Different Arguments for Different Ends
Shana Meyer
December 7, 2016
Different Arguments for Different Ends
Abortion and birth control have long served as very heated, very debated topics, especially in the equal rights movement. Groups on both sides of the dispute have made strong arguments either in support of or against a woman’s right to use birth control and/or seek an abortion. Interestingly, many of the arguments share very similar foundational thoughts but are used to suggest very different conclusions. Through the duration of this paper, the two opposing groups will be defined as Pro-Choice and Pro-Life. Groups on both sides of the argument have historically used the same base topics, such as women’s health and personal liberty, to bolster their opposing arguments, which further convolutes the issue.
A common idea that consistently appears in both Pro-Choice and Pro-Life arguments is the topic of protecting the woman’s health. In Roe v. Wade, 1973, the author points out that, “When most criminal abortion laws were enacted, the procedure was… hazardous…”1, adding that abortion mortality rates were reasonably high.1 Human Life International states that steroids, which include contraceptives, target and affect a body’s hormonal balance which can lead to a long list of side-effects. This list includes both physical symptoms, ranging from headaches to death, and mental symptoms, such as depression.2 Additionally, abortion procedures can also have
Abortion is never an easy decision, but women have been making the choice for thousands of years. It has become a large dilemma since 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court passed a law making the procedure legal, and an even larger controversial issue. The controversy is divided into “Pro-Choice” and Pro-Life” views. Pro-Choice supporters believe that the woman should have to choice whether to abort or not. Pro-Life supporters believe that it should be illegal to abort and preformed. However, there are many ways for this procedure to be performed. Abortion still remains today a controversial issue, by who should determine if it is the right thing to terminate a pregnancy or not and by how the procedure should be preformed.
When touching the subject of abortion, one must consider that there are two sides battling for control. That is right, abortion has literally turned into a war zone where even the unlikely of individuals do the unthinkable. Each side has their motives and methods for contradicting the other. For instance, there are cases and events that support both sides of this issue.
One of the most significant happenings that the Birth Control Movement was responsible for was the creation of the birth control pill. In 1948, Margaret Sanger, biologist Gregory Pincus and physician John Rock began to research and develop the birth control pill. It got approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1960 (Kaufman). This oral contraception is a type of medication that women take daily to prevent pregnancy because these pills contain hormone that prevent a woman’s eggs from leaving the ovaries and making cervical mucus thicker which keeps the sperm from getting to the eggs (Planned Parenthood). Plannedparenthood.org stated that within five years of its approval, the birth control pill was used by one out of every married women
The subject of abortion has created some of the most controversial, social, and moral debates in United States history. On Jan. 22, 1973, in the case Roe Vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that it was a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion during the first trimester of the pregnancy (The Ruling). Still other interest groups argue that human life begins at conception and having an abortion is murder to an unborn child. These opposing viewpoints create a delicate political and social debate in which the lives of unborn children are placed in the center. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the RU 486 “abortion pill”, citing that the “overall safety of the pill is excellent”(Food
Out of all modern social controversies, perhaps the most heated controversy is that of abortion. In today’s society you are either a Pro-life or a Pro-choice, there is not a middle ground. Pro-life are individuals who believe abortion is immoral and should be stop for the wellbeing of women and unborn babies. In contrast, the Pro-choice individuals do not necessarily promote abortion, they just believe women should be the ones to make decisions over their bodies and health. Although the two main sides of the abortion debate have concerns for human life, pro-life activists worries more about the fetus and morals, a clear difference from the pro-choice that worries more for the women and their rights. Based on the points I explored, the pro-choice arguments are stronger than pro-life arguments. Most of both groups arguments comes from peer-reviewed researches from well-known sources to support each individual concept. Effects on women,socio-politics, and fetus are some of the main point of conflicts between the pro-life and pro-choice advocates.
The restrictions and the debate that surrounds the issue of abortion has changed dramatically throughout the course of history and it continues to change until this very moment. All around the world and in every known society, women have used abortion to control their reproduction, regardless of it’s legality. Abortion used to be exercised freely in the United Sates, up Until all the states started to ban It and place a lot of restrictions on it. They stated that a woman can not abort except in extreme cases in which the mother’s life might be in danger. After the restrictions caused a lot of health issues and raised concerns on women’s health, The Government abolished all the restrictions. In this paper I will analyze and discuss three main positions on the issue of abortion. First, there are those who associate themselves with the title “pro-life”. These individuals are anti abortion, birth control, embryo research or anything that can control or cause any harm to the fetus. Second, there are those who at the other end of the spectrum who firmly believe that if a woman decides to abort, then it is her constitutional right to do so without any interference from the government. Third, are those who believe that if a woman is raped or her life is in danger, then abortion should be completely and solely up to the woman, but other than that, abortion should be illegal. This group of individuals are also for birth control and do not oppose educating
Abortion is one of the most personal, widely discussed, and controversial topics in American culture today. In most cases, people on both sides of the argument take worthy and moral positions. Who can blame someone who wishes to prevent the termination of a teen pregnancy to save the life of an unborn child? On the other hand, who can blame anyone who advocates the soon-to-be mother's right to make such a personal, heartbreaking choice? No matter what she chooses to do, should anyone have the legal right to force her to bear an unwanted child? Most people in the US are pro-choice, and believe that abortion should be a legal, confidential decision that only a woman can make for herself. However, some are against the idea of
Ellen Willis’s “Putting Women Back into the Abortion Debate” (2005) is an argument that supports women’s rights and feminism in terms of allowing all abortions to occur. She discusses abortion with the perspective that women’s rights are the issue, not human life. This argument is not accurate. Abortion is almost completely about the rights of every human being. People who are for abortion need to know a fertilized egg is just as important as someone already living, that an unborn child cannot control its need for someone to rely on for survival, and that they must accept the gender they were given without thinking it eliminates rights. Excluding rape and incest, abortion should not be allowed.
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. Since 1973 abortion has been an important controversial issue within the United States. 1973 marks the year that the famous Rowe versus Wade case was decided before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that abortion be legal and available to all women. Legal abortions can be performed up until the sixteenth week of pregnancy, after sixteen weeks most doctors or clinics will not perform the procedure unless keeping the baby presents a medical risk to the mother. Even in these situations abortions are very risky after sixteen weeks.
“Abortion is the spontaneous or artificially induced expulsion of an embryo or fetus” (Abortion, 2002). An artificially induced abortion is the type referred to in the legal context. Abortions happen in different situations. The question comes when is it the right or wrong choice. The root question becomes the moment a fetus becomes a person and entitled to rights. The fetus could be a person at conception, during the pregnancy, or at birth. The deciding moment differs from the Pro-life group and Pro-choice group. After critically analyzing four different arguments about the pros and cons of abortion, one will be able to understand the ethical, moral, and
The topic of abortion is a hot subject among the people of America today. Some say yes, women should be able to have abortions no matter if the fetus is in the first trimester or well in to the second trimester of gestation. On the other hand the other people say that it is murder of a child no matter the stage of development. Many of the people that believe that the fertilized ovum is a human and has a soul at the conception are the pro-life people. They believe this because of their religious beliefs and cannot scientifically prove this in any way.
The struggle for women has always been rough. For centuries women weren’t allowed to vote, hold public office, act, or even voice their opinion in church. As women we’re divided on issues that obtain to our own bodies, like abortion and birth control. Why is the topic of women such a controversial subject yet, half the population is female.
You picked an interesting topic. I liked that you focused on birth control and abortion. I also included birth control in my final project but I did not include abortion. I think including abortion will compliment the birth control topic in your final project.
vary by location but the main services include “Abortion; Birth Control; Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill); General Health Care; HIV Testing; LGBT Services; Men’s Health Care; Pregnancy Testing & Services; STD Testing Treatment & Vaccines; Women’s Health Care.” Of these services that clinics perform 41% is STI and STD treatment, 34% is contraception, 10% is cancer screening and prevention, 11% is classified as other Women’s Health Care services, 3% is abortion services and 1% is other services (Parenthood, 2015). Some clinics may offer in house abortion while others will only offer referral services depending on location. As they cannot allocate government funds to abortion, the client will usually have to pay the clinic up to 1,500$ for the procedure. Although PP’s main goal is reproductive health and family planning, these clinics are equipped for many other general health care services such as vaccination and blood cholesterol checking. Both paid medical and non-medical employees, as well as volunteers who perform an array of jobs usually staff clinics. For example, clinics that are often berated by groups of protestors will often employ volunteer escorts to assist the patient entering the building to make them feel safer. According to PP (2015), these US clinics service 2.8 million patients in 4.6 million clinical visits each year.
Since the begging of time, women have always been judge harshly and have had certain standards and requirements held against them, that are presented to the community as expectable behavior for women. Women have struggled for independence and rights throughout history and currently in some places in the world; where women are limited to certain activities, political and religious beliefs. “The pill” and plan b which are oral contraception pills or also known as birth control, contributed immensely on the dramatic change of the social and sexual landscape in the United Stated and other counties in the world. It forever changed the fate women where always protrude to carry out thought their lives and certainly