Social Issue Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abortion

HannahSarah Cameron

Grand Canyon

September 8th, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abortion has remained a controversial social issue that attracts moral, ethical, and religious considerations that are attributable to the unending and controversial debate about the matter. The major concern about abortion is continued practice without any medical reason. The practise is most common among teenagers; with most nations creating legislation outlawing abortion. Since the ancient times, abortion remains unending controversial matter. The intense polarization of this social issue is a pointer the debate will not end any time soon. The moral, socio-cultural, ethical, and religious considerations should inform authorities and society in bringing an end to the practice.

From a religious perspective, abortion has no support from the clergy. Most religious doctrines are explicit on the position on abortion.  The Bible makes no direct reference on the matter, but it supports the importance of having respect for life. Islam does not support abortion. The issues raised by religious groupings necessitate the need to respect human values and inferences from the Supreme Being. Other religious groupings such as Hindu support bans on sex-selective abortion although the practice lacks legal backing. By and large, religious teachings dissuade practices that show disrespect to values that are important in human life. Religious scholars have openly written in denouncing the practice, including legislation by governments.

Moreover, moral and ethical considerations are necessary when giving a standpoint on abortion. The right to life and personhood should be respected by all in the efforts to outlaw and denounce abortion. Also, society requires information about the dangers of abortion. Most of the procuring methods are unhealthy as most are done secretly by unqualified individuals. Teenagers access unsafe services that can contribute to infections, health risks, and deaths. Medical practitioners also assert that medical risks arise from pain and heavy bleeding. The long-term adverse effects associated with the termination of pregnancy include guilt, trauma, and internal injuries. Therefore, society, government, and medical practitioners should create awareness on the dangers of abortion. The move will play a significant role in the provision of services that are likely to dissuade the practice in communities.

There is a group of people with varied interests who openly support abortion. Some advocates of abortion support their views with fallacies. They argue that a fetus is ye attain the stage of personhood. Advocates assert that conception does not amount to start of human life; hence, termination does not end life. It would be sinful to deny fetus life on no good grounds, such as medical reasons. Also, they consider that abortion is a personal choice; hence, mothers should have freedom abort and access medical services. In some situations such as rape and poverty, the advocates believe that a mother or teenager should not be denied abortion services. In rape cases, such pregnancies are viewed as a bad omen and unhealthy in society. The variations in religious and cultural beliefs contribute significantly to challenges in getting appropriate legislation and regulations.

The number of unintended pregnancies and abortion remains high; with no accurate statistics on the trends. According to Sedgh et al. (2016), rising cases of unintentionalpregnancies contribute to the high number of abortion.  Nonetheless, the number of cases has dropped in some of the developed societies compared to developing nations. The religious and cultural considerations may not help in ending the matter fully. Notably, several western nations have created laws on abortion. Levels, Roderick, and Ariana (2014) assert that some legislation has avoided a total ban. Women are allowed to undergo the practice on request. Legislations and awareness programs have played a critical role in some societies in access to reproductive care services. Furthermore, scholars in diverse fields touching on the mattter ought to cooperate government and medical professionals to generate acceptable policies on abortion (Weitz, 2014).  The move will generate measures on better family planning methods and reproductive to reduce cases of unintended pregnancies.

In conclusion, there no enough justification the terminate pregnancy unless in special cases. The matter remains controversial; with a central position among religious scholars and authorities. The public needs proper information on the dangers of abortion as well as the moral and ethical implications. Abortion should not be supported unless on special and delicate cases that are informed on the opinion of the medical practitioner. It is noteworthy that procuring an abortion can cause other health problems, including stigma and infections. There is a great need to create awareness on reproductive health to help avoid unwanted pregnancies. 

References

Levels, M., Roderick S., & Ariana N. (2015). "A review of abortion laws in Western-European countries. A cross-national comparison of legal developments between 1960 and 2010." Health policy 118(1): 95-104.

Sedgh, G. et al. (2016). "Abortion incidence between 1990 and 2014: global, regional, and subregional levels and trends." The Lancet 388(10041): 258-267.

Weitz, T. A. (2014). "Rethinking the mantra that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare”." Reproduction and Society: Interdisciplinary Readings. Routledge, 87-94.