Discursive Essay On Abortion

I think that control in anyway of another humans life other than under certain circumstances (such as if the foetus were to be born the mother and child would almost certainly die) is wrong and should not be practiced what so ever.

Some people believe that the mother has the right to choose whether she will have an abortion or not, but I think that this belief is selfish. Our right to choose is limited by the rights of other people. For example, everyone has freedom of speech but you can't go round saying what you want as it may offend others. Also, the mother is not the only one affected by an abortion, family members and the father in particular are greatly affected. It is has been said that the woman is the only person who should decide whether she should continue her pregnancy or not and that the mother's partner has no right to prevent her from having an abortion. In that respect it can also be said that the woman then has no right to call on her partner for support and that both parents have the mutual right to abandon their responsibilities.

It has been said that a foetus is not a human being and that it is merely part of the woman. Whereas, medical science has proved that the foetus is biologically separate from its mother. From the moment the embryo is formed an individual being comes into existence, genetically different from its parents and any other being for that matter. The development of vitro fertilisation has proven that an embryo can exist outside a female body. All these scientific advances confirm that the unborn is a separate human being. The terms 'embryo´, 'foetus´, 'baby´, 'child´ and 'adult´ are just different words for a human being at different stages of life. Given the necessities, a foetus has the potential to grow into an adult.

Many women have abortions because they believe that they would have to give up their job or education if they were to have a baby, but now in this modern day and age this is not true. There are laws that have been passed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. Even though a woman may have to postpone some of her plans, the foetuses right to live should take precedence over the mother's right to a certain lifestyle.

Some may argue that the law should not interfere with what goes on in the privacy of a woman's womb. I believe that if inside a woman's womb a human being is undergoing the process of growth and development then the being is entitled to the protection of the law. This can be applied to a completely different situation; for example, the law can interfere with what goes on in the privacy of someone's home if violence is involved.

I believe that many of the reasons for having abortions are totally unacceptable. For example, there have been reports that some pregnancies have been aborted due the parents deciding that their child was the `wrong´ gender. I think that too many women do not look hard enough to find the possible solutions of the problems that arise with pregnancies. Parents must take more responsibility as many times the situation has only arisen due to the parents' carelessness whilst having sexual intercourse. In my opinion, if a mother does not feel she is ready to bring up a child, the best option is to give the child up for adoption, as there are thousands of people who are desperate to foster or adopt children. But as I've stated earlier I do believe that there are circumstances and situations in which abortions are the best option. For example, if the continuation of a pregnancy will cause a high risk of severe injury to the mother or even death. I also believe that it is right to terminate the life of one or more foetuses involved in a multiple pregnancy to preserve the life of other foetuses. Finally, I think that although doctors should consult other doctors, they should not be prosecuted for carrying out an abortion in extreme circumstances. For example, in 1938, Dr Alexander Bourne performed an abortion on a 14-year-old girl after a gang of soldiers raped her. Dr Bourne informed the police and was prosecuted.

My main feeling about abortion is that it denies the most fundamental human right, the right to live.