Abortion: perspectives, ethics, and policy considerations

Abortion Ethics

Rosenblatt's arguments and conclusions are quite convincing. At first glance, it would not seem that people who are so emotionally for or against abortion would have any common ground at all. However, after reading Rosenblatt's piece, it seems quite true that his theory about abortion is correct. Most people favor the ability to have an abortion, but discourage it personally. Most people think someone should have the right to an abortion, but that does not mean they themselves would have or condone the procedure. He also notes that both sides would like to make abortion less necessary by creating other means of dealing with unwanted pregnancy, such as educating young people to limit premarital sex. All of these arguments and statements are not only convincing, they seem like common sense and seem to wrap up what most people feel about this emotionally charged issue. This is how I feel about the subject, although I never really put it into words. I think that the right to an abortion should exist, but that does not necessarily mean that I believe it is the best thing or choice in every situation. Each situation is different, and each woman is different. However, every woman should have the right to make up her own mind on the issue -- it should not be dictated by others.

Yes, the real problem does lie elsewhere, just as the author notes in Chapter 12. The real problem is unwanted pregnancy, and the problems that result from young women having unwanted babies. Rosenblatt is right; there should be more education and support to help curb teen pregnancy. Certainly all the women having abortions are not teens, but many of them are, and this exacerbates the problem. Without teen pregnancy, there would be far less need for abortion. That is a societal issue that must be addressed and conquered, and it seems that slowly, the teen pregnancy rate is dropping in this country. That could mean that someday, abortions might not be as common, and they would be used more for medical reasons (the mother's health, for example), and not just to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Still the right should remain, even if we do solve some of the problems in society that lead to abortions.