Abortion

Introduction

When dealing with the issue of abortion there are many different aspects of it. There are many different kinds of procedures for abortions as well as many different reasons for obtaining an abortion. There are just as many possible side-effects of these abortions. Also, different states have different laws that pertain to abortions.

This paper discusses that abortion should not be allowed as it is a social crime and considered as the murder of humanity.

In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that a woman, in consultation with her physician, has a constitutionally protected right to choose abortion in the early stages of pregnancy; that is before viability. Since this law became in effect, women choose to have abortions for many different reasons. In a book titled, Abortion, written by Marie Costa, she states that the reasons behind abortion are, women is concerned about how having a baby will change her life, can't afford a baby now, has problems with relationships, unready for responsibility, doesn't want others to know she had sex or is pregnant, not mature enough or too young, has all the children that she wants, partners want an abortion, fetus has health problems, woman has health problems and woman was victim of rape or incest(148). These reasons are the underlying facts behind the many abortions performed each year. As stated in the book by Nada L. Stotland, Abortion, Facts and Feelings, she says, almost half of American women will have had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45 (20).

Moreover, broad cross sections of U.S women have abortions. Although Robert Crooks and Karla Baur who wrote, Our Sexuality, say that young, white, unmarried women obtain the most abortions (339), many other women of different races and religions have abortions. Stotland states that, approximately 54% of women who have abortions are less than 25 years old, 82% are not married and 61% of women undergoing abortions are white (20). Abortions are not prejudice against age, race or religion; this makes any women susceptible to this procedure. Crooks and Baur even provide the religion aspect by saying, 18% of all abortions are obtained by born-again and evangelical Christians (339). These reasons and percentages provide insight behind the people having abortions.

There are many different methods of abortions that can be performed. These abortions fall into three categories; surgical, induction of labor and anti-progesterones. Abortions are to be performed by an abortionist in a clinical or medical atmosphere. Following are the description of the many different types of abortions.

The Vacuum Aspiration or suction method is usually done between 7 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. The cervix is dilated and a vacuum with a knife like edge is inserted. The suction rips apart the body, sucks out blood, amniotic fluid and tissue.

The Dilation and Curettage, D&C, is usually done during the 1st 10 weeks of pregnancy. This method is similar to the suction method. Instead, a curette, a loop shaped knife, is put into the uterus to ...