Her Body, Her Choice: Legalization of Abortion in US

In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case Roe v. Wade and legalized abortion across the country. I believe in woman rights, therefore all women should have the choice to abort or not whether its because of low income, unwanted baby, rape, abnormalities, or whatever the case may be, if its her body its her choice. Although, there are risks in abortion, the baby can face much greater risks at birth if not taken well care of. If a women chooses to abort, it can be done within the first trimester which reduces the risk of illness. The chances of death are so small that there is a greater chance of death during labor that is, about 700 women die each year int he U.S. during pregnancy or child deliveries, while only 108 women die as a result in abortion. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, there is an estimate of 8.8 deaths per 100,000 live births and 0.6 deaths per 100,000 abortions, which makes is much safer to abort if women choose to. I believe that not only women in America, but women across the world should have the option.

According to the information I retrieved from rainn.org, “1 in 6 women in America has been a victim of an attempted or completed rape”. Along with rape, there are also long term effects on women like depression, PTSD, severe distress, and/or have suicidal thoughts. Within that number in victims of rape, over 12 thousand children are conceived from it. As abortion becomes much popular, according to the all.org and US Data, there are 1.058 million abortions per year, that is 120 per hour and 1 every 30 seconds. If abortion wasn’t an option, one can only imagine the number of unwanted children born per year with parent(s) who never love or care for the child, or children born with illnesses and defects. Abortion empowers women by knowing they have a choice. The sooner the abortion, the lesser the risk. Based on the information gathered from lovetoknow, about 90% of abortions are done at 12 weeks of less, 60% are done by 8 weeks, and only 1.2 percent are performed at 21 weeks or after. Because abortions are done at early stages, the risks are very low and therefore, is a great option for women who do not want to continue with their pregnancy.

Pro-Life, or those against abortion believe that 'Abortion violates the rights of the unborn”. On the writers votes perspective found on the Kialo website, it shows different perspectives of those that are pro-choice vs pro-life. There is a comment by a person that is pro-life who states, “If you choose to enter into the adult activity of sexual intercourse, you must accept the responsibility if a life is created as a result of unprotected sex”. Imagine if Abortion continued to be illegal here in the US as it is in Chile or the Philippines, with no option, no exception, even if you were a victim of rape. What would you do? Imagine if you were a 16 year old that was raped and got pregnant because of it. As reported in USNews.com, Other countries like Iran, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, or Sweden only allows abortion if the mothers life is in danger—that does not include rape.

No choice has effects on mothers. The Huffing post states, “Mothers have difficulties accepting an unwanted child”. Along with that comes emotional stress, anxiety, long-term resentment of the child, and other psychological problems. Moreover, information found on Abortion Denied: Consequences for Mother and Child, state, “Babies born when mothers are denied abortion do not have sufficient emotional support or love from the parent, long term mental and health problems, this creates a disruptive household, and also increase the risk of psychiatric and counseling for these children as they get older”. Children that are born with illnesses require so much attention, not to mention this can get very expensive. If a mother who has very low income and only gets so much help from the government experiences something like this, it will only get worse.

Even though it is now legal to have abortions here in the U.S., the topic remains controversial because of the risks, cost, and those who believe that abortion is a crime. If people like I, believe it should be a crime for mothers to have babies when they are only going to neglect them, then those who are pro-life should maybe reconsider their thoughts. I am sure we all hear crazy stories on the news of parents that mistreat their children because they don’t love them that end up dying because of it. can’t imagine seeing a child suffering from depression because of neglect. It is sad and it is sickening. Whether a women chooses to abort because of rape, low income, or any situation in which the mother or child face I am for it. The fetus has not fully been developed, therefore the fetus will not understand. People find it easy to criticize, but find it hard to understand. One must put into perspective the victims thoughts, life, and understand their situation. Abortion is a controversial topic because those that are anti-choice in abortion believe that killing an innocent child should always be illegal. I believe this topic wont die down anytime soon. Legislators are still trying to put more rules into abortion. We must stand together and realize we woman are strong and shouldn’t be told what is right for us and what is wrong. I have never been a victim of rape not have ever had an abortion, However, i do know women that have been victims in both of these cases and I understood when they said they had no choice. As a woman, woman rights include “Women's control over their own bodies”. Therefore, if its her body then its her choice.