¶ … Abortion Should be Legal
There are at least three compelling reasons that abortion should be legal. These include abortion in the case of rape or incest, abortion in the case where a woman's health is at risk, and abortion as a matter of choice. Further, these reasons have been discussed and analyzed ad nauseum and the end result after many brilliant minds have considered the issue is that abortion is legal (at least under specific circumstances). The only reason that a woman should not be able to have an abortion is in the case where it has been documented that that particular woman is using it as a means of birth control.
When a woman (or girl) becomes pregnant as a result of incest or rape it is a direct result of a violent act upon her person. Keep in mind that only 1% of all abortions fall into this category, yet for this reason alone abortion must be legal (Guttmacher Institute, 2011). If not, a person who has already suffered tremendous mental and physical anguish would be forced to continue suffering. Even without becoming pregnant, some women and children never recover from the traumatic experience. Moreover, pregnancy itself can cause depression...
Adding the physical and mental burden of carrying an unwanted
fetus for nine months to the victim of a horrendous
crime against her person is morally reprehensible. She would be forced to have a constant reminder of the damage done to her body. Add to the mental and physical anguish (carrying a fetus to term can be extremely difficult under the best circumstances) the monetary expenses associated with having a child. Without the opportunity to abort the fetus, the victim of this crime would be forced to be responsible for the cost of
prenatal care, maternity clothes, loss of work, and footing the bill for the actual delivery of the child.
Additionally no woman or girl should be required to carry a fetus to term and deliver that child when doing so will cause her to have adverse effects on her health. This includes both mental and physical. These health issues include but are not limited to
anemia, depression, ectopic pregnancy, gestational diabetes,
high blood pressure, hyperemesis gravidarum, placenta previa, placenta abruption, and toxemia (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2010). Any number of these can cause severe physical pain and problems to the mother. In the absolute worst scenarios, the mother's life can actually be at stake. For this reason alone abortion should be legal. Under no circumstances should a…
