Abortion as a Medical Necessity Essay

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Introduction

Despite the fact that abortion is legal in most countries, society strongly condemns such a phenomenon as abortion. In the womb, modern medicine identifies abnormalities and pathologies in fetuses that are incompatible with life or do not enable them to function properly. Then the question of termination of pregnancy is posed, which is a controversial and topical issue for doctors and pregnant women. Thus, abortions should be legal when medically necessary.

Arguments for Termination of Pregnancy

There are medical reasons for terminating a pregnancy, irrespective of its term, if pregnancy and childbirth can worsen the woman’s condition or abnormalities in fetal development is detected. Medical indications for surgery include conditions such as abnormalities, fetal development, ectopic pregnancy, active tuberculosis, severe mental disorders, and the last stages of cancer (Davis et al. 278).

Therefore, if childbirth or pregnancy could result in death or irreversible changes in the person’s health, an abortion is the only way to save the woman’s life. Additionally, in cases where an ultrasound scan puts congenital severe fetal abnormalities, it is advisable to terminate the pregnancy on the recommendation of a specialist. This is because infants may be born dead, with incurable diseases, or even frozen in the womb, which will also require the purification of the female body (Davis et al. 278). Hence, through abortion, women have the opportunity to save their own health and avoid the anguish and suffering of having a child with pathologies.

The next argument is that medical indications for abortion are not the primary reason for abortion. In 2018, in 2.6% of cases, the cause of pregnancy termination was medical indications, according to WHO (Davis et al. 279). Consequently, more than 97% of patients are not related to medical indications, which is why the validity of such abortions can be doubted (Davis et al. 280). Moreover, in case of fetal death, abnormalities, ectopic pregnancy, or harm to the woman’s health, it is obligatory to follow the recommendations of doctors who objectively assess the situation. Accordingly, abortion for medical reasons does not appear frequently; thus, it can be justified from the point of view of the necessity and not a high occurrence.

Counterargument

Artificial termination of pregnancy often leads to severe, at times irreversible, consequences. It is essential to emphasize that infertility is not the only complication. There may also be a case of pregnancy failure, disorders of the menstrual cycle, and chronic inflammatory processes of the genitals. Especially high probability of adverse effects after the termination of the first pregnancy at a young age, the risk of complications in such females ranges from 50 to 60% (Hendricks 249). Hence, supporters of the prohibition of medical abortions justify their position by the harm to the woman’s body and the progression of infertility.

Argument Against Contrargument

Independent of the cause, premature termination of pregnancy is stressful for the body, but pathological reasons can justify it. Meanwhile, the probability of a woman developing infertility after an abortion is not significantly greater; only 5-7% of all abortions end in infertility (Baumgarten et al. 295). Evidence will indicate that after an abortion, a female resumes their menstrual cycle, and ovulation occurs in just a couple of weeks. Hence, individual factors influence the development of complications and the inability to obtain a pregnancy, but this risk is justified.

Conclusion

Therefore, abortion is a controversial topic, but operating on medical grounds should be permitted. This is because it ensures the right to life and health of females; considering fetal abnormalities, women can also make a choice or give birth to a sick child. Moreover, arguments about women’s deteriorating health and not being unable to become pregnant again is not defensible given the risks to the life of the woman and child in carrying, giving birth to, and raising a newborn. Accordingly, it is critical to consider a female’s health and fetal development when deciding.

Works Cited

Baumgarten, Heron, et al. “.” Pediatric Clinics, vol. 66, no. 2, 2019, pp. 295-308. Web.

Davis, Anne, et al. “Trends in Gestational Age At Time of Surgical Abortion for Fetal Aneuploidy and Structural Abnormalities.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 216, no. 3, 2017, pp. 278-281. Web.

Hendricks, Perry. “Even If the Fetus Is Not a Person, Abortion is Immoral: The Impairment Argument.” Bioethics, vol. 33, no. 2, 2019, pp. 245-253. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 7). Abortion as a Medical Necessity. https://ivypanda.com/essays/abortion-as-a-medical-necessity/

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IvyPanda. (2023) 'Abortion as a Medical Necessity'. 7 December.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "Abortion as a Medical Necessity." December 7, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/abortion-as-a-medical-necessity/.

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