...Ethics of Abortion Destiny Vazquez SOC 120 Instructor Slack Monday, April 16, 2012 Abortion, one of the most ethical issues debated today. It has been a widely controversial debate for many years dated back to even before it was made legal in the United States. Like most ethical issues, there are two sides as to what is the right thing to do. Some people think that abortion is completely and utterly wrong. Some people think that abortion is right when and only when the mother’s life is at risk. And others think that there is a range of different circumstances that make abortion morally acceptable. In this paper I will present the issue of abortion, explain the three classical theories of utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics on how to solve the issue and contrast this response with the perspective brought to the issue of abortion by ethical egoism. I will also present you with my personal opinion as to why I believe abortion should be in fact morally accepted by society. The issues that arise when debating about whether abortion is ethically wrong or right are many. There are two sides to this debate and they call themselves, “pro-life” or “pro-choice”. Pro-lifers say that it is morally wrong to end pregnancy because you are in fact killing an innocent human being, and the pro-choicer believes that the choice should be made by and for the impregnated woman and that under certain circumstances, abortion is in fact acceptable. Many questions are being asked to...
Words: 1945 - Pages: 8
...provide essential guidelines for medical ethics, with reference to the topic you have investigated. INTRO Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy most often performed during the first 28 weks. Abortion in the uk was first made legal in 1967 when in the first year there were a total of … abortions which is a very small amount when compared to last years total of 185,122 in the u.k alone. This shows that abortion has increased dramatically since it was made legal in 1967. Abortion is a historic subject of matter swaying all the way back to times when Christianity was just beginning to appear (and even before that). Greeks and romans allowed abortion in any situation and even infanticide-sorranus of Ephesus. Abortion could be accepted on any grounds such as to protect the woman’s looks, to cover adultery etc. the didache is one of the earliest writings of Christianity and within it it states that abortion is wrong in any situation as it is murder. The Hippocratic oath is an oath in which all doctors and nurses used to have to swear by. It states that the doctors will not give drugs which allow abortion as the main role of a doctor is to prevent life from ending. Abortion throughout history has been a very un-decisive subject and many will argue that is still is today. Society today is still un-decided about the matter with almost every other person having a different opinion on where life begins, whether or not abortion should take place, whether or not certain...
Words: 636 - Pages: 3
...The debate over abortion has been the cause of many a heated discussion among conservatives and liberals for many decades. With the advent of the American feminist movement in the 1920s, women have been engaged in the effort of having and maintaining control over their sexual and reproductive rights. Abortion itself was banned in the U.S. from the beginning of the 20th century until the early 1970s, which meant many women resorted to the dangerous option of having an abortion performed out of sight of the law. In 1973, the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade overturned laws prohibiting abortion performed during the first trimester. Despite this court ruling, abortion still remains a contentious subject to this day. In recent years, there have been several underhanded attempts to all but reverse the rights for which the Roe v. Wade decision paved the way. We have seen a dramatic rise in state provisions enacted to restrict women’s access to abortion: In 2012, 43 provisions in 19 states were enacted, the second highest number of new abortion restrictions in one year, next to the whopping 92 provisions that were enacted in 2011. On July 18th, Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) signed House Bill 2, which could mean the closure of all but five abortion clinics in the state. One of the provisions of the law requires that all clinics must become ambulatory surgical centers, even if they do not provide surgical abortions; it also requires that abortion providers have admitting privileges at...
Words: 342 - Pages: 2
...It is estimated that 45-55 million abortions take place in just one (NHS, 2012), 87% of these take place in the first twelve weeks of prgnancy, making the average age for abortions taking place to be 9.5 weeks. However it is also shown that in teenagers the foetus is aborted at a younger age than would be with an older woman, this is thought to be because of pressure in decision making and the fear of parents of younger women finding out about the pregnancy. In the UK you can have an abortion until the foetus becomes viable (could live indepently) which is 24 weeks according to , you could therefore call this a pro-choice country where freedom reigns. Abortion became legal in the UK in 1967 under the name of the Abortion Act. Although it may seem a woman could have an abortion when requested, however two doctors must agree that at least one of the reasons are valid so that an abortion can take place legally. The first reason is that prgnancy is putting the mother's life at risk, the second being that the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother's mental and physical health whilst an additional child will impose on the resto the family and cause a risk to the mother's health and finally that the child to be born is severeley handicapped. According to the mother's age is not always considered if the other's life is in danger. Consequently if the abortion needs to take place urgently, a second doctor's consent is not needed (Abortion Act, ) however a young mother under the...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...Ethical Issues of Abortion “Abortion is termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior viability” (Wikipedia). Abortions can occur spontaneously which is called miscarriage, or it could be induced. When people talk about abortion, they mostly refer to the induced abortion. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, approximately forty- two million abortions occur in this world per year averaging to 115,000 abortions per day. Eighty-three percent of these abortions occur in underdeveloped countries. In United States of America, one third of the women before the age of forty-five, have abortions. The average abortion per day in United States of America is 3,700. Eighty-eight percent of abortions are found in first trimester; fifty-nine percent of abortion is done in first eight weeks of pregnancy. Non-Hispanic white women had the largest percentage of abortions rate of (37.1%), followed by non-Hispanic black women (34.4%), Hispanic women (22.1%) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Whenever it comes to abortion, people talk about Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice. Pro-life is when a person believes that the “government has an obligation to preserve all human life regardless of intent or quality of life” (Head). Pro Choice is when “individuals have unlimited autonomy with respect to their own reproductive systems as long as they do not breach the autonomy of others” (Head). Whatever side a person takes, it...
Words: 1945 - Pages: 8
...Abortion: The Beginning and End of Life [Author] [University Affiliation] Abortion: The Beginning and End of Life Abstract In the United States, more than 6 million pregnancies are unwanted annually, with 40% of these opting for an abortion (CDC, 2012). Eight women die every hour worldwide due to unsafe and illegal abortions. The women who go for the unsafe abortions are normally from very poor backgrounds and have no relevant know-how regarding the various family planning methods available. Half of the pregnancies reported annually are unplanned for, and if a woman decides to abort, then the damage is mild. However, making abortions legal worldwide helps reduce the total number of lives of the women who die as a result of unsafe abortions. When a woman dies from undergoing an unsafe abortion, it is a double loss to society because both the mother and the fetus are lost. An abortion carried out by doctors when the woman’s life is at stake has no effect on the society, as it is both ethical and legally accepted within the societal framework. 1.0 Issue- Introductory Analysis It is after a life is lost that abortion begins to intrigue various essential variables. Abortion is a bioethical issue with the attached effects affecting the society at range, in every perspective. Many lives been lost by the women and the fetus; however to be able to synchronize the issue requires analyses of the factors surrounding it. There are some factors that...
Words: 2152 - Pages: 9
...2014 Corey Hunt Abortion Controversy: Women’s Right or Legalized Murder? Abortion is one of the most controversial debates of the century. Everyone knows someone who has been pregnant or debating having an abortion. There are plenty of reasons why women feel they need to terminate their pregnancy. The following information is for those who believe that abortion is the solution to their problem. Yes abortion is a legal solution to an unwanted pregnancy. Many pro-choice activists will argue the claim that it is a safe and relatively painless procedure. Abortions are morally and ethically wrong because they kill innocent unborn fetuses who have the right to life. During pregnancy, women give the unborn fetus the right to use their bodies. Abortion should be illegal because they defy the sanctity of human life, deny the mother the alternatives to having an abortion, and cause psychological side effects. Millions of people have died trying to defend their country, their freedom, and their families. Victims have been remembered through speeches and memorials, but why are those who seek justice for victims the same ones who defy the sanctity of human life and approve abortions. Let’s look in the Bible to see what is said about abortion. People can argue that it is unfair to quote the Bible on God’s view on abortion. Well, it is unfair because God is the creator of life. It is seen as a blessing to have children and a curse if you are childless. Abortion is an unthinkable...
Words: 1303 - Pages: 6
...Abortion is defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy (dictionary.com, 2015). Many people argue that it is the mother’s body, therefore, making it ultimately the mother’s choice to abort the pregnancy. Others argue that the fetus within the mother has a beating heart and should have his/her own rights to life. Planned Parenthood has been argued to provide easy access to abortions and this has become an uprising ethical issue within the United States. Of all the ethical issues that come to mind when thinking about abortion, the main idea is whether or not abortion is considered to be taking another human being’s life, and who is responsible for the decision...
Words: 324 - Pages: 2
...1) "U.S. Abortion Statistics." Facts About Abortion:. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Words: 1339 - Pages: 6
...ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING ABORTION The Ethical Isues Surrounding Abortion Lynette Freemer Kaplan University HU 245-03 Professor Kashani December 21, 2013 Abortion is when you terminate a pregnancy by having the fetus removed from the uterus. Abortions can be the result of a complicated pregnancy, or they may be induced. An induced abortion is referred to as an elective abortion, and an abortion due to pregnancy complications is called a therapeutic abortion. The cultural views on abortion are different around the world. People who are against abortion are referred to as pro-life, while everyone else is referred to as pro-choice. Many parts of the world have a current controversy with the ethical and legal aspects of abortions. Abortion is currently a legal operation in the United States. Women's abortion rights in the United States appear straightforward since abortions have technically been legal in the U.S. since 1973 (Krasemann & Thiroux, 2012). When examining the issue more closely, however, the status of a woman's right to abortion is far from static. Depending on location, age, and stage of pregnancy abortion rights are currently a complex and varied situation for American women. Before 1973, there was no national law on abortion in the United States. Many women sought illegal, unsanitary and potentially lethal abortions at the hands of unlicensed practitioners. The Roe v. Wade case changed this, allowing abortions to be practiced safely and...
Words: 308 - Pages: 2
...Title of paper: Name of student: Name of professor: Name of institution: Date submitted: Introduction Abortion has different definitions by the diverse communities and societal bodies. However the general definition of abortion is the “intentional termination of a pregnancy after conception.” It normally allows a woman to put to an end a pregnancy but it results to killing of the underdeveloped fetus. Abortion is a very controversial topic in the society and this state is not an exception (Adler, Filippi, Thomas, & Ronsmans, 2012). There are various methods of abortion that are well familiar. These are clinical abortion procedures and the use of pills. This paper looks into deep detail whether it is allowed or ethical if a woman decides to do it when she does not love the father to the unborn and the legal consents available for the father and the woman concerning the same. As per the medical practitioner and the groups that lobby for planned parentage, the woman has a right to give birth as and when she is very much ready to nurture the fetus up to a child. This is by the proposition that the fetus is not a person nor is it living, and there is need to prove that it has life. This therefore is under the discretion of the woman to decide whether to give birth or to abort (Sifris, 2013). However in this case, the medical practitioners do not support the move by the woman in that she should do it incase of a medical problem that poses a threat to the health...
Words: 1190 - Pages: 5
...favour of secular ethics principles for guidance in terms of medical ethics?’’ examine and comment on this claim with reference to the topic you have investigated. The topic that I have chosen to investigate is Abortion. Abortion is the premature termination of a pregnancy and foetus. There are two types of Abortion one being natural and procured. A natural Abortion happen without any human interference and are called miscarriages. On the other hand, Procured Abortions come about through the use of contraceptive or medical procedures. There are a number of methods used to commit an abortion. One method of abortion is an early medical abortion which involves taking two pills, which happens up to nine weeks of pregnancy. Another method of abortion is a suction termination from 7 to 15 weeks of pregnancy which uses a gentle suction to remove the foetus from the womb likewise there is a surgical dilation and evacuation from 15 weeks of pregnancy and finally a late abortion from 20-24 weeks. Pro-Choice supporters think that Abortion is acceptable as it is the right of the mother to do what she wants. On the other hand, Pro-Life supporters think the opposite and prioritise the rights of the Foetus, as they see the undeveloped potential of each individual foetus and say that every foetus has the potential to grow into a great person, and abortions mean that it can never happen. Abortion is a very controversial topic as religious views may go against abortion for example christians...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...The medical ethics topic that I have researched is the issue of abortion. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. In the UK, every year around 200,000 women abort unwanted pregnancy. Abortion was legalised in the UK in 1967 through the Abortion Act which allows women to have a free abortion on the NHS if signed off by two doctors. It is a highly controversial issue due to many people showing that it is highly necessary but others say that it’s too easy to have. It was legalised to avoid issues such as back street abortions from occurring as many women were killed or severely injured by them. There are three main methods which are used to abort a foetus; an early medical abortion which can be used up to twelve weeks of pregnancy, vacuum aspiration which is used between seven and fifteen weeks of pregnancy and surgical dilation and evacuation which is used from fifteen weeks of pregnancy. Central to the theological debate are the different views as to when life begins, whether abortion is murder or should it just be seen as another form of birth control? Roman Catholics believe that life begins at the point of conception and preserving life is a ‘primary precept’ whereas the Islamic view is that life begins at 120 days of gestation. These different viewpoints show that abortion is even controversial within different religions. Another clear point of controversy withinthe topic is whether abortion is classified as murder. Albert Schweitzer developed the idea of...
Words: 1717 - Pages: 7
...Zekeya Adams Holly Spinell DED61 March 10, 2015 Abortion One major issue that is being argued is the opposing beliefs on abortions. Abortion Mean “the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy” that is commonly addressed. Everybody has they own opinion on the issues. Some feel that a woman has the right to decide what happens to her body. As other feels that an unborn baby, as a human being has the separate right from those of the mother. I feel abortion is a personal choice, human life begins at conception, or that abortion can or cannot be justified. The relationship between morality and the law is often ignored in these debates. It’s assumed that if abortion is immoral, it ought to be illegal just for that reason. We can think of actions that are possibility immoral but that we would not want to be legally prohibited. Although the position that abortion ought to be a private matter and not a matter of law is debatable, it is much more difficult to make an argument that abortion is not a moral issue. There are many methods of abortion, morning-after pill, RU486 (mifepristone), uterine or vacuum aspiration, dilation and etc. Morning-after pill is a chemical compound, which the Food and Drug Administration refers to as Plan B, prevents the blastocyst from embedding in the uterine wall. Since 2006, this pill has been available over the counter for customers 18 and older. RU486 is a drug that was developed in France and induces uterine...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...Achievement Standard 3.3 The debate of abortion asks us whether it can be morally correct to terminate a pregnancy before childbirth. A dictionary definition of abortion is “the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy”. Abortion has been a hot topic within different religious circles especially christianity. In the discussion about christian tradition and how they respond to the ethical issue of abortion, we can clearly see the way the baptist church thinks that the issue of abortion is so important to them and their religion that they are willing to support people like Donald Trump just because in his campaign he mentions being pro-life. The therefore, in their eyes gives them the right to vote for and support this man in his personal vendetta against the world. Despite the fact that there actually isn’t anything about abortion mentioned in the Bible, christians condemned abortion a grave sin. This is because of christian ethical beliefs laid out in the Bible. Ethics are defined as “a set of moral principles, especially ones relating to or affirming a specified group” which is exactly what the Bible is. The catholic church teaches us that there is a right to life even as a fetus and it must be respected and protected...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
