Should Abortion be Legal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should Abortion be Legal - Essay Example Abortion is a very sensitive issue and proponents of abortion believe that it is the right of the woman to opt for this decision. This stand has been opposed by people who believe that the fetus bears the potential to turn into a complete human being and abortion is equivalent to the ending of an individual’s life. Abortion is a controversial issue and it should only be legally allowed in the circumstances where the life of the mother may be in danger owing to the pregnancy and this practice should not be permitted legally in other circumstances. Abortion has been opposed on ethical, religious as well as medical grounds. An individual should use his liberty and thinking to opt for what he considers correct or incorrect. But this freedom should not be used in a wrong way so that it leads to negative effects. Pope John Paul II explained this issue and presented that all human beings should maintain a correct balance between their rights of liberty and the important decisions of their life. Abortion is an example where this balance is lost. The negativities of abortion should be considered before opting for this strong step. Pro-life supporters and ethical groups argue that abortion should be a practice that should only be restricted for cases where the pregnancy can prove to be a risk for the life of the mother or in other untoward incidents like in victims of sexual assault. But these reasons are the least common reasons which account for abortion cases in the United States. It is seen that only one percent of abortions are carried out under these circumstances and 99 percent of the abortions are done as a method of birth control or for other reasons given by women. A better way should be opted by the government to tackle these issues rather than providing for options like abortion. Better techniques include proper and managed awareness programs for the pregnant woman as well as her family. Furthermore, appropriate health management and support should be provided (Quito 2007). Abortion is also highlighted to be wrong by the religious groups. The religious groups claim that reproduction is a natural process of life and it is an ability provided by God to human beings. To disregard and alter this process is incorrect and not justified even on moral grounds. The role of parents is to care and nurture for their children and this role should not be changed into a brutal step of killing one’s own child for reasons like free will. The drawbacks of abortion have also been put forward by many medical groups on the basis of different studies and researches. A research that was published in the year 1994 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute provided insight into the fact that a complete pregnancy improved the health status of a woman and proved to be a shield against the occurrence of breast cancer. The chances of breast cancer are 50 percent greater in females who opt for abortion. This risk following is even higher in femal es who already have a genetic susceptibility of the development of breast cancer owing to the occurrence of the condition in family members. According to Dr. James Moran who was the Director at the Cancer Institute, the initial increase in the levels of estrogen in the female body during pregnancy can alter the normal breast cells. In the initial phase,