The Freedom to Choose: Why Abortion Rights are Non-Negotiable
Why Women Deserve the Choice of Abortion
"The right to choose is fundamental to women's equality, dignity, and freedom." - Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights
Understanding the Landscape
Abortion is one of the most divisive and controversial issues in American society. It touches on deeply held moral, religious, and political beliefs, as well as personal experiences and circumstances. Yet, despite the heated debates and legal battles, the majority of Americans support the right of women to decide whether to end a pregnancy.
According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in April 2022, 61% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases. These views are relatively unchanged in the past few years, and reflect a long-standing consensus that abortion should not be banned outright.
The Complexity of Abortion Views
This does not mean that Americans agree on the specifics of when and how abortion should be performed. In fact, there is a wide range of opinions on the circumstances and stages of pregnancy that affect people's views of abortion.
- For example, while 73% of Americans say abortion should be legal if a woman's health is at stake, only 54% say it should be legal if the baby was likely to be born with severe disabilities or health issues.
- Similarly, while 51% of Americans say abortion should be generally legal in the first six weeks of pregnancy, only 29% say it should be generally legal by 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
These nuances reflect the complexity and diversity of women's situations and needs when facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. No two women are alike, and no one can fully understand the challenges and choices they face. That is why it is essential to respect and protect women's autonomy and agency over their own bodies and lives.
Abortion as a Matter of Social Justice and Human Rights
Abortion is not only a matter of personal choice but also a matter of social justice and human rights. Denying women access to safe and legal abortion can have devastating consequences for their health, well-being, and future opportunities. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year worldwide, resulting in about 7 million complications and 22,800 deaths. Most of these occur in countries where abortion is highly restricted or prohibited by law.
Moreover, restricting abortion disproportionately affects poor, young, rural, minority, and marginalized women, who often face multiple barriers to obtaining quality reproductive health care and information. These women are more likely to experience:
- unintended pregnancies,
- lack of prenatal care, domestic violence,
- sexual assault,
- maternal mortality, and
- poverty.
- They are also more likely to resort to unsafe methods or providers to end their pregnancies, risking their lives and health.
The Positive Impact of Safe and Legal Abortion
By contrast, ensuring women's access to safe and legal abortion can have positive impacts on their physical, mental, and social well-being. Studies have shown that women who obtain abortions are more likely to:
- complete their education,
- pursue their careers,
- achieve economic stability,
- maintain healthy relationships, and
- plan their families according to their own preferences and values.
- They are also less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance abuse than women who are denied abortions.
Furthermore, supporting women's right to choose can benefit society as a whole. Research has found that legalizing abortion can:
- reduce crime rates,
- improve public health outcomes,
- increase gender equality, and
- empower women to participate fully in social and political life.
The Evidence is Clear
The evidence is clear: Abortion is not only a personal decision but also a public good. It is time to stop stigmatizing and criminalizing women who seek abortions, and instead respect their dignity and autonomy. It is time to stop imposing arbitrary and harmful restrictions on abortion services, and instead ensure their availability and accessibility. It is time to stop politicizing and moralizing abortion issues, and instead recognize them as matters of human rights and justice.
Women deserve the choice of abortion. And we all deserve a society that supports them in making that choice.
Common Arguments Against Abortion And How To Respond
Some of the common arguments against abortion and abortion rights are:
- Abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life.
- Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life.
- Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result.
- Abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies is increased if other factors such as smoking are present, the chance of a miscarriage increases in some cases, and pelvic inflammatory disease also increases.
- Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be punished.
Some of the possible responses to these arguments are:
- Abortion is not akin to murder as it does not involve the intentional killing of a person who has an independent existence and identity. A fetus is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord to the mother and depends on her health for its survival. It cannot be regarded as a separate entity or a person with rights that override those of the woman who carries it.
- Abortion is not in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life, but rather a recognition of the complexity and diversity of human situations and needs. The sanctity of human life does not imply that all life is equally valuable or worthy of protection at all costs. It also does not negate the moral agency and autonomy of women who have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and lives.
- Adoption is not an alternative to abortion because it remains the woman's choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Adoption involves carrying a pregnancy to term, which entails physical, emotional, social, and economic costs and risks for the woman. Adoption also does not guarantee that the child will have a better life or that the woman will not suffer from grief or regret afterward.
- Abortion does not result in medical complications later in life; on the contrary, it is a safe medical procedure that has lower rates of morbidity and mortality than childbirth. The risks of ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and pelvic inflammatory disease are not increased by abortion, but by factors such as age, smoking, sexually transmitted infections, and lack of access to quality reproductive health care.
- Abortion does not punish the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it prevents the potential suffering and harm that may result from an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy. Abortion also respects the dignity and autonomy of women who have the right to decide whether or not to become mothers.
Conclusion
Abortion is a complex and controversial issue that involves personal, moral, religious, political, and social factors. However, it is also a matter of human rights, justice, and public health. Women have the right to control their own bodies and lives, and to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy. Denying them this right can have serious consequences for their well-being and opportunities, as well as for society as a whole. Supporting them in this right can have positive impacts on their health, happiness, and empowerment, as well as on social progress and development.
Therefore, abortion should be legal, safe, and accessible for all women who need it. It should not be stigmatized, criminalized, or restricted by arbitrary and harmful laws or policies. It should not be politicized or moralized by those who do not respect women's autonomy and agency. It should be recognized as a personal decision that deserves respect and support.
Women deserve the choice of abortion. And we all deserve a society that supports them in making that choice.
References
- Pew Research Center. (2022, May 6). America’s abortion quandary. Link
- Pew Research Center. (2022, June 13). About six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Link
- World Health Organization. (2018, September 28). Preventing unsafe abortion. Link
- Lowen, L. (2020, January 23). Key arguments from both sides of the abortion debate. ThoughtCo. Link
- Grimes, D.R. (2015, August 12). A scientist weighs up the five main anti-abortion arguments. The Guardian. Link
