Abortion

Introduction

Abortion is often defined as the end of an pregnancy, in which the fetus or embryo is expelled from the body before it is viable, or capable of independent life. In some cases of late-term abortion, however, the fetus may be viable at the time of abortion. Induced abortion, or the deliberate termination of pregnancy (as opposed to spontaneous abortion, also known as miscarriage) has been practiced in every era of history and in every culture of the world.

Thesis Statement

“Abortion is one of the most controversial issues discussed on a daily basis”.

Discussion

The earliest known evidence of the practice of abortion is a recipe for abortifacients, agents or drugs that induce abortion, recorded on an ancient Egyptian papyrus that dates back to 1550 BCE. Both Greek and Roman philosophers took great interest in the theory of “ensoulment,” the point in a pregnancy at which the fetus becomes a person, or an entity with a soul. The concept greatly influenced future perspectives on abortion. (Erika 12-15)

The Definition and Types Of Abortion

To understand the ethical problems of abortion, it is first necessary to define abortion, classify the various types of abortions, and specify the range of goods (motives) that are alleged as justifying abortions. This will show that the term abortion does not designate a single reality. (Francis 30)

Abortion has been traditionally defined as the expulsion or removal of a nonviable fetus, that is, a fetus that cannot live outside the uterus at that time. The definition is relative because the viability of a fetus depends on where and when the expulsion occurs. A fetus delivered in a neonatal intensive care unit is viable far earlier than one that comes into the world in a shack hundreds of miles from any health care professional. But, as implied by the Roe v. Wade discussion, a third-trimester fetus, which is generally viable, is also the possible object of an abortion, so the definition must be expanded to include the expulsion or removal of any fetus where death is the intended outcome. We must include this last point about intention to distinguish an abortion from a cesarean section, in which a viable fetus is removed precisely to save it. (Jennifer 14-15)

In biology, the term fetus is applied at the beginning of the ninth week of pregnancy, well into the second trimester. This name change, however, is not of moral significance, and even expulsions early in the first trimester are still referred to as abortions. There is debate as to when the human conceptus is to be considered a fetus in a moral sense and not merely in a biological sense. Only after we have determined the moral status of the fetus will we be able to say whether the expulsion of the conceptus, the embryo, or the biological fetus is ethically significant.

An abortion can be spontaneous (a miscarriage) or the result of human intervention. Many spontaneous abortions occur during the first trimester of pregnancy. Estimates are that from 15 to 50 percent of ...