Why Abortion should be illegal BY rnwitry0993 Why Abortion Should Be Illegal Many people around the world view abortion as a normal life event for many women. However, people are unaware of the psychological effect this leaves on the women. More is lost than Just a baby. Mind, body, and loved ones can also be involved in effects from an abortion. The father and society as a whole are two other large things to consider into the situation of abortion. More than likely abortion has occurred or been related to every person in some way considering that “One baby is aborted every 26 seconds in the United States. Minnesota Citizens) Christopher Jacoby tells us in his article, “Side Effects of Abortion,” that “The thought of abortion for some women can be a source for emotional and mental disorder. Many women see that they have the choice to decide. ” Oacoby) However, there are other people involved. Abortion not only affects the women that have them. The psychological effects of an abortion affect the mother, father and society and therefore abortion should be illegal. The first person that comes to mind when thinking about an abortion is the mother. She is the person who will have to suffer the physical pain of birthing a child.
The woman is mentally affected in different ways. James C. Coyne author of “Negative Mental Health Effects of Abortion” tells us, women who have had a history of abortion have increased rates of anxiety, depression, alcohol misuse, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior compared to those who have not had an abortion. Women who have aborted are at a 55% higher risk of mental health problems compared to a woman with an unplanned pregnancy that research analyst Kira Foster, and Professor Tracy Weitz, 21 women who have had abortions were interviewed.
This study explored the experiences of women who had egative emotional outcomes following abortion. Several of the participants had experienced more than one abortion. Eighteen of the women reported having experienced emotional difficulty which included crying, anxiety, sadness and regret. The abortion experience was especially difficult when the woman’s romantic or sexual partner expressed a specific wish or pressure for the outcome of the pregnancy. How the family members respond to the pregnancy also affects the woman’s decision for an abortion.
Some participants in this study say, they felt ‘backed into a corner’ to have the abortion even though they wanted to continue the regnancy. The shame of an abortion as well as lack of emotional support contributes to the women’s emotional and psychological distress post-abortion. (Kimport) This is a story that authors Ruth Kelly and Eimear O’Hagan tells of how abortion can mentally affect someone’s life. A woman named Sarah Giles tells how she had an abortion. She said, ‘l was only six weeks pregnant when I had my abortion, and even then I had bonded with my baby. She is proof that there are early connections toa living being. She also tells us, ‘It was two years ago and I haven’t been the same since. She continues to describe the day she went for her abortion. There were about 20 other woman going in that day and they were all herded in like cattle. It was horrible. ‘ After her abortion she saw many women around her sobbing, and the staff sitting in the office Just ignoring them all. Sarah tells how two years after the abortion she still feels regret and that she and her boyfriend made the wrong choice and the abortion nearly split them up.
She also says how she sees pregnant women or mothers with young children who are so happy and thinks to herself, that couldVe been me,’ and it makes her cry. (O’Hagan) This story provides strong evidence of how mentally effected this woman was from her abortion. Women usually experience emotional side effects of an abortion. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for life state that “78% of all Americans believe women who have had an abortion commonly experience severe to very severe negative emotional reactions to the abortions. (Minnesota Citizens) According to Christopher Jacoby, “These side effects are sometimes referred to as post-traumatic stress. Effects include feelings of guilt that lead to eating disorders. Women can experience disturbances in family life and sexual life. Stress can result in being fired from a workplace because when she is stressed, she might not be able to work properly. They may also not feel like giving birth to another child in the future. ” Oacoby) A woman is highly emotionally and mentally affected from an abortion and also physically affected.
These emotions and effects can come from any method of abortion. Jacoby tells us, one method is surgical abortion which is performed by means of surgery using tools and anesthesia to physically remove the baby. Some smaller effects include vomiting and nausea. Some other possible effects include bleeding which is usually common. In some cases the uterus gets punctured or cervix is torn; this might lead to intense bleeding following a blood transfusion to control it. The use of anesthesia is important but can also cause a heart attack, shaking, and even causes death.
During surgery, the tools used might cause birth in the future can also occur. Oacoby) Author Roger W. Harms tells us in his article, “Getting Pregnant” about how “Vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy, preterm birth, or low birth weight in future babies are other possibilities. Placenta Previa is when the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix, which can cause evere bleeding before or during delivery. ” (Harms) Author Jacoby also states that, A medical abortion is another form of abortion by taking a pill. This method seems very easy but has basically the same amount of effects as surgical abortion.
Long- term side effects are sometimes also including abnormal side effects in the future and it has also been researched that women who have had an abortion have higher chances of getting breast cancer in the future. People see abortion as a way to get rid of their problems but this theory has been proven wrong. Oacoby) Abortion not nly affects a woman physically but also affects her emotionally and mentally. The result of killing somebody who has not even been seen is very depressing and can result in life being completely changed.
The mother is one of the most important people in making the decision about abortion; however she is not the only important person. The father was half of the reason the pregnancy came about. Without the father, there would be no pregnancy. Author Annie McElfresh tells us in her article, “Emotional Side Effects of an Abortion,” that “Most couples experience many of the effects of grief and loss together. The emotional and mental effects that leave a mark on women can be the same for men. ” (McElfresh) The Abortion Recovery International Inc. ells us in their article, “The Impact of Abortion on Men,” that, Men are usually left standing in the shadows. Their suffering is more ‘silent’ than the mothers. A few different effects that men experience than women are anger and they may even become reckless in their behavior. Some men are even in denial of the whole abortion experience. They may not realize that the abortion is the reason for the feelings they are experiencing. Some men will draw themselves socially away rom others allowing it to bottle up and eat them away inside.
Our culture shows us that men should be strong and courageous. Men are not known to be the ones to show their emotions, this being another reason they do not come out and open up with how they are truly feeling. They do not want to come off as weak. This is a common pattern with post abortion fathers. (Abortion Recovery International Inc) Many people do not realize that abortion does not need to be an option. According to the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for life, “Only 69% of all women want to know the alternatives to an abortion. (Minnesota Citizens) There are other options.
Adoption is an alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result of not having to raise that child for the rest of someone’s life. It is still giving the innocent child the chance at life. Linda Lowen also tells us that “With the 15 million American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child. ” (Lowen) If people are old enough to involve themselves in sexual intercourse, they should be old enough to understand what comes out of it. There are many obvious ways to prevent pregnancy before the situation comes to making a crisis ecision of whether or not to keep or abort a child.
Every person has or had a family or people who are close to them. Can you imagine not having that special person in your life because their parents chose not to give them their life, or watching a loved could have debated whether or not to have them. To put a loved one’s life in perspective brings this topic a little closer to heart. Don’t take away someone’s someday loved one. Don’t watch that loved one suffer because they didn’t have that baby. The psychological effects of an abortion affect the mother, father and society and therefore abortions should be illegal in the United States.
Work Cited Abortion Recovery International Inc. “The Impact of Abortion on Men. ” Airn Care Directory Line. 2008-2009. web 3 May, 2013. Agresti, Coyne, James C. “Negative Mental Health Effects of Abortion. ” Psychology Today. 24 Oct, 2011. Web 7 May, 2013. < http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/the-skeptical- sleuth/201110/negative-mental-health-effects-abortion> Harms, Roger W. “Getting Pregnant. ” Mayo Clinic. 10 Aug, 2012. Web 6 May, 2013. Jacoby, Christopher. “Side Effects of Abortion. ” Health Guidance. Web 3 May, 2013. Kimport, Katrina, Kira Foster, and Tracy Weitz. “Social Sources of Women’s Emotional
Difficulty After Abortion: Lessons from Women’s Abortion Narratives Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. ” Wiley Online Library. 2011. 43(2):103-109, dot: 10. 1363/4310311 Lowen, Linda. “10 Abortion Arguments” Women’s Issues. 2013. Web 7 May, 2013. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. “United States Abortion Statistics. ” MCCL. 2012. web 3 May, 2013. McElfresh, Annie. “Emotional Side Effects of an Abortion. ” Livestrong. 28 March, 2011. web 3 May, 2013. O’Hagan, Eimear and Ruth Kelly. “What WE Think of Abortion by the Women Who Had Them. ” Mail online. 13 sep, 2007. web 2 May, 2013.