While pregnancy is the most awaited event in many people’s lives, some of them do not make it till the end. Ending a pregnancy needs careful research and solid reasons as the after effects are not too pleasant. Abortion is usually undertaken when the baby has certain genetic defects or the mother’s health does not support the pregnancy. We have compiled a list of pros and cons that speak in favour and against ending a pregnancy. Ultimately, people that are facing the issue need to decide the outcome. We do not offer any advice for or against the act.
• Abortion must not be considered as a means of birth control. People must take proper precautions to avoid landing in a mess that leaves them having to choose abortion as an option to avoid an unwanted baby/unplanned pregnancy.
Image Source: www.theatlantic.com
• Abortions can cause infection, sepsis, recurrent miscarriages and death in some cases.
• It can cause psychological problems in women leading to mental distress. Depression and guilt being the most common ones.
• Most people that opt for abortions are minors and women that do not have sufficient knowledge about its implications.
• No civilized society would ever encourage abortion as an option to avoid giving birth as a matter of fact.
• After opting for an abortion, the chances of complicated pregnancies in future are possible.
Image Source: www.indianexpress.com
• In cases of rape and incest, proper medical care may ensure no pregnancy. People involved in such cases must seek medical intervention immediately.
• An abortion can lead to medical complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, the risk of ectopic pregnancies and the like.
• Nearly all abortions happen in the first trimester where the fetus is attached to the placenta and the umbilical cord to the mother. This means that the mother's health is of utmost importance as it nourishes the fetus. If her health is found to be at risk, then an abortion could be a genuine option to save her life.
• Abortion costs money and some people may approach illegal practitioners to get the procedure done at lesser costs, thereby putting their lives at risk.
• Repeated abortions harm the health of the mother both physically and mentally. She may never be able to birth a child due to the resultant complications of the many abortions undertaken.
• Indulging in unsafe physical intimacy can cause tremendous stress to the woman when she realizes that she is pregnant. Even though she may choose to go ahead with the pregnancy, she may neglect taking proper care of herself during the nine months. She may not eat a balanced diet, skip medicines, remain unhygienic etc. The baby might be born with defects or low birth weight, leading to trauma and other psychological issues as it grows.
Image Source: www.breitbart.com
• Abortion is safe medical procedure. With the advancement in technology, abortion can be performed with minimal complications.
• Birth control failure is a major reason why women may choose to abort the child.
• Genetic defects such as Down’s Syndrome could warrant the pregnancy to be terminated.
• In the case of unmarried young mothers to be, the future can appear bleak should they choose to birth the baby. It could range from monetary to ethical issues. Questions such as “Who would marry them with a child at hand? Who would care for them while they are away at work?’’ may haunt them. Being a single parent can be quite stressful, especially during the emergency. Opting for an abortion in such conditions may seem to be a logical option before them. Even if the partner is willing to marry them, there is no guarantee that the marriage would turn out fine and they might find themselves battling child custody issues in future. A child is a lifelong responsibility after all.
Image Source: www.goodtherapy.org
• If the mother’s health is likely to suffer or cause medical emergencies, abortion could be the only option to save her.
• Dearth of finances and physical support to care for the baby and herself may find her opting for a termination of the pregnancy.
• Rape victims might not be mentally and physically prepared to handle the pregnancy and post-birth care and may choose to abort.
Image Source: www.hamileyim.net
• Technology has made it possible for birth defects in babies to be known beforehand. In such cases, giving birth to an unhealthy baby and watch it suffer in front of your eyes can be painful.
• A woman must have the right to decide about the pregnancy as it’s her body.
• More number of educated women choose to end their pregnancies due to financial freedom and practical thinking.
• The age of the woman is also an important factor supporting termination of the pregnancy. If the age of the mother is more, there are chances of the baby being born with birth defects. Added to this is the lack of time and energy in its care.
Image Source: www.barbarakay.ca
Women are also more likely to abort if the pregnancy comes in the 7way of their career and ambitions. While an abortion cannot be a decision forced by others, it certainly has a lot to do with the state of mind, maturity and resources with the mother to be/couple.
• Some women hold the fear of spoiling their figure due to childbirth and might choose to abort the child without any further thought.
• The social stigma of going in for an abortion forces many women/girls to undergo the procedure secretly. • People that cannot have children may look at others going in for an abortion disapprovingly. This may trigger feelings of guilt and fear of destroying a living being.
Image Source: www.babieshelpingbabies.com
• In couples that are together, an abortion might end up separating them after a while if one of them raises a question about the decision being an incorrect one.
• There are cases after getting an abortion done, where parents might wonder as to how the child would have shaped up giving rise to feelings of sadness.
• Aborting a baby could mean depriving the society of a great human being, as you never know whom one is aborting. This could lead to feelings of guilt and sadness.
• If abortions were made legal, it could lead to people using them as a casual form of birth control
Image Source: www.nyt.com
• There have been cases where people that had considered an abortion earlier changed their minds only to regret later due to inability of resources and time to look after the baby.
• In some culture’s aborting a defective fetus is considered a sin causing anguish later.
• Some women may fear childbirth and choose abortion as an escape.
• Hating the father of the unborn baby is another reason why some women choose to abort. .
• While some cultures advocate adoption instead of abortion, this is not always easy as one cannot always know the fate of the baby’s future in foster homes. Added to this is the lifelong guilt of having abandoned the baby. The birthing process is a long one and most often, attachments happen causing mental anguish at the time of parting.
• Planned children are much happier than unplanned ones due to obvious reasons. Stress, anger, feelings of hopelessness, hatred toward the other parent, not wanting to parent a child at that time, financial burden are some issues that get highlighted in cases of an unplanned pregnancy.
• In some cultures, the girl child is straightaway aborted due to want of a male child. The stigma of a girl child has more to do with bearing her expenses rather than any other issues as she would move out of the paternal home after her wedding, leaving the parental care to the sons of the family.
Image Source: www.supertela.net
While women might want to be the ones taking the final decision about the birth, their decision might not be right due to heightened emotions during that time. It is best to consider all the pros and cons before giving the final nod. Counseling would help in deciding the right course of action.