Abortion as a Form of Birth Control
Esther Christian
SOC 120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
November 11, 2013
Abortion as a Form of Birth Control
When looking at abortion as an ethical issue, the argument is usually whether the fetus has moral status or not. Pro-choice supporters believe a fetus does not have moral status until it is viable outside of the mother’s womb. Pro-life supporters believe the fetus has moral status at conception. If the fetus has moral status, then it is immoral to kill the fetus (Jones & Chaloner, 2007). Some believe when the heart beats, that signifies life. Therefore, when a fetus’ heart starts to beat at eight weeks gestation (Parker, 2007), it has life. If the fetus has life at eight weeks gestation, it should be considered to have moral status as well. Therefore, it would be immoral to have an abortion after the eighth week. With all the options available to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, there should be no need to use abortion as a form of birth control.
Various abortion procedures are available depending on how far along the pregnancy is. In the first trimester, there are four procedures available. Methotrexate and Misoprostol (MTX) is a procedure used within the first seven weeks of pregnancy. MTX is a two-part medication combination taken within five to seven days of each other and it is over 90% effective with the effectiveness rate going to 96% if done within the first seven weeks. Mifepristone and Misoprostol is commonly known as the abortion pill and works the same way as MTX, but the pills are taken in a shorter time of each other, within 48 hours. Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) is a procedure used between five to 12 weeks from the last menstrual cycle. A thin tube is passed through the cervix and into the uterus. A handheld syringe creates the suction to remove the fetal tissue from the uterus. Aspiration is a surgical abortion procedure used within the first 16 weeks...