Our world today is full of unsolved, devisive and controversial issues. Most of them relate to our morals, ethics and religion, thus creating a very strong yes and no, or good and bad side. Like the Chinese Yin and Yang sign, abortion has a very prominent black and white side but also contains traces of each in the alternating colour. This shows that if you were to come to any kind of conclusion on abortion, there would still be a downside to it, and that is primarily why the world cannot agree on this sensitive and emotional issue.
Being female myself, I can understand why a woman would want to have an bortion. Being pregnant and wishing you werent is probably the worst feeling a woman can have. Knowing that if you brought a child into the world and you didnt want it, or you would have to give it up for adoption is such a disheartening way to start off, and you and the un-born child would be so much better off if you were to terminate the pregnancy and wait for a more appropriate time, or in the case of rape, put the past behind you and move on.
Society has attached a stigma to abortion. When we hear of women having abortions, we seem to automatically think that she wasnt careful enough, or she idnt use contraception. We forget to stop and think about the other possible reasons she may have accidentally become pregnant. Just forgetting to take one pill per packet can reduce its effectiveness and also taking anti-biotics, or being ill can also undermine the way the pill works.
Condoms can tear or be forgotten, and emergency contraceptives like the morning after pill are underprescribed and not readily available. Would it surprise you that over 50% of women getting an abortion in Britain used some form of contraception when they got pregnant? This obviously shows that women are having huge problems with using contraception, and something needs to be done about it now. Starting by educating women more on the pill and the way it works, the after effects of abortion, and the risks of having an abortion.
We dont want abortion to become the easy way out though. People just need to know more about it and have to satisfy specific criteria before having the pregnancy terminated, for instance by interviews with doctors, given unbiased advice, and consultations with people of their specific religion. It is hugely important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies but we have to accept that abortion is a fact of life for many women, – Ann Furedi of the British pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).
In the United States doctors who administer abortions are being targeted by anti-abortion activists and some have actually been murdered. The doctors are now having to take many precautions including wearing bullet-proof vests and pulling blinds and shades down in their homes. One obstetrician-gynecologist had to shut down his medical practice after he was terrorized by protesters who had istributed wanted posters with his photograph, mailed threats to his home and listed his name on a baby butchers web site.
What makes a person think that just because they feel strongly about an issue it gives them the right to go and kill someone, or harass them till they fear for the safety of their family? In Scotland the Roman Catholic Church offered a 12yr old pregnant girl money in the attempt to prevent her from having an abortion. She was advised by her teachers and a social worker to terminate the pregnancy mainly because of her age and her familys financial position. But her parents were more convinced with the advice given to them by the Scottish churchs Pro-Life Initiative, a program that offers alternatives to abortion.
A writer of the Tabloid Daily Mirror argues that offering 12yr olds cash for babies is tantamount to bribery….. and it stinks to high heaven. But Monsignor Tom Conelly a spokeperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland said that the churchs offer gives the girl real choice, so the child in the womb does not suffer at all, irrespective of age or race or creed. If the girl chose to go through with the abortion, it would able her to continue on with her life ormally and go on with her schooling.
Unfortunately though, if she did have an abortion there would be the risk that she may not be able to conceive in later years. This is a high price to pay, but maybe she should have thought about some of the consequences of having sex at such an early age. It all comes back to sex education and informing children about the consequences and responsibilities that come with having sex. Pap smears, contraception, STDs and abortion should all be addressed at school and this should all be re-inforced by the parents at home.