Abortion: Is it Right Or Wrong?
On June 24, 2022 US Supreme Court announced a historic verdict. They struck down Roe V. Wade. In one stroke 36 million women lost their abortion rights; the right to choose what happens to their body. The verdict has been met with protest as expected. But all of this chaos brings us to an important question, is it wrong to abort a child?
Abortion : Right or wrong?
Abortion, a simple word yet so controversial. A word that often conflicts the beliefs of complex institutions like religion and marriage. Both have a great contribution in making abortion a taboo. But we are not going to talk about that in this blog post. Instead we will try to burst some of the myths around this controversial word, abortion.
Do We Have A Wrong Idea About Abortion?
Today when even the so called first world progressive countries are making regressive laws maybe it's high time we talk about abortion rights and burst some abortion related myths.
So let's begin by defining abortion. An abortion is a procedure to end a pregnancy. How it's done? By using medicine or surgery to remove the embryo or or fetus and placenta from uterus.
Going through an abortion is a painful procedure and that's why women take every possible precaution to ensure that they don't have to undergo an abortion ever.
But unwanted pregnancies are the reality of life just like failed birth control and rape.
Speaking of reality, do you know what else is a reality? Choice. Choices that are not easy but a woman has to make.
- Unforeseen economic situations
- Social conditions
- Job loss
- Death of loved ones
- Threat to her health
- Unready for pregnancy
Situations like these leave women physically, mentally and financially unprepared to raise a child. there are times her health doesn't permit it and it's not only about health, sometimes a woman is just not ready for a pregnancy.
But instead of helping her out the world closes door on her. Today there are 24 countries that completely prohibit abortion even in case of rape. And then there are 39 countries where abortion is allowed only where a woman's life is at risk. So what about choice? Sorry never heard that word.
A lot of these countries that outlaw abortion happened to be in Latin America. A region where catholic church also has immense influence. It shows how deeply rooted is religion in politics.
The catechism of the catholic church states " Since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law". Source: Click Here
But one thing that church failed to take into account is the relevance of time and scientific understanding of human body. There was very little knowledge of human embryology when Didache and the Letter of Barnabas were written. They dates back to 1st and the 2nd century. While the ovum was discovered only in 1827.
Meanwhile catholic church continued to insist that abortion goes against the commandment " Thou shalt not kill". It says from the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person.
It's true that fetus is human life, but then so is sperm before it fertilizes or the ovum before it's fertilized. Human hair is living and so is human nail. You see there is a difference between in killing a life and killing a person. The whole anti-abortion argument is absurd.
Let's break some myths
MYTH: The fetus feels pain.
FACT: The fetus can only start feeling pain, or any other sensation around 26 weeks.
The upper limit for abortion is 24 weeks. The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists filed a report on fetal pain and it says fetal perception of pain cannot occur before 24 weeks of gestation.
MYTH: Abortion causes depression.
FACT: Women who are denied abortion are more likely to be depressed. Source: The Turnaway Study.
MYTH: Abortion reduces fertility.
FACT: There is no evidence to suggest that.
But these anti-abortion activists won't tell these things. They claim to be so called "Pro-life" but actually they are anti-choice, anti-women, anti-equality and even anti-life. 30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortion. Between 2015-17 73.3 million unsafe abortions were carried out. 3 out of 4 abortions in Africa, Latin America were unsafe. Every year between 4.7%-13.2% maternal deaths are linked to unsafe abortions. This data is from World Health Organization.
So whom are we actually helping with these outdated laws? Who gave religious leaders the authority to dictate motherhood? And who gave state the power to ban abortion?
It's really unfortunate that US Supreme Court struck down Roe V. Wade. They put religion over basic human right. Certainly " The land of free" isn't free anymore. It's like we are back to middle-ages. At the end of this whole anti-abortion debate there is only one victim, women.
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