risks of abortion include the improper implantation of the placenta in the future, according to J. A. Martius et al. “Long term physical consequences of abortion include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies” (qtd. in frc.org).  This will affect the future of the mother, as she will not be able to bear any children. Abortion is,therefore, discouraged.

Psychological and emotional effects

As defined above, emotional instability is unhealthy. According to contracept.org,

“Though post abortion syndrome is not officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder, many women have long-lasting emotional problems following an abortion, especially those who previously experienced clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or other mental health difficulties.” (Contracept.org). Other psychological conditions associated with abortion are substance abuse and suicide. They are brought about by anger and guilt.

Ethical issues

In many communities and religions, abortion is unethical. This is due to the termination of the baby’s life. The question is usually whether the fetus is alive or not. As stated by Patrick Lee, “When does the human organism come to be? I will argue that the human organism comes to be at conception, that is fertilization.” (71). Many say that the fetus has no conscience, but in actual sense, life begins at conception. Therefore, abortion is synonymous to murder.

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Law

Many countries have banned the removal of unwanted pregnancies. However, the law may permit abortion in cases where the mother’s life is at risk.

The right to life

The mother doesn’t have the right to take the life of the fetus. The fetus may use all the resources it requires without the interference of the mother. It is, therefore, immoral for a woman to abort without solid grounds. The exception is if the mother’s health is at risk.

According to Thomson,

“Every person has a right to life. So the fetus has a right to life. No doubt the mother has a right to decide what shall happen in and to her body; everyone would grant that. But surely a person’s right to life is stronger and more stringent than the mother’s right to decide what happens in and to her body, and so outweighs it. So the fetus may not be killed; an abortion may not be performed.” (qtd. In Patrick 109)

Conclusion

In light of the points mentioned above, abortion should be abolished. The effects of abortion are adverse and stringent laws should be passed to prevent further abortions. Furthermore, the public should be educated on the importance of contraception as a safer, more ethical, and cheaper way to prevent unwanted births. According to Malcolm Potts et al., “Contraception is usually advocated as a remedy for abortion.” (454). After comparing the pros and cons of abortion, we reach a conclusion that abortion should be abolished.