The issue of abortion though, and whether it is right or wrong, has been around longer than 1973. As far back as the early centuries of Christianity, Greco-Roman cultures struggled to decide whether abortion should be allowed or not. Both Plato and Aristotle believed that a child had life long before birth. Unfortunately, the welfare of society and family were more important to them than the rights of an unborn child. Christians during this time period, however, were outspoken against abortion claiming that the unborn child had the right to life. Their strong views on this won over the empire and made abortion illegal in Roman society. The values of the Greco-Romans, in which the child’s life only had meaning as the state or families granted it meaning, would not resurface for 1500 years. Even as far back as Roman times, we see Christian values of right and wrong triumphing over an issue such as abortion(Stafford).
One of the most divisive arguments of the abortion debate is the question of when human life begins. Many abortion opponents argue that life begins at fertilization, where someone with unique characteristics and a genetic code is created. The pro-choice supporters say that until the baby is separated from his mother and breathing, it is not murder to have an abortion. Researchers have stated that the fetus does indeed feel pain during the operation. This begs the question that if pain is suffered, how is murder not the result of abortion?
All abortions are categorized as either first, second, or third trimester abortions.
First trimester abortions are the most commonly performed procedures. Almost 90% of women choose to have an abortion during this time period. Two of the most common techniques are manual vacuum aspiration and RU-486. Manual vacuum aspiration, or RVA, is becoming more available in North America. First developed in the 1960’s, the RVA procedure involves a hand held syringe that creates a tiny vacuum that removes the embryo(Robinson).
The second and more up-to-date method is called RU-486. A single pill is to be taken within 49 days of the start of the last menstrual period. It causes the woman’s uterine walls to collapse and the contractions of her uterus to begin. Within four hours the embryo is expelled from the women’s body. During the first six months of its release in 2001, more than 37,000 abortions were performed with RU-486(Robinson).
The second and third trimester procedures are far less common as those of the first trimesters. Statistics indicate that they are used about 10% of the time. Two procedures used in these trimesters are induced labor and dilation and extraction (D&X). Induced labor is fairly simple. It includes medication administered to the pregnant women triggering labor and eventually giving birth to the partially developed fetus. The “D&X” procedure, also referred to as partial birth abortion, is commonly used during both second and third trimester abortions. In this more complicated procedure, first, the women’s cervix is dilated. The surgeon then reaches into the woman’s uterus and pulls out the fetus’ body with the exception of its head. Surgical scissors are then inserted into the skull of the fetus and withdrawn. A suction tube is then inserted into the surgical opening, and the fetus’ brains are removed. The skull is then collapsed, and the fetus is taken out of the womb(Robinson).
Even with these shocking and repulsive techniques, many people are still in favor of abortion. Most pro-choice advocates believe that very early abortions are morally acceptable and that the woman should be allowed to make that choice. Others believe that pregnancy should be aborted in case of rape or if the woman’s health is at risk while giving birth. However, the most common reason women receive abortions is because they are just not ready for the responsibility of having a child. The pro-choice crowd finds it acceptable to have an abortion for no reason than a woman is not ready for children.
Although they make a case for reasons such as rape or possible death, the majority of their claims are bogus. Concern about her own death is rarely a reason a woman has an abortion because in that situation her life is rarely in peril. When it comes to pregnancy because of rape, I believe that the woman should offer the child up for adoption and not destroy the child for something he or she didn’t do. Recent studies also point out medical problems that can arise from having an abortion. Such problems include an increased chance of breast cancer, a 25% chance of becoming infertile, post abortion syndrome (PAS), and future miscarriages(Robinson).
Women who choose to have an abortion believe they are relieving themselves of a burden when in fact they are adding to their problems. Many women experience problems following abortions such as depression or health issues that the procedure causes. Women must realize that the situation, whether their fault or not, will not be resolved by killing an innocent being. If women can see the value of having that child and saving a life, then maybe those silent screams can be quieted.
