Should Abortion Be Legal? Every Woman Has A Right To Abortion

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Should abortion be legal?
Introduction
The 1989 decision by the highest Court in the US in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services made abortion a central issue of disagreement in the United States. In the past years, more than half a million Americans have held demonstrations and rallies to assert their strong opinions against or for abortion on religious, moral, ethical and political grounds. Amnesty International describes abortion as a procedure that intentionally terminates a pregnancy, which is a health necessity for millions of women and girls all over the world (Amnesty International). Within the last sixty years, over thirty nations have changed their regulations to ensure women receive safe abortion services. In the United States, abortion has been legal since 1973, following the Roe v. Wade ruling by the Supreme Court. The verdict has seen an estimated thirty-seven out of every one thousand pregnancies end in abortion (Amnesty International). Some countries, in the world, still uphold punitive laws that criminalize abortion. While outlawing abortion may seem like an ethical decision for these countries, according to World Health Organization (WHO) these laws push women to seek out unsafe abortions, which results in over twenty-two million unsafe abortions every year and severe health risks for women. Abortion should be legal as every woman has the liberty to decide what to do with her body, abortion is vital for different medical reasons, and it brings about positive social effects.
Every woman has a right to abortion
The primary reason abortion should be legal is that every female has the liberty to choose what to do with their body. The government has a right to protect the lives of all its citizens including a fetus that has not been born yet. However, the same constitution gives women the liberty to do whatever they want with their bodies including termination of a pregnancy. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Roe v. Wade ruling of 1973 recognizes that abortion is essential liberty that every woman should enjoy as enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution (“Constitutional protection” 1). The amendment states that every individual should enjoy equal protection under the law. With the Supreme Court ruling permitting abortion, every woman can make personal decisions about family and getting children without any interference.
The constitution also considers a woman’s liberty to terminate a pregnancy in the 4th Amendment. According to the Bills of Right, every person has the liberty to be secure in their surroundings, and this law extends the right to privacy to a person’s reproductive health (“Bill of Rights”). Therefore, a woman can choose to procure an abortion without the government or anyone else interfering in this matter or concerning the decision to bear or not to get a child as it is part of their privacy. Further, the Constitution believes that every woman should enjoy constitutional values of dignity, autonomy, equality, and integrity of one’s body. According to the 13th Amendment, no individual should suffer servitude of any kind, not unless it is a punishment for a crime (“Constitutional protection” 1). Thus, for women to effectively participate in building the economy of the country, they have to be in control of their reproductive lives, define their existence and have control over what happens in their bodies. Having the right to control their reproduction helps them meet this goal.
Abortion should be legal for medical reasons.
The legalization of abortion prevents women and girls from grave threats to their health and lives. First, it protects women from the adverse health effects of unsafe and illegal abortions. Throughout history, women have attempted to terminate unwanted pregnancies whether it is legal or against the law while putting their safety and health at risk in the process. Investigations by Planned Parenthood before the legalization of abortion revealed that about two hundred thousand to one million and two hundred illegal abortions occurred every year in the US (OBOS abortion contributors). Illegal abortions risk the lives of women and girls as they are performed by unqualified individuals and in unsafe and unhygienic surroundings. As a result, this exposes the women to sepsis, incomplete abortions, heavy bleeding, and infection. Also, the women stare at risks of perforation of the wall of their uterus, damage to their genital organs and internal organs. With over seven million women hospitalized due to such complications and 5% to 13.2 % dying, legalization of abortion is the only viable solution to protect the health of women (OBOS abortion contributors).
Abortion saves the lives of pregnant women. Doctors observe that pregnancy is an event that is full of risks. However, some instances call for the termination of a pregnancy to preserve the life and health of the woman. According to Contraception, some women suffer from a variety of medical conditions which are dangerous, making their capability to carry a pregnancy to birth while maintaining their health almost impossible. Such conditions include cancer, preeclampsia, and cardiovascular diseases such as cardiomyopathy and hypertension. Also, diabetes, epilepsy, and obesity pose a risk to a pregnancy (Guiahi & Anne 625-626). Complications and congenital disabilities cause the end of pregnancies as well. Complications such as a fetus implanted on the wall of the uterus, death of a fetus, premature rupture of membranes surrounding the fetus in the womb and separation of the placenta can lead to a doctor recommending an abortion. Abnormalities in the fetus such as spinal bifida, anencephaly, heart and kidney abnormalities and certain types of conjoined twins make it impossible for the survival of a child after birth (Chae, Desai, Crowell & and Sedgh 234-236). Thus, abortion is necessary.
The legalization of abortion would reduce the cases of mental health problems among women. Women that have access to abortion have fewer chances of developing mental health problems in comparison to their counterparts who do not access this service. According to a study by Corinne, Katrina, Heather, and Diana, which made a comparison of the mental health of women who received and those denied abortion services, found that women who did not have access to abortion had feelings of regret and resentment and less reprieve and joy in comparison to th...