Abortion

8 Pages 1986 Words

Abortion research paper

Abortion is a very touchy subject with mounds of controversy swirling around it on many fronts. The purpose of this paper is to find out as much information, so that one can make an informed decision on which side of abortion to agree with. Education is the best tool in making informed decisions. Too many people make decisions based on what their peers think, or their political affiliation rather than finding out the details of the argument. In this controversy there lays two sides of the abortion argument. One side of the argument is pro-life. The pro-life side defends the life of the fetus, and is lobbying to have abortions outlawed altogether. On the other side is the pro-choice side. The pro-choice side defends the women’s right to control her own body, and is actively trying to keep the government out of the decision making process. After my research I hope that I can make my informed decision as well as help my classmates learn something that they may have not known.
One must tread lightly when making a decision that will affect so many women. There are many reasons why a woman may want or need to get an abortion. Some may just not be ready for childbearing, while others cannot financially afford to have a child. With medicine today being so advanced, doctors can find out well in advance if the fetus has an incurable disease, or will be grossly deformed. The mother may not be able to bear that burden financially, and emotionally. Although very rare, impregnation from rape and incest does occur.




Background:
The abortion controversy in the United States dates back to the 1820’s when the first abortion laws began to appear. The first abortion law prohibited abortions after the forth month of pregnancy. By 1900 through the efforts of physicians, the American Medical Association, and legislators, abortions in the United States were outlawed (Lewis, n.d. para 2). Illegal abor...