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CandyLandDefinition

Page history last edited by PBworks 18 years, 1 month ago

Abortion is a topic that is greatly argued over. When most people think of abortion, they simply think of a woman ending her pregnancy, whether for person personal reasons, or for medical reasons. When researching the definition of abortion, however, one will find that it has many definitions. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines abortion as the “termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival, any of various procedures that result in such termination and expulsion or the premature expulsion of a nonviable fetus from the uterus; a miscarriage.”

 

If you check other dictionaries or encyclopedias, you will see that they all seem to address the same basic idea about abortion. One fact that people do not realize, however, is that abortion also includes miscarriages. Miscarriages are also known as “spontaneous abortions”. Miscarriages are when the fetus is lost due to either natural or accidental causes. When we think of abortion, we normally think of a woman deciding that she does not want to have a baby.

 

Abortion was legalized in the United States in 1973, after the Supreme Court Case of Roe vs. Wade. This court case simply established a woman’s right to have an abortion. Another court case, Doe vs. Bolton, established that women could have an abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. (Defining Abortion)

 

Obviously, there must be a different way to abort a fetus at the beginning stages of pregnancy as opposed to the last months. When a woman chooses to deliberately abort a baby, it is referred to as induced abortion. Two types of induced abortion are therapeutic abortion and elective abortion. Therapeutic abortion is performed because of the health risks to the woman who is pregnant. Elective abortions are those performed for other reasons.

 

A woman who chooses to have an abortion can go through a variety of procedures, depending on how late it is into the pregnancy. Two types of abortion methods are surgical and chemical. People generally do not consider emergency contraceptives to be abortion. However, the issue of emergency contraceptives arouses the dispute whether or not conception marks the beginning of human life.

 

People who are pro-life most often believe that life starts at conception, while people who are pro-choice believe that it depends on the woman’s menstrual cycle. People who are pro-life believe that an abortion is the killing of an unborn child. People who are pro-choice believe that it is a woman’s right to choose.

 

Many people who are pro-choice argue the fact that if a pregnancy puts a woman in danger, then abortion is the best option. There are many reasons why a woman could be at a health risk during a pregnancy. These include ectopic pregnancies, infections, systemic diseases, and immune responses. An ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo is not attached inside the uterus. Most people, including many pro-life supporters, agree that there is almost no chance of survival for the embryo and the risks are too high for the woman to continue the pregnancy.

 

Other issues that people who are pro-choice feel are reasonable acts for abortion include, rape and financial status. If a woman is raped, pro-choice people feel that she should not be forced to have the baby. Also, if a woman cannot support her baby financially, they feel that this is also another reason not to have a baby.

 

Pro-life people feel that these reasons are not enough to justify abortion. Although people who are pro-choice feel that if a woman wants an abortion for health reasons she should be allowed, 93% of induced abortions are because of personal reasons. Pro-life people argue that it is not ok to end a pregnancy because you do not wish to have a baby. They feel that you should give your baby up for adoption.

 

Also, another argument they make is about the rights of an unborn child. When exactly can we justify whether or not a fetus is a living human. At 18 days old, the fetus’s heart first begins to beat. Most abortions do not occur until the seventh through the tenth week. Throughout these weeks the things that the developing fetus is going through includes: having every organ present, fingerprints are forming, fingers can bend, begins sucking thumb, and body is sensitive to touch. People who are pro-life argue that these are obvious signs of life and an unborn child.

 

These people also believe that a fetus should have equal rights just as anyone else does. The issues pertaining to the moral obligations of a fetus became even more controversial when Michigan approved a law to “protect a fetus from intentional injury or death” in June 1998. If a person is found to have intentionally caused a miscarriage or stillbirth, then that person may be sent to prison.

 

People who are pro-choice also believe that birth begins at conception. They therefore feel that emergency contraceptives are a form of abortion. They feel that this, along with other forms of abortion, should be illegal.

 

In conclusion, abortion is something that many people in our society disagree upon. Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In the United States it is legal to have an abortion throughout the entire pregnancy. In the trial of Doe vs. Bolton, it was decided women may have abortions throughout the entire nine months if it affects their health. (Defining Abortion) Many people oppose this law, saying it ends the life of an unborn child; while others agree that abortion should remain legal, arguing that a woman has the right to choose. One thing is for certain, however. No matter if abortion is made illegal or the laws remain the same, abortion is not just defined by a woman’s choice to end her pregnancy: It is defined also by the natural or accidental end to a pregnancy. People maybe disagree with the fact that women have the right to choose, but as of right now in our nation they are allowed to end their pregnancy by choice.

 

Works Cited

“Abortion.” Oxford English Dictionary Online Oxford University Press 2005 7 February 2006 http://www.dictionary.oed.com

 

“Abortion.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. www.bartleby.com/61/. 7 February 2006.

 

 

"Abortion." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Feb 2006, 15:27 UTC. 7 Feb 2006, 22:57 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abortion&oldid=38622561>.

 

“Abortion: Defining the Terms.” 7 February 2006 http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz.cfm?quiz=168361

 

“Defining Abortion.” 7 February 2006 http;//www.ncrtl.ord/defining.htm

 

"Fetus." Bioethics for Students: Issues in Medicine, Animal Rights, and the Environment. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 1999.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 07 February 2006

http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC

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