Introduction
Nowadays, the number of unplanned pregnancies has increased dramatically. In some cases, people believed that even if pregnancy is unexpected, there are many options to rely on and avoid such a decision as abortion. However, in most cases, people like to believe that if the pregnancy is unwanted, it should be terminated. People face numerous challenges and ethical dilemmas when the question of pregnancy termination comes up (Bewley, 2013). There are many supporters and opponents of the idea of pregnancy termination, and each side has enough grounds.
The purpose of this paper is to explore if an unwanted pregnancy should be terminated and discuss the situations when women should deal with their emotional and physical challenges, solve financial problems, and consider health issues. People use different reasons to support or oppose the necessity of abortion. In case the pregnancy is unwanted, it is important to clarify the situation and gather enough information in order to make a correct decision. In this paper, several powerful supportive ideas for the termination of unwanted pregnancy will be given, with several rebuttals to possible counterarguments that may be offered.
Even though pregnancy termination presupposes a murder of an unborn child, it should be allowed in case of an unwanted pregnancy that may lead to negative outcomes in the physical or emotional state of a mother, challenge financial or family support, and promote the development of health or emotional problems for a child.
Emotional and Physical State
One of the main reasons why an unwanted pregnancy should be terminated is its possibility to affect woman’s emotional and physical state and promote the development of regular stressful situations because of such reasons as a woman being a rape victim or not ready emotionally or physically, having an unpleasant past experience or medical history. Children, as a result of rape, may remind women about the situations when they were the victims of rapists and make them survive all those negative emotions and fears regularly (Vesely-Flad, 2012). Not to increase the level of stress, women decide to terminate their pregnancies and protect themselves against further psychological problems. As a result, only 17% of women, who choose abortion, feel guilt after the decision, and approximately 78% of women, who have had abortions for their unwanted pregnancy, are satisfied and feel relief (Montada, Filipp, & Lerner, 2014).
Besides, many women find it necessary to terminate pregnancies just to avoid the already known problems. They are aware of the results and are able to make the conclusion and decide to abort their pregnancy in order to avoid negative personal experiences, stress, depression, or disorder. Unpleasant past experiences and hard memories do not make women agree to experience the same emotions again.
There are cases when the continuation of the pregnancy may involve a greater psychological risk or the development of mental health problems of the mother than termination (Pepperell, 2013). In such situations, women are ready to terminate their unwanted pregnancies and think about the future when they can be ready emotionally and physically to have a baby.
The termination of unwanted pregnancy is explained by a woman’s unpreparedness to take care of a newborn. Women agree to termination because of health problems. Women may suffer from disabilities or face other unfortunate circumstances when termination is the way to save, at least, the mother (Reagan, 2010). To avoid extreme risks, many doctors admit that the life of a mother is more valuable than the existence of a fetus.
Financial and Family Support
Another important reason that supports the idea of unwanted pregnancy termination is connected with such crucial aspects of human life as financial and family support. It is not an easy task to raise a child without an appropriate amount of support. The task becomes complex when a woman has to deal with raising a child alone. In an unwanted pregnancy, economic conditions play an important role (Percheski & Kimbro, 2017). Termination is usually explained as the solution to protect a family against additional financial problems.
The absence of family or financial support is a real challenge for many women. Sometimes, women may not have appropriate living conditions for having a baby and cannot avoid household problems. Therefore, when they get to know about the pregnancy, they try to eliminate the problem and use abortion as the only method to decrease complications. In some cases mentioned in the press, people try to sell their children just in order to earn some money and find the solution to their financial problems. Unwanted pregnancies should be better terminated instead of being developed this way.
Health and Emotional Problems of a Future Child
The last reason to support the termination of unwanted pregnancy includes possible health and emotional problems of a future child. In some cases, women may have diseases that cannot be treated and cause certain health problems in a future baby. Doctors may diagnose the same illnesses in fetuses or even predict low chances to survive (Gemzell-Danielsson, 2012). In such situations, women and their families decide to terminate the pregnancy and avoid further health or emotional complications. The future of a child is also under threat because of the mother’s unwillingness to take care of a child. For example, Hartwell-Walker (2016) investigates the cases when women refuse the necessity to change their lives and start caring for their children. It is classed as physical neglect and includes failures in feeding, clothing, and providing medical care. In the most terrible cases, mothers may even kill their children in case they are not ready or not supported. To avoid such terrible things, it is better to choose termination and think about other options instead of giving birth and committing a sin.
There are also situations when women decide to make children orphans, and this is one of the most terrible emotional challenges for a future child. In some cases, women believe that it is better to leave a child in an orphanage. In this situation, children are deprived of parents, homes, education, and any kind of parental support. Though social workers can take care of abandoned children, the children may suffer, feel lonely, and become a danger to society (Cradock, 2014; Cohen, 2015). It is hard to predict the outcomes or find good families to raise a child. Termination is the solution that has to be made for society.
Counterargument
At the same time, a number of counterarguments can be found to oppose the idea of unwanted pregnancy termination and consider such type of pregnancy as a chance to change something for the better. People may also use the fact that abortion is illegal because it terminates someone’s life (Sumner, 2014). Besides, there are certain religious and social norms under which women may lose their self-esteem as soon as they refuse to have a baby and choose abortion (Vesely-Flad, 2012). Society can support a woman, who is going to have a child even if the pregnancy is unwanted, and offer appropriate services and care for the families in need (Cohen, 2015).
Many adults believe that even orphans can achieve success in their lives or survive parental abuse (Rus et al., 2014). Babies may be adopted and protected. Such cases are possible, and good people may be raised. Still, the question of unwanted pregnancy should be discussed in terms of mothers’ positions. It is not fair to challenge a woman just in order to check if a child may survive cruelty or orphanage and become successful (Hartwell-Walker, 2016).
Rebuttal
Still, pressure on women and unwanted children cannot be avoided in many societies (Ngai & Ngu, 2014). It is easy for society to accuse a woman or her child, who was born as a result of the unwanted pregnancy, of a poorly developed behavior or other social disorders. Besides, it is necessary not to forget that a woman may not be ready for such a duty as being a mother. Nowadays, many women want to focus on their careers and become independent. Unwanted pregnancies are frequent among such women because they enjoy their lives from different perspectives. As a rule, women terminate such pregnancies in a short period of time even if their men or other family members are against this idea. An example of such a woman may be the character Christina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy. Almost the same situation is observed with young pregnant girls who have to continue their education and try to build their lives.
The decision to take an abortion may be supported by a number of personal reasons and explanations. For example, a woman may decide to terminate the pregnancy because of the necessity to move constantly, to work hard and get the required promotion, to study and earn a degree, or to be an employee who has to perform dangerous tasks. In other words, specific working conditions, the inability to spend much time at home, and the establishment of other priorities may be used to support women who choose abortion. Many women prefer to travel and change their homes many times per year. It is the style of life that is popular today. The presence of a child creates numerous obligations. Women want to avoid them in order not to betray their interests and dreams.
Abortion is the solution that may save their lives and protect their future. There is no need to impose a child and the responsibility that cannot be neglected or terminated with time. Stress and depressions are frequent outcomes that can be observed among women who believe or want to believe that the attitude to unwanted pregnancy may be changed or have to be controlled by the law. Religion and social norms cannot protect a woman against stress or even mental problems that can occur.
Conclusion
In general, termination of the pregnancy may have opponents and supporters, and women are free to make their own decisions. Pregnancy termination may be defined as a murder of a future child by some people. Still, it cannot be forbidden in case of unwanted pregnancy because it may improve a woman’s mental state, ensure that a child is not abandoned and neglected, and decrease the presence of severe health problems.
References
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