Abortion has always been a touchy subject in our society. For years politicians have struggled to take a united stance on the issue. Ever since I knew anything about the issue I have been pro-choice. However, over the past few years I have realized that I personally could never have an abortion. I struggle in knowing whether or not I could support someone in doing something that I could never do. As of right now I remain pro-choice because it is the choice that matters to me. In having a choice many women, obviously, choose not to have abortions. But at the same time I wonder if having an abortion is really immoral. I also wonder how women can go through with something so traumatic, especially those who have abortions farther along than others (though I believe some of those to now be illegal). I'm curious to know others opinions on abortion as it is something that I believe will become a more and more prevalent issue in our society as a result of a growing number in casual relationships. I'm especially curious to know if people are against abortions and accept it in certain cases and to see how strongly different individuals feel about it. Obviously I personally have not developed a real concrete opinion on the issue. I'm hoping the comments of others will be able to give me some sort of perspective that could enable me to form an opinion.
Abortion - For? Against? Me, not so sure either way.
By ominousky - Posted on March 23rd, 2008
Your views are very similar to my own in that you support the right choose, but you don't necessarily support the choice. I too belive that it is the woman's decision when it comes to her body, but I don't think that she should choose to abort the baby. The reason I feel this way is because there are women out there who get raped. These women should not be forced to have constant painful reminders of their experience, especially not ones that they should be able to love and care for for the rest of their lives. And there are women who have made poor life decisions and unintentionally get pregnant while they are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The odds are against their children being born completely healthy, and chances are those children will get taken away from their parents for safety reasons anyway.
This is not to say that I don't think that the children born in either of these situations cannot grow up healthy, happy, and well-cared/provided for. So while abortion is not a choice I could personally make, I understand some of the potential reasons that others might choose it.
I totally agree with everything that you said, but the trouble that I have comes from supporting people who have abortions because they simply just don't want to have kids.
And that's something I didn't mention as one of the possible reasons a person might choose abortion. Not because it doesn't happen, but because its not one of the reasons that I understand. If you don't want to have kids then you should be preventing pregnancy instead of counteracting it.
I also wonder how women can go through with something so traumatic
It's not as traumatic as going through with a pregnancy and birth you desperately, desperately do not want. Have you seen what pregnancy does to a woman's body? Have you seen a birth? Do you know how many risks and complications pregnant women face? Abortion is nowhere near as horrible as going through all that when you don't want to.
I'm curious to know others opinions on abortion as it is something that I believe will become a more and more prevalent issue in our society as a result of a growing number in casual relationships.
Casual relationships don't cause abortion. Sex without reliable, consistent contraception causes abortion. If we improve health care access and contraception availability, we will decrease abortions. In the US, half of all abortions are caused by the 11% of fertile women who aren't using contraception at any given time.
My opinion of abortion is that it is a medical procedure that exists to address a health problem: unwanted pregnancy. There are better ways to prevent this health problem, but they are not perfect, so abortion needs to be available when prevention fails. Increase prevention, and you'll reduce -- but not eliminate -- abortion. Abortion can never be eliminated completely because sometimes it is necessary and better than the alternative.
I think that your comment about what I said about abortion being traumatic was the perfect response! You're totally right. I guess I was just thinking in terms of myself and I know that I would not be able to have an abortion even if it wasn't a pregnancy that I wanted. I guess for many people the actual experience of going through with the pregnancy and birth would be much more traumatic.
And when I said casual relationships, I guess I was just looking for a polite way to say sleeping around. Although I do know that plenty of people who have abortions are in one relationship and that many people who have several partners are safe about it. I think it was partly word choice.
We are totally on the same page! I don't think that I could ever have an abortion either, but I do feel the same way you do about the act of abortion. While I can't say that I am pro-life, I do find the act of abortion to be a very sensitive subject. Great jjob with this blog!