As you may notice, only eight percent prohibit abortion. Therefore, only a minute amount of physicians have vowed not to partake in it. In a society in which over thirty percent of women under 45 are participating in this procedure, what choice do they have? There have been events that have lead to unwanted pregnancies other than plain irresponsibility. In these instances, such as incest or rape, many women cannot bear to continue the pregnancy. In such circumstances, the woman has not been careless.
She was forced into a situation beyond her control. Other instances of abortion that may be offered to a woman is when the physician sees a deformity in the fetus or a risk to the life of the mother. These are extenuating circumstances and many physicians may offer abortion as an option here. It is hard enough to raise a child without birth defects in today’s society and even more difficult to raise a special needs child. Even with the most careful and responsible person, mistakes happen.
That is why there are such things as insurance, erasers and bibs. Some people do not use abortion as a method of birth control, but as a last resort. Over half of the women that obtain abortions do not get another one. Many women are aware of the financial constraints that a child will put on them and their families. Most women who obtain abortions are economically disadvantaged. The repeat abortionist is less than half of those that obtain abortions one time. Many women that have abortions have Medicaid. Should that policy be changed?
The laws governing abortion vary from state to state. Some states allow minors to get abortions without parental consent. Others leave it entirely up to the parent as to whether a child will carry the child. Some states make it difficult to obtain an abortion under any circumstances and still others are more liberated. The more liberal a state is about abortion, the higher the abortion rate. Is this stating that more women want abortions, given the option or is it the convenience of the option that makes more women get abortions? Since Roe vs.
Wade the incidence of abortion has been on the rise. And what are the reasons for obtaining an abortion? According to one survey, 59% of it is social (too young to have a baby). Twenty one percent is economic (can’t afford a baby). Sixteen percent is health (mother’s life in jeopardy). Three percent is other and only one percent of abortions is due to rape or incest (Policy Brief). There are even parental consent laws in which some states require that the parents have knowledge of the intent to abort prior to a teenager obtaining an abortion.
However, these laws were found to be unconstitutional and it has become easier for teenagers to obtain an abortion without parental consent (Policy Brief). Many policies regarding abortion are instituted to prevent women from hurting themselves in a society that restricts abortions. I do not see this as a reason to obtain an abortion. After all of the research and the policies that I have come across, I cannot find any real legitimate reason for allowing abortions to be so prevalent. I discovered that only about one percent of abortions occur from rape and incest.
There are medical procedures that are used to minimize the likelihood of pregnancy after rape or incest. Such things as one night stands and the like are irresponsible and I do not see why abortion should replace good old human responsibility. As I said, we live in a society of hypocrisy. The Hippocratic Oath itself has become contradictory. The man who began the oath had more faith in society than society has in itself to do the right thing. Teenagers should not have the right to receive an abortion without parental consent. Society holds parents accountable when they abuse children.
I have seen talk shows where parents have been held accountable for an overweight child and in some instances have received a criminal charge. Yet those same parents may have no say in whether their child has another child or even have knowledge of it. The laws of abortion seem to be doing more harm than good. I for one, do not wish to partake in it. Works Consulted Schwarz, Stephen D, The Moral Question of Abortion, Sophia Institute Press, 1990
The Use of the Hippocratic Oath: A Review of 20th Century Practice and a Content Analysis of Oaths Administered in Medical Schools in the U. S. and Canada in 1993. ” by Robert D. Orr, M. D. and Norman Pang, M. D. From the Hippocratic Oath: Translation and Interpretation by Ludwig Edelstein. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1943 Repeat Abortions in the United States, Rachel K Jones, Susheela Singh, Lawrence B Finer, and Lori F Frohwirth, Occasional Report No. 29, November 2006 www. imagerynet. com/hippo. ama. html, Dennis Gersten, MD www. prochoiceamerica. org Health Policy Brief, Review of Oklahoma Abortion Policy, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, November 1989