Is abortion right or wrong Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is abortion right or wrong - Coursework Example These statistics are a clear indicator of how abortion has affected a great deal of the world’s population either directly or indirectly. Due to the grey nature of life-related issues statements are left for individual interpretations and this paper will look into whether abortion is right or wrong. Scientists have come to the fore with mixed sentiments on the issue of abortion. Some point out that a human being exists right from conception. These further stress that the terms zygote, embryo and foetus among others, that are at the centre of debate as to which is a human form and which is not, are merely stages of development in a new baby. They stress that a baby also has various names like infant and toddler depending on their age after birth. These scientific arguments connote that a baby is formed right from the time it is conceived and the human argument needs no debate (Baumgardner 2008). In the same scientific front there are those that refrain from the above descriptio ns. Some extremist opponents of these views state that life begins are birth. The others state that an unborn child is a living person but they differ on which stage of development a human being is formed. It is important to note that within the general population there are divisions in opinion with people falling under the above three categories in relation to when a baby starts being human. In this regards it is important to look into the various specific arguments for and against abortion. Arguments for abortion Pro-choice activists state that many abortions are done during the first trimester. At this stage of pregnancy the foetus is not able to survive outside the womb by itself. As such the argument set forth is that the foetus is just but a part of the woman’s body and not a separate entity and abortion is just but elimination this part. Human life formation should be differentiated from personhood. Those who support this view state that human life begins at conception but argue that the vitro fertilisation eggs which do not get implanted are often discarded. They further ask the question as to whether this is murderous or not and therefore fail to understand why when a woman does the same it is termed as murderous. Adoption on the other hand cannot be an alternative to abortion as some argue. They support this by stating that only less than 3 percent of women opt to offer their babies for adoption after birth. As such they state that aborting is a decision best left for a woman to make as going for adoption is a rare route after birth. Abortion, contrary to the popular belief, is medically safe and only 0.5 percent of the cases report serious complications (Naden 2007). Furthermore, pro-choice activists claim that it is not true that after an abortion a woman reduces their chances of a healthy pregnancy in future. They also argue that women who have undergone traumatising ordeals like rape should not be forced to maintain the pregnancy stating t hat they undergo grave psychological stress in these circumstances. Others argue that women become pregnant even after using contraception methods. Statistics indicate that of all the women who undergo abortions, just 8 percent do not use contraceptives. A section of civil rights activists also challenge the arguments against abortion stating that it is a woman’