The Abortion Debate

The topic of abortion is a controversial topic in contemporary culture. A large number of people condense abortion down into two primary perspectives, one being Pro-Choice, and the other being Pro-Life. However, this topic is too complicated to explain in a way that is as simple as picking sides. As Neal Shusterman once said “In a perfect world, everything would be either black or white, right or wrong, and everyone would know the difference. But this isn't a perfect world. The problem is people who think it is.” With that being said, my objective in which that pertains to this topic of abortion is to write without political views or biased opinions. I will explain the methods, the statistics, and philosophical views in regards to abortion.

Where a suction device is introduced through the vagina into the womb and the fetus is surgically extracted (Jones). This particular type is one that is commonly seen in documentaries, and is the method commonly used in clinics across America. Vacuum aspiration abortion can be used to abort a fetus, but only up to the first 15 weeks of gestation. Another form that is used and very controversial in the news is the labor induced abortion. This method is commonly used up to the third trimester of pregnancy where the mother is given drugs to induce labor. After the birth has been completed, if the fetus has met its demise, fetal demise will be induced. This form is very uncommon in the United States, but accounts for more than 80% of abortions throughout the second trimester in Sweden and other nearby Nordic countries (Borgatta, p. 2). Physical abortions are the ones in the spotlight, however, this is not to say that there is a lack of options when it comes to

Guttmacher institute released a study in 2005 with a breakdown on the reasons why women choose abortion as their best option. In the study, 74% of women felt that it would be too much for them to handle, 73% blamed their financial situation, 48% were afraid of being single mothers or were in a troubled relationship (Lowen). One common argument is that abortion should be available for victims of rape, in spite of that, only 1% of women who were getting an abortion were actual victims of rape and incest (Lewin). One set of data that gained my interest was only 12% cited health problems for themselves and 13% cited health concerns for the child. This heavily implies that this topic is far more complicated than the typical black and white imagery painted by politics. Abortion takes its toll much more than what is illustrated, although changes and trauma fail to be seen physically there are lasting psychological effects which are more impactful on a woman’s