Summary
There are different views on the problem of abortion. Some people think that every woman should have a choice, while critics declare the primary value of an unborn child’s life. The analysis of articles advocating the implementation of abortion showed that supporters choose authoritative sources and try to rely on statistics facts.
The Analysis of the Article “Information Series on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Abortion” by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
The article could be regarded as a strong recommendation to decriminalize abortion: “States have obligations to respect, protect and fulfill women’s rights related to abortion services” (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 37). To convince the States to provide access to abortion services for women legally, the article’s author refers to standards of human rights to health and other fundamental human rights.
Evidence
The evidence in the article is presented through endnotes and sometimes through footnotes. The paper’s authors rely on the facts mainly provided by intergovernmental organizations and other representatives related to them: the World Health Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, and a wide range of United Nations committees. There are also recommendations of the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice and suggestions of the Special Rapporteurs. In addition, the author states the information from the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, and the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, the Beijing Platform for Action. All the sources are credible. For example, the WHO, established in 1948, has a 73-year experience promoting human well-being and monitoring public health.
Expertise
The author of the article is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The organization is claimed to be the leading entity on human rights in the United Nations, established in 1993. Therefore, as a recognized expert in health, the author has the authority to write about the issue of abortion. The author’s level of awareness of the problem is credible enough both for reporting and analysis on the subject of abortion.
Writing Style and Tone
The writing is well-structured with a focus on the main statements, such as “barriers to the provision of abortion services should be removed ” (OHCHR 29), and “post-abortion medical services must always be available” (OHCHR 34). The author addresses possible opponents who create barriers to reproductive health services, demonstrating the effects of such wrongdoings with statistics data. For example, “each year about 7.9% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion” (OHCHR 6), or “almost all deaths… occur in countries where abortion is severely restricted in law and/or in practice” (OHCHR 7). Thus, the article is logos-based, as it refers to information and rational thinking.
The Analysis of the Article “United States Policy Should Uphold Abortion as a Human Right” by PAI
This article provides policy recommendations for Congress to stop creating barriers to abortion. Its thesis is pronounced in the title: “United States policy should uphold abortion as a human right” (PAI). The article’s author refers to international laws and analyses the consequences of anti-abortion policy in the USA.
Evidence
Endnotes show the author uses the information from the intergovernmental institutions, such as WHO and the UN, and articles by non-governmental researchers. Examples are the Guttmacher Institute (a non-profit organization), Sneha Barot (an associate member of the Guttmacher Institute), and Michelle Oberman (professor at Santa Clara University). These sources are also credible, and all the authors are experienced in public health and law.
Expertise
PAI is a non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C., with more than 50 years of experience promoting quality health care. They have more than 96 partners in 33 countries. Thus, the author of the article has enough authority to inform and analyze the problem of abortion,
Writing Style and Tone
The author explains the risks of anti-abortion restrictions by relying on the works of the related organizations and researchers. For example, “in 14 developing countries where unsafe abortion rates are high, 40 percent of those abortions result in complications requiring medical attention, such as sepsis and hemorrhage” (PAI 13). The criticism of the Helms and Hyde Amendments and the Global Gag Rule is based on the analysis of applications. “The confusion and fear that the policy has fostered among providers…has led to a chilling effect causing accidental over-compliance, especially among those new to the GGR, like HIV/AIDS providers” (PAI 21). “The policy has led to a weakening of critical contraceptive supply chains” (PAI 22). The author appeals to deliver the facts to convince its audience that “abortion is health care and a recognized human right” (PAI 1). Thus, logos appeared to be the main rhetorical method used in the article.
Advocates for abortion rights could face misunderstanding and even fierce resentment from the people of conservative formation. That is why it is essential to point out their proficiency and authority and rely on credible sources of information and rational data. The analysis of the two articles has shown that the authors conform with the stated recommendations.
Works Cited
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Information Series on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Abortion.” Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Web.
PAI. “United States Policy Should Uphold Abortion as a Human Right.” PAI. 2018, Web.