Reasons Why Abortion Should Be Legal

 
Though scientific facts show claim that human growth starts at conception it is not certain that unborn fetus will grow to healthy human being after delivery. Some children are born with disabilities some of which may lead to death soon after birth or in later age. Children born with disabilities may require large sum of money for medical care hence leading to financial constraints. It should be noted that it is not all forms of disabilities which are curable and the child may eventually die.

It is better to terminate pregnancy than to the child born, put the mother through labour use money for treatment and eventually have the child dead. The state has a legal responsibility of defending the life of unborn fetus however, embryos have no rights until when it is determined that they can develop to potential human beings. Human beings are assigned a right to life because of their already determined personhood however, embryos are deemed not to have right to life because their personhood has not been well established.

Opposed to scientific facts personhood is considered to begin between 22 and 24 weeks. Research has shown that neocortex develops during this time this is the earliest recognized point of viability. At this stage fetus can be removed from the womb and still survive to a normal human being with medical care support (Head, 2009, p.14).

Pregnant women have control over their bodies and right to make choices on their bodies whether for personal gain or any other gain. Fetus before they attain viability stage does not possess any human right and their removal should not be considered as murder. Consequently, until when the fetus has developed adequately to posses its own rights decisions made by women to procure abortion remain precedence over the concerns of the embryo. The particular right of a pregnant woman to procure abortion termed as privacy right implied in the 9th and 14th amendment of American constitution. Laws which criminalize abortion usually relate to physician and not pregnant women who procure abortion.

This implies that even if state laws banned abortion on medical grounds women would still have the right to procure abortion using other methods for instance taking of drugs which induce expulsion of unborn fetus. A research conducted in Nicaragua where abortion is a criminal offence expectant women used ulcer drugs to terminate pregnancy in a way that can be likened to a miscarriage. The argument that human life is sacred is not valid because not every human being is religious and for this matter a Christian. Negative effects such as death of women and damage of uterus can be avoided if women are given freedom to procure abortion through legalizing it.

This would prevent conduction of abortion by unqualified persons hence avoid preventable deaths and other negative effects associated with abortion. This would also control orphan hood and single parenthood (Sedgh & Henshaw, 2007, p.89)