The Pros And Cons Of Killing A Fetus

Those two arguments might make some sense for those with weak scientific and medical knowledge mainly because these two arguments are not supported by or based upon any scientific or medical fact. However, before determining whether killing a fetus is moral or not, it has to be noted that what makes killing people immoral and a serious mistake in the first place, is that killing forbids the person from living his or her future that could have been lived in case the person stayed alive (Marquis,1989). From an ethical point of view, the fetus would have a future of developing into a complete child and perform the activities any normal and regular child does, and since that abortion denies the future of the fetus it is immoral and inhuman (Marquis,1989).

As it is true that science proved that the brain of a fetus is undeveloped throughout the stages of fetal development (Derbyshire,2006). However, science does not prove that fetal pain solely needs a fully developed brain. In fact, science proves just the opposite as it tells us today that pain receptors cover entirely the body of the fetus by week 14 of gestation (Myers, 2004). Furthermore, it has been proven that the fetus at 18 weeks of gestation releases stress hormones whenever the fetus is exposed to a direct painful stimulus (Derbyshire, 2008). In another study performed in 2008, it was revealed that the fetus responds to a painful stimulus by increasing the production of cortisol and β-endorphin, and this independent response occurs from 18 weeks of gestation (Gupta, Kilby, & Cooper, 2008). Finally, it has been proven that children who are hydranencephanic, children with incomplete development of the brain cortex, do respond to painful stimuli like other children (Brusseau,

Either way, these implications are there and they are facts that cannot be changed by ignoring and disregarding them. While it is true that it is the woman’s body that is getting affected by pregnancy and abortion, most people tend to overcome the fact that a pregnant woman is holding a living creature, therefore the decision of carrying out abortion should not be entirely based on personal needs. In addition to that, the number of possible lives that got rejected by abortion yearly is above 55 million lives, and this number is insanely huge and terrifying. Such numbers that are supported by researchers and statistics should not be ignored when the morality of abortion is being discussed. In other words, many people lack enough medical and scientific knowledge when they support abortion, and as a matter of fact, this is a problem that is not associated with abortion solely. However, it is a problem that is associated with all medical subjects such as male circumcision, and the use of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in medicine. Such problems cannot be solved unless people get introduced to the reliable sources of valid information instead of biased social media and magazines that keep on promoting what is beneficial to them. To sum up, abortion raises many health