The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

Modern healthcare has enabled women patients to have the option of terminating a pregnancy for either medical or personal reasons. Socio-economic, medical, and personal factors for choosing an abortion procedure have remained identical throughout the history of medicine and healthcare. In North America – the US and Canada – abortion as a procedure, has become much more common due to existing laws that allow such a procedure for various reasons. Attitudes in the US and Canada have changed over the past century. In the US, due to the seminal ruling of the United States Supreme Court in 1973 (Roe vs. Wade) where the court affirmed a woman’s elective right to undergo the procedure, attitudes have leaned towards a pro-choice stand (Hohman & Misra, 2000, p.85). Many young Americans and Canadians of various backgrounds are of the view that abortion should be available on demand for a woman who chooses the procedure. However, various emotional, psychological, and physical effects of abortion make the procedure risky, unnecessary, and traumatic for women. Women who decline this procedure and continue with their pregnancies are at a better physical and emotional state than women who terminate their pregnancies.

Benefits of Declining Elective Abortions on Women

Avoiding Emotional Trauma

Women who willingly terminate their pregnancies experience intense regret and thus severe emotional stress after undergoing the procedure. According to Berkowitz, women who chose to abort end up regretting their choice, and this regret affects the women’s subsequent pregnancy and childbirth experiences (2009, p.25). Having herself terminated a pregnancy when she was nineteen years, Berkowitz gives a first hand account of how the termination of her pregnancy at ten weeks affected her later pregnancies and her relationship with her children (2009, p.28). Women who have terminated their pregnancies tend to feel that they do not deserve the joy of subsequent pregnancies. For Berkowitz, a subsequent pregnancy that ended prematurely made her believe God was punishing her for her previous termination (2009, p.28). Women who terminate their pregnancies are also left with a lifetime regret of feeling that they have cut short a potential life with all its infinite opportunities and capabilities. Therefore, women who decline abortion are saved the above-mentioned emotional and psychological tortures that afflict many women who terminate their pregnancies.

A Wholesome Motherhood Experience

Motherhood and its accompanying experiences underscore one of the most fulfilling roles that many women undertake in their entire lives. Raising and nurturing children are among the most valued roles for women, and an abortion inhibits a woman from experiencing motherhood freely and powerfully. According to Berkowitz, women who terminate a pregnancy are unable to commit fully to other children that they birth. The women may feel that they do not deserve the love of their children, and a sincere act such s a child refusing to suckle is perceived as the child directing hatred to the mother for her past abortion (2009, p.27). On the other hand, women who have not terminated a pregnancy are able to experience motherhood without the guilt and burden of an earlier abortion, making their experience more wholesome.

Better Relations with Spouse

Women who terminate their pregnancies have to deal with a lot of emotional regret, psychological trauma, and motherhood inhibitions, which affects their relationship with their spouses. In a sense, a woman who has never resorted to an abortion enters into her relationship with her life partner on a clean slate. She is not laden with regrets from choices in her past and thus is better able to relate with her life partner (Berkowitz, 2009, p.27). A woman who elects to terminate her pregnancy, on the other hand, experiences trauma that prevents her from having a normal and wholesome relationship with her spouse.

Avoidance of Maternal Deaths, Future Pregnancy Complications, and Other Maternal Health Concerns

The abortion procedure itself, even when performed in a safe hospital environment by qualified doctors, can result in complications that affect the health of the woman. Conditions like a perforated uterus, cervical infections, and an incompetent cervix are all complications related with abortions (McLean, 2007, p.10). Many maternal deaths are also related with previous unsafe abortions; therefore avoiding abortion keeps the woman at a more healthy state.

Un-elective Abortions

Besides elective abortions where a woman chooses to terminate a healthy pregnancy, doctors sometimes recommend abortions for fetuses diagnosed with certain debilitating or chronic illnesses. For instance, when diagnostic tests on a fetus show, the child will develop Down syndrome or has spina bifida; many doctors recommend an abortion to the mother (Punger, 2005, p.25) because, in the estimation of many doctors, such child will be unable to live a full life. However, according to Punger, this need not be the case, and such women should not choose the option of terminating the pregnancy as recommended (2005, p.26).

Benefits of Declining Abortions for Mothers with Pregnancies of Fetuses Diagnosed With Debilitating Diseases

Terminating a pregnancy is a traumatic experience for the mother, whether the fetus is deemed viable or not. Even when the fetus has been diagnosed with a debilitating condition, the decision to terminate the pregnancy weighs heavily on the mother. According to Punger, the women in such positions should opt to continue with their pregnancies because the tests performed only indicate increased risk for these diseases and are not effectively diagnostic (2005, p.26). Therefore, if they terminate pregnancies on the simple recommendation of doctors, they may well end the life of a fetus that would yet turn out healthy. For instance, the author’s son was diagnosed with spina bifida and Down syndrome, yet the child turned out healthy. Therefore, women who have these diagnostic tests during pregnancies should decline to undergo abortions due to the possibility of these tests being wrong. As Punger herself suggests, such women may forever live with the regret of never knowing whether they made the morally correct choice if they choose abortion.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that views regarding the right to have an abortion for women are becoming increasingly pro-choice, abortion remains an emotive issue in Canada and the US. The act of terminating a pregnancy can have serious emotional and physical side effects on a woman. Many women undergo what is known as Post Abortion Syndrome, a psychological condition where the regret of having undergone the procedure induces stress and suicidal thoughts on a woman (Punger, 2005, p.26). The benefits for women who decline this procedure are numerous. Besides avoiding the attendant stress and regret of terminating a healthy pregnancy, the woman experiences the joys of motherhood freely. Additionally, because the abortion procedure itself carries with it some health risks, the woman who declines to terminate her pregnancy will save herself from the health risks. Similarly, declining to abort fetuses that have been diagnosed as likely to develop conditions such as Down syndrome allows the mother to have closure on the health of her child. Because most of these diagnoses are wrong, a mother will feel emotionally at peace when she gives birth to the baby and the diagnosis turns out wrong, than aborting her child without satisfying her conscience that the child may have turned out healthy after all.

References

Berkowitz, K. (2009). Broken maternity: A sisterhood of Sorrow. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 24(3), 25-29.

Hohman, S., & Misra R. (2000). Trends in Abortion Attitudes among Young Adults: 1997-1993. American Journal of health Studies, 16(2), 85-96.

Mclean, M. (2007). MDG 5: Something We Can Work With. Midwifery Today, 10-11.

Punger, D. (2005). Screening Tests: Not Worth Triple The Trouble. Midwifery Today, 25-27.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, April 23). The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-benefits-of-declining-an-abortion-procedure/

Work Cited

"The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure." IvyPanda, 23 Apr. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-benefits-of-declining-an-abortion-procedure/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure'. 23 April.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure." April 23, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-benefits-of-declining-an-abortion-procedure/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure." April 23, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-benefits-of-declining-an-abortion-procedure/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Benefits of Declining an Abortion Procedure." April 23, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-benefits-of-declining-an-abortion-procedure/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1