Argumentative Essay on Abortion
By Kirsti Boyton
Should the Abortion Act passed in 1967 be amended to allow unwanted pregnancy’s to be aborted?
An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus resulting in or causing its death. This can occur spontaneously as a miscarriage or be artificially induced by medical, surgical or other means. Abortion is a very personal and controversial topic in today’s society and has been legal in the UK (except Northern Ireland) since 1967, allowing abortions under certain conditions. One condition being that, if the woman continues with the pregnancy, it would mean a greater risk to her physical or mental health, or the health of her existing children. Also the woman’s "actual or reasonably foreseeable future environment" would be taken into account and the abortion must be agreed by two doctors and carried out by a qualified doctor in a government-approved hospital or clinic. Some doctors accept that an unwanted pregnancy is potentially harmful and will support a woman’s request for this reason and they are legally permitted to do this. Other doctors however, will not carry out abortions, as they themselves do not believe it is right. Doctors are allowed to exercise wide discretion and pass their own judgement on the situation. Is this fair when it has the potential to create unfair and arbitrary discrimination? The focus of this essay is to examine the arguments supporting and opposing amending the Abortion Act and to show how the supporting arguments are more valid.
People who agree with pro-life suggest that women who desire abortions opt for adoption instead, but this can lead to as much psychological damage as abortion. Many of these women seeking abortions are young, uneducated, frightened and embarrassed about the situation they find themselves in. These young girls are not ready to endure the whole nine months of pregnancy to then give up that child for adoption. During pregnancy, the mother...