Journal Entry
Abortion has always remained a controversial topic as people engage in an argument of whether it is morally wrong to procure an abortion. Personally, I do not support abortion because it is against my religious belief. Killing a fetus, which already has life, is morally wrong as it denies some humans’ life. If every woman chooses to procure abortion, then some of us would probably be dead. Besides, young women who opt to undergo an abortion often end up being psychologically disturbed and are forced to seek counseling to forget the ordeal.
Abortion is a widespread medical procedure that occurs in most medical facilities in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 906,000 abortions were procured in 2015 while in 2013, 16.7% of pregnancies in the U.S. ended up in abortion (U.S. Abortion Statistics, 2017). Although the number of abortion cases is gradually declining, most Americans still support abortion as a way to eliminate unwanted pregnancy. The majority of women in the U.S. opt to abort because they are not ready to raise a child while almost the same number claim that they cannot afford to raise a kid. Although the above reasons are genuine, such women can control circumstances that led to their pregnancies thus avoiding abortion procedure.
Apart from being religious and supporting the moral practice, my opinion to oppose abortion is based on a real life experience. I have a friend who suffered from trauma after carrying out an abortion. She confided to me that she had to do it in order to continue with her education, and the process was traumatic. So far, she regrets killing an innocent life, sometimes suffering from insomnia and nightmares, which has compelled her to seek advice from a counselor. Throughout her remaining time in college, she never got into any relationship due to the fear of repeating the same mistake.
Media should be blamed for promoting the idea of safe abortion although most journalists emphasize that they always try to be fair. It is not a wonder to see abortion-rights activists turning to the media for support because they tend to favor editorial columnists who advocate for abortion rights. In fact, the press only focuses on abortion when there is a dreadful court case, or when an abortion procedure has gone wrong (Manning, 2013). One would expect reporters to allow their professionalism decide on what to support rather than allowing personal beliefs to direct their reporting.
Apparently, my opinion on abortion is not supported by most young adults who believe that women should be allowed to decide whether to keep the fetus or to get rid of it. Most of the young people support abortion because it would allow them to continue with their irresponsible sexual behaviors without a fear of raising children. Some girls are coerced by their lovers to undergo abortion in order to maintain their relationships. Making abortion illegal cannot solve the problems of unintended pregnancies, but turning abortion into something less necessary can assist in reducing such cases.
Women can choose to terminate the pregnancy by carrying out an abortion since it is legal in some countries. However, the only case that abortion should be allowed is when the mother’s life is in danger. Consequently, only a qualified health care professional can allow a woman to carry out an abortion within the health care environment. Women who may feel that the fetus is a burden should be advised on how to carry on with the pregnancy and later undertake adoption procedures. Additionally, comprehensive sex education, which incorporates abstinence and use of contraceptives, can help in eliminating the underlying causes of abortion.
References
Manning, K. (2013, June 24). How the media sensationalizes abortion. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/24/how-media-sensationalises- abortion
U.S. Abortion Statistics (2017, Jan. 20). Abortion73.com. Retrieved from http://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics