Abortion

Abortion

Introduction

Abortion is often regarded as among those issues those divide the nation and hence has been the subject of a lot of discussion and debate since years. Abortion is a complex and controversial issue and is not limited to individuals anymore; rather it is considered to be a social problem. The issue and its related issues have been controversial due to the fact that it touches upon the deepest values and moral beliefs which make people question the practice. Abortion has been legal in the United States and many other European countries since the early 1970s yet it continues to be intensely debated in the US. The essay provides an overview of the issue of abortion, looks at the social policies attached with it, and also summarize and discuss the scope of the problem and its causes and consequences.

Discussion

Abortion is a medical procedure referring to the termination of pregnancy during its early stages and often sought by women for the sake of their health or in cases where the pregnancy is the result of a crime (such as rape, incest or child abuse). There are various other reasons for which abortion is sought by women which include abortion where a child is expected to have serious physical handicaps, genetic problems or mental defects. Poverty, mother being too young or mother unable to cope with another child are also some of the social reasons for which women seek abortion (www.bbc.co.uk).

Abortion in the nineteenth century United States was considered to be the greatest crime, a direct war against human society and many other things of analogous nature (Linders, 1998). It was and is viewed as a social problem that directly affects lives and therefore many state policies can be found. The Supreme Court's 1973 decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe ...