The Role Of Abortion In El Salvador

It is saddening to see humans of the female gender, who find themselves in a situation that requires introducing a new life into the world; to abort such a precious gift. Many may wonder how these poor, innocent, unborn children are then discarded after the abortion procedure. One cannot fathom the reason of these gruesome murders that happens within these medical facilities. Babies are disposed in the red waste bins of these facilities, and later incinerated. Some may either be flushed down garbage disposals or even be sold off for research purposes. The issue of abortion is not just a social one, but also a human rights issue among the unborn children. I believe if the human rights of these children has been violated, then

Twenty to thirty million legal abortions occur worldwide each year. The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between – (Mother Teresa). Before 1973, individual states were allowed to decide whether abortion would be legal within their borders. The topic of abortion and whether or not it is right or wrong is a constant debate in todays society. Everyone has their own beliefs on the matter, but it should not be a question of what we believe, it should be the question of whether or not this procedure should be considered an illegal act. There are hundreds of woman everyday that have an abortion, and hundreds of innocent lives being slaughtered legally. The fact that this procedure is legal in the U.S, and that people actually see it as their “choice” or “right” to abort the baby, disturbs me immensely. Preforming the procedure of an abortion should be illegal in all states because abortion is murder, the fetuses can feel the pain during the procedure, and abortion can lead to psychological damage.

Abortion has taken the lives of more than 50 million babies since 1973 (“About Abortion”). The issue of abortion is one of the most common controversial issues in American politics and culture. In modern society, many women that have an unintended pregnancy and they result to abortion without researching other options. Abortion is not a substitute for birth control and this issue should be taken seriously. The individual woman needs to understand that by agreeing to have an abortion she is agreeing to kill an innocent fetus. Abortion rips the unborn child from his or hers right to life. Society needs to let women see through the eyes of the fetus and find alternative ways to raise the baby. Abortion should be

(García et al., 2004a) In most states it is also allowed if the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk (García et al., 2004a). These laws make the vast majority of abortions in Mexico take place in unsafe conditions (Juarez, Singh, Garcia, & Olavarrieta, 2008). The estimate of abortions that take place in Mexico is 33 per 1000 women aged 15-44 (Juarez, Singh, Garcia, & Olavarrieta, 2008). The contraception use rate is 72.5% and their maternal mortality rate is 38 deaths per 100,00 live births (“The World Factbook - Mexico,” 2001). There is a lot of stigma surrounding abortion in Mexico although studies have shown that the majority of Mexicans think abortion should be allowed under certain circumstances (García et al., 2004b). I support a woman’s right to choose if she wants an abortion or not so I do not agree with the laws in Mexico. Contraception, unless it is abstinence, is never 100% effective and there should be a legal method to end an unwanted pregnancy if a woman chooses to do

In the United States there are more than a billion abortions performed each year. Since the court case Roe vs Wade in 1973 more than 56 million babies have been murdered in the United States before they had the chance to take their first breath (Snyder, Michael). These statics along with many more show the huge injustice that is happening in the country I call home.

Pregnancy is not a walk in the park, and deciding to spend nine months carrying a baby should be a nothing but a positive and healthy experience for a women; not something that she is forced against her will to do because she simply has no other options. If abortions were to become illegal once again, many women seeking to terminate their pregnancies would be forced to resort to unsafe and dangerous underground procedures. These underground abortions, which would most likely be performed in an unsanitary location and not by a medical professional, would lead to higher instances of infection and death (Abortion, Issues and controversies). Politicians, state governments, and people that want to put heavy restrictions and even outlaw all access to abortion are immensely damaging the fundamental rights of women to make private decisions on what to do with their own

Access to contraceptives and abortion within the Latina community in Los Angeles, California has been influenced culturally, socially, and economically. Cultural beliefs, economic disparities, social environment, and language barriers have all prevented Latina’s access to proper pregnancy termination services, which is causing in the detrition of Latina’s sexual and reproductive care. Ultimately in order to promote better reproductive/sexual health and provide better access to contraceptives and abortion within the Latina community in Los Angeles, policy makers should promote safe sex practices within families, communities, and schools and also should educate Latinas of all options they have. In addition to education, sexual and reproductive health services such as contraceptives and abortion should be able to be accessible to Latinas, in order to reduce the amount of Latinas going through traumatic experiences that are indeed preventative.

While Latin America’s lack of reproductive rights would seem to be common knowledge, many are unaware of how exactly women in Latin American countries are affected. In a fairly large number of countries, abortion is illegal. In regards to this, “in 2008, 12 percent of maternal deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean were due to unsafe abortions.” (Mane, 2013) 95% of the abortions

Jasmine Garsd, reporter for Npr.og, reports on abortion rights, but more specifically, vis-à-vis the Zika virus plaguing Latin America. She is especially interested in the United States’ role in providing or denying aid to countries such as Brazil, where the Zika virus has proved threatening to the general population. What complicates the situation further is that the Zika virus is particularly harmful to pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. In fact, the Zika virus has been linked to certain birth defects such as brain damage and small heads. Hence, the emergence of the Zika virus adds another dimension to the abortion debate.

“Excessive restrictions stigmatize women seeking abortions and discriminate against those who lack the knowledge and understanding of legal grounds for abortion and vulnerable groups, such as poor and rural women and girls” (Finer). Abortion is commonly known as a murderous crime in which a mother chooses to terminate her child, but I do not view abortion that way. Abortion is when a mother determines that she is not capable to raise a child at the moment. I believe that tougher abortion laws should not be passed because it should be a women’s basic right to her own body, also, many women do not have the financial resources it takes to raise a child, and either way women will still seek illegal ways to get an abortion with risky outcomes

Unlike some countries, men are expected to earn money and support their family. On the other hand, women are expected to raise the children, be home, and do everything else needed in the house. “More middle- and upper-class females now go to work, although they are still generally relegated to clerical or support positions. However, women are increasingly becoming doctors, dentists, or teachers. When this will carry over into the business world remains to be seen,” said Commisceo Global.

El Salvador has a higher abortion rate than the United States, wherein abortion is legal.

Reproductive rights, particularly with regards to abortion, is the main topic of “The women dying for an abortion in Sierra Leone.” This article describes that conditions under which women in Sierra Leone become pregnant unwillingly (Devries, 2016) and seek out an abortion, removing a fetus before it is able to live separately from its mother (Edge & Groves, 2006, p.257), as a means of intervention. Someone women in Sierra Leone who end up with an unwanted pregnancy are not educated about the different forms of birth control, others are orphaned teenage girls who often become the victims of rape. In either case, women and girls become desperate and resort to dangerous methods of abortion to avoid carrying the pregnancy to term. Some of which include inserting a coat hanger through their cervix, or having someone jump on their belly to abort the fetus; these extreme measures have lead to poor long term health outcomes and have are associated with a high mortality rate. (Devries, 2016) Supporters of anti-choice or “pro-life” often base their views on religious beliefs which views abortion as immoral and unethical. Pro-choice supporters on the other hand, maintain that women have the right to their own bodies and should therefore be able to decided if they want to be pregnant.

El Salvador’s abortion ban is still firmly in place despite the danger that Zika virus presents to the pregnant mothers and unborn babies.

Although many women around the world are unable to obtain legal abortions when they need them,