Introduction
Abortion
It is very often discussed and a very controversial topic nowadays. To give the topic a light, we first need to understand what abortion actually means. So, Abortion is a deliberate termination of human pregnancy which is believed to be done safely in the first 28 weeks. Scientifically, it is the removal of embryo or fetus before it can survive outside the uterus in any way- medical or surgical.
Laws
Abortion is legal in India and the legal age for the abortion in India is first 12 weeks which can only be performed by a ‘Registered Medical Practitioner’ (has so many clauses and can be done after several legal proceedings).
There are still many countries where Abortion is strictly banned such as Iraq, Haiti, Suriname, San Marino, etc. This may be because of their history, the past cultures or maybe because of the religious issues. But to come to a specific conclusion, we first need to see the actual pros and cons of the same.
Also, few of the solid reasons why these countries are banning abortions and check whether the reason is good enough to take such a serious decision or not.
Pros and Cons of the Law regarding the Abortion (Debate on Abortion should be legal or Not!)
There are many reasons why Abortion should be legal but on either side, there can be many reasons why the abortion shouldn’t be legalized as well. For an instance, if we see from a responsibility point of view in today’s century, there can be many pros which will come into the context but on the other side, if ‘Genetic Selection’ comes into play, the side of cons may become heavier. To reach a conclusion we need to see both pros and cons separately in a crisp and precise manner.
Pros (If Abortion should be legalized)
The first point which can be discussed is about the Women Empowerment. The choice to reproduction plays a vital role in it by giving them an emotional and physical control over their own bodies which drags the topic in the direction that abortion should be a fundamental right of the citizen after a proper discussion between the partners.
If we see the science behind the abortion, it is the process where the pregnancy is terminated, not the baby. The age of the human being is counted from the day after the birth and not from when the day when a woman becomes pregnant. Studies show that fetuses feel no pain during the time of the abortion. According to “Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists”, Cortex is necessary to feel the pain and it does not become functional until the 26th week of the pregnancy, which brings another point in favor of the legalization of Abortion.
One more reason which proves to be vital is that childbirth and the pregnancy is a very tiring and backbreaking task which requires lots of care and responsibility which gives tremendous impacts on women’s wellbeing on both manners, physically and mentally. So, if a woman is not ready enough to take the responsibility on both physical and emotional level, it’ll be wrong to prevent from seeking any kind of abortions. Ultimately, women have rights to make choices about what happens to their bodies.
There have been seen many cases where a woman is forced to give birth to a child even if she is not willing to or even if she was not ready on both factors- physically and mentally which violates the right to independence and right of own choice of living.
There can also be many social reasons why abortions should be legalized such as poverty, the mother being too young to cope, etc. One serious question which arises is the case when the pregnancy is the result of any crime such as child abuse or rape. What if the women or the girl is innocent and faced any unfortunate happening? Will that still is fine for her and her family to raise the child? The answers to these questions make one of the biggest and one of the most crucial point why abortion should be legalized.
Cons (If Abortion shouldn’t be legalized)
If we look at the medical aspects of abortion, in some cases it can create many kinds of health complications for the mother who is giving birth. There are cases seen which proves to be even worse where these complications gave a question mark on life and death of the patient. Other than the complications, abortion doesn’t mean that the termination of the fetus is permanent. Abortion always carries a risk of becoming pregnant ever again in life.
Some women feel a sense of guilt after the process which leads to an unwanted and sad memory that lasts lifelong resulting in severe depression and also leads to many kinds of stress in daily routines.
Alternative of Abortion
As discussed before, there are some cases when the parents or the society starts discriminating between male and female child which leads to a genetic selection or genetic discrimination, and as for the child is concerned it is wrong to discriminate as it affects in the mental conditioning and also affects the mentality of the society.
On the contrary, in some manner, if abortion is available and can be done in an easy manner, it encourages the irresponsible behavior in the society.
There can be a huge list of Pros as well as Cons regarding the legalization of Abortion in a country or even worldwide.
Conclusion on Debate – Abortion should be legal or Not
We live in the 21st century and have lots of responsibilities of our own. Women are setting pillars of success along with the men. Biologically, we humans are evolved enough to understand the emotional and physical aspects of any situation or feeling. Also, we are capable enough to judge ourselves if we can bear a certain amount of pain, responsibility or any kind of future decisions. The world is growing, one’s nurturing is taken utmost care of. Many indices such as Happiness Index are introduced in almost all countries around the world to maintain a balance of the culture and the growth.
As per the physical, mental and the overall growth aspects of a human being, Abortion should be legalized because there won’t be any meaning of giving a birth to a child when one is incapable of taking responsibilities and making the life of child undesirable. Many factors such as pregnancy by crimes prove to be a vital reason why abortion should be legalized. On the other hand, Adoption instead of Abortion can be a better option in some cases when there seems no other way other than giving the birth and following any kind of religious rituals or taking forward the piousness of any culture.
Note: * The essay is full of facts and figure. Some artifacts are inspired from abortion.procon.org