Abortion and Health Care
In the last few decades, abortion has become a much-discussed subject. It has been a central point in many political affairs. It is a topic that almost always comes up when selecting justices for the Supreme Court, and candidates for state and local offices as well as for the U.S. Presidency. What exactly is abortion? Depending on who you ask, you will always get a different answer. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines abortion as “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus during the first twelve weeks of gestation”(“Merriam-Webster”).The moral question has always been whether or not it should be a woman's decision to get an abortion. Pro-life believers feel that from the moment of conception, the embryo is alive and this life imposes a moral obligation to preserve it. After only eighteen days, the heart is formed, and after twenty the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system begin to develop. The heart starts beating four days later (Adoption for America). They believe that although abortion is regarded as a women’s right, it should be banned with no exceptions because it is considered murder.
Pro-Choice, though it does take the side of legalizing abortion, does not mean pro-abortion. Pro-choice is the right to choose whether to reproduce, adopt, or abort. Pro-Choice is the best option because it gives women the right to access their full reproductive health options with the autonomy and dignity they deserve. The recent passing of the health care law allows abortions to be covered in some new government health care programs only in cases of rape, incest and if the woman's life is endangered. The healthcare law gives women alternatives, helps safeguard their health and allows women to have a normal life, free of the burden of pregnancy.
Since there is no ban on abortion funding under the new health care policy, some states can opt out of funding abortions under the plan. Consequently, taxpayers in other states will be forced to pay for them. The Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state (Hair). In an interview with CNN House Republican Leader John Boehner stated,
The fact that the high-risk pool insurance program in Pennsylvania will use federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions is unconscionable. House Republicans are fighting to repeal this life-threatening law and replace it with responsible solutions focused on lowering costs and expanding access to quality, affordable care while protecting the dignity of all human life (Drake).
A new national poll done by CBS News indicates that a majority of Americans want the pro-abortion health care bill President Barack Obama signed into law repealed. The national survey conducted shows that sixty-two percent of Americans want Congressional Republicans to keep challenging the bill, while thirty-three percent say they should not do so. Nearly nine in ten Republicans and two in three independents want the GOP to keep challenging it (Erltet). Although pregnancy as a result of either rape or incest is extremely rare, pregnancy does occur in some instances. (NAF) Most women who become pregnant through sexual assault want abortions because it will help them to put the assault behind them, recover more quickly, and avoid the additional trauma of giving birth to a “rapist’s child.” A pregnancy caused by rape or incest is the result of a grave injustice and that the victim should not be expected to carry the baby. For nine months it would be a constant reminder of everything she has been through and would just increase her mental agony. Having an abortion gives women alternatives; Mothers do not have to go through the pain of child bearing and parenthood. A baby whose mother resents its birth will not receive the proper care and nurturing it deserves. The child is usually malnourished, has no medical care, and gets very little attention or love. The foster care system is not any better. Only a small percentage of the children are adopted by suitable parents. The rest remain in the foster care system, where there is little or no personal care.
Furthermore, abortion helps to safeguard women's health. There are many women who suffer from medical conditions such as breast and ovarian cancer, AIDS, heart disease, kidney disease, severe diabetes, and other conditions that may make pregnancy extraordinarily dangerous. Because these diseases can be life-threatening, an abortion often helps to avoid serious medical complications from childbirth. In the U.S, women age twenty-four and younger account for about for fifty-two percent of those who obtain an abortion. Nineteen percent of these abortions are obtained by teenagers. Less than half of teens who become mothers before age eighteen graduate from high school. They are much more likely to rely on public assistance or have a low-paying job that does nothing to support them. College students who become pregnant and give birth are also much less likely to graduate with their peers. Employed women who become pregnant face interruption in their jobs and careers. Becoming pregnant could impact their earning ability and possibly make them unable to raise a child. If a woman is able to get an abortion she can have a chance at a normal life that does not involve balancing parenthood with work or school.
Abortion will always play an active role in our society. In the US itself, more than 4,000 cases of abortion are reported on daily basis (Adoption for Michigan). When it comes down to it, it really is the mother’s choice to decide whether she wants to keep the child or have an abortion. Obama’s new health care bill gives thousands of women options. Today, the threat to women's lives and health no longer comes from abortion; it comes from those who want to outlaw it.

Work Cited

1. "Abortion - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
" Dictionary and Thesaurus – Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 25 July 2010.

2. Drake, Bruce. "Abortion Rights Advocates "Outraged" at Obama White House Over
Health Coverage." Politics News, Analysis, and Opinion for the U.S. and the World.25July2010..
3. Erltet, Steven. "Americans Want Pro-Abortion Health Care Law Repealed, Hope GOP
Will Do It." CNN.COM”.25 Mar. 2010. Web. 21 July 2010.
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4. Erltet, Steven. "Obama Administration OKs First Tax-Funded Abortions Under Health
Law." CNN.com” .23 July 2010. .
5. " FOXNews.com - Abortion Foes Score Victory in Health Law." Breaking News | Latest
News | Current News - FOXNews.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2010. .
6. Hair, Connie. "Taxpayer Dollars Approved for Obamacare Abortions in
Pennsylvania." The Washington Post- Post Politics.21 July 2010.
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7. "National Abortion Federation: U.S. Public Policy." National Abortion Federation
(NAF). Web. 25 July 2010. .
8. "Rape or Incest ." Adoption for Michigan. 25 Sept. 2009. Web. 25 July 2010.
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