Short response
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Abortion2.docxENG 203: Response Paper 1
1. Read the article on the next page.
2. Then write a response paper.
a. Your response paper should be between 300 and 400 words.
b. It has to include your response/reaction to two key points from the original article.
c. It has to have (a) an introduction, and (b) two body paragraphs. A conclusion is recommended, but is optional.
d. The response should be justified with specific examples and logical analysis.
e. Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, left justified, in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins. Paragraphs should be indented.
f. You have to type your name, QU ID, course-section, teacher’s name, and due date in the left upper corner of your paper:
Mohammad Yousef
12345678
ENG 203 – 110
Peter Murphy
March 20th, 2018
Abortion
Francie Diep 2019
An abortion is a medical or surgical procedure that deliberately ends a pregnancy before an embryo or fetus is born. Opponents of abortion typically object to the practice for religious or ethical reasons, contending that the procedure constitutes the cruel termination of what they consider to be a viable human life. Those who support a woman’s right to choose an abortion argue that access to safe, legal abortions is a human right. In Roe v. Wade (1973), the US Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion through the end of the first trimester, or the twelfth week of pregnancy. After twelve weeks, a woman’s access to abortion may be restricted based on the discretion of the states, as well as the level of risk that the pregnancy poses to the woman’s health.
The issue of abortion remains highly controversial, and state legislatures have enacted laws to restrict and regulate access to the procedure. Several of these laws have been challenged in federal courts, with some laws, such as the denial of state funds for the procedure, being upheld. Iowa, one of the states in the United States of America, adopted one of the country’s most restrictive abortion laws in May 2018 when Governor Kim Reynolds approved a bill prohibiting doctors from performing an abortion if a fetus has a detectable heartbeat, which can be as early as six weeks. Other laws, such as those requiring spousal consent for an abortion, have been struck down. Politicians, religious leaders, health care providers, and activists each contribute their own perspective to the ongoing debate.
Opponents of abortion generally refer to themselves as pro-life, while advocates for reproductive rights typically identify as pro-choice. Differences of opinion persist within both movements. Some pro-life activists may condone abortions in cases of rape or incest, while others take an uncompromising stance, believing that all abortion is murder. Within the pro-choice movement, some activists contend that no restrictions should be placed on abortions, while many who identify as pro-choice support laws that require a waiting period before the procedure can be performed or laws requiring minors to obtain permission from their parents.
The most common types of abortion performed are surgical and take place within the first trimester of pregnancy. The most common procedure performed is suction abortion, also referred to as vacuum aspiration, which involves removing tissue from the uterus through a thin tube. The procedure is less invasive than later surgeries that require labor to be induced. Health care providers generally consider first-trimester surgical abortions performed by trained medical professionals to be among the safest and simplest forms of surgery. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute of Medicine, and reproductive health care provider Planned Parenthood have established that abortions performed during the first trimester carry significantly fewer risks to the mother’s health than giving birth at the end of a typical pregnancy.
Medical abortions do not require surgery and are considered safe and effective until the ninth week of pregnancy. The most commonly used drugs for medical abortions in the United States are mifepristone and misoprostol taken together. In such a case, a patient is first directed to take mifepristone, also referred to as RU-486 or the “abortion pill,” which is prescribed by a health care provider. This drug blocks the body’s natural production of progesterone, an essential pregnancy hormone. The patient then takes the second pill, misoprostol, two days later. This drug causes the uterus to contract and expel the embryo. Medical abortions are slightly less effective than surgical abortions but carry a smaller risk of infection. Health care professionals caution that medical abortions should not be confused with emergency contraception, a type of birth control pill used after unprotected sexual intercourse that serves to prevent, not terminate, pregnancy.
Pro-life and pro-choice groups have each experienced small victories in the legal battles to determine reproductive rights since 1973, but research indicates that public opinion has come to increasingly accept the Roe v. Wade decision. A 2017 survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of Americans believed abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Even so, pro-life groups have been vocal and at times aggressive in their opposition to abortion.
