Im doing coursework on abortion and i would like to get a good view of the publics opinion what is your view?

Question

you might add what do you think about the law on abortion
what cases is it right if any
do you think relgion plays a big part etc........

Answer 1

I can answer this on personal experience. I was 16 when I had an abortion. At the time, I believed that was the only option for myself. Boyfriend at the time had dumped me and didnt want me to have a child, my mother had told me that I had to get married, and I had no means of taking care of a baby. I was 13 weeks pregnant. I went through with the abortion, and I regret it to this day. First of all, let me explain to you the way that it works. Once you are there ( at a clinic) they try basically everything in their power to make sure that you dont change your mind. when I said I didnt think that I wanted to go through with it, they told me how I was going to have nothing, be on welfare, be a single mom, asked me how I was going to finish school, and told me that they didnt think I was ready for mother hood. As a 16 year old, it scared the hell out of me. After the abortion, they brought me a plate of oreo cookies. I still find that a little unnerving. And evertime I eat an oreo thats what I think of.
Now, for myself, I do not believe that I could ever go through that again. Nor would I want to.
If other people want to have abortions, that is their buisness. We all have our reasons for doing things. Just be sure that you can deal with the consequences.
I also believe that if abortion becomes illegal, many people will resort to coat-hanger abortions and the like in order to get the results that they want. There will be an abortion black-market, which is neither safe nor healthy.
I do believe that abortion should be kept legal for those who want it. But listen to others stories, and know what you are getting yourself into before you get in so deep that you cant get out like I did.

Answer 2

Religion does play a large part in the way that people think of abortion. The Catholic Church is categorically against abortion, even when the mother's life is in danger.

Many people, other than Catholics, also oppose abortion if the woman could have avoided getting pregnant any other way. I am inclined to the view, that the foetus is a human in its own right from the moment of conception, therefore it is technically murder to willfully take its life. I also believe, however, that, under certain circumstances, it is better to abort the foetus than not to do so. It is a very tricky moral decision, however, and I would not like to be the one having to make it.

The circumstances under which I believe it could be considered are:

1) If the pregancy is the result of a rape and the mother is too young to bear a child, or her life would otherwise be in danger.

2) If the foetus can be proved to be developing abnormally in such a way that it could never be a functioning human being. Such pregnancies might often terminate naturally in a miscarriage, anyway, or the baby would simply not survive more than a few hours or days.

3) POSSIBLY if it would medically or psychologically damage the mother to have a child. I am very dubious about this, however. One can never say definitely that someone would be affected in a particular way and who can possibly tell whether an intervention might not have killed a person who would later grow up to be a great asset to the human race. There are several instances of great men and women being born in circumstances where some today would have advised abortion.

I think that, with better counselling and a positive attitude to adoption at birth, if necessary, many, many innocent lives could be saved (and, of course, I believe that birth control is far to be preferred. I have a lot of sympathy for those who are affected by the Catholic restrictions on birth control!)

As for the law - and the attitude of people in position of authority, I believe it should have minimal interaction with what should be a personal, well-advised decision. It should certainly not make abortion illegal and it should, if possible, encourage sound and impartial medical advice and be sensitive to a woman's decision to have OR NOT TO HAVE an abortion. In other words, it should not be seen to treat a person unfairly because of a personal moral view.

Answer 3

I personally am pro choice, that being said I do not believe it should be used as birth control.For example I know a woman who had 6, Not for any reason other than the fact that she did not want to use any sort of bc.In my opinion that is just plain wrong,in those cases she could have used something and chose not to. I also have friend who is 25 and has 4 children{ she had her first when she was 15} she went in to get her tubes tied about 2 months after her last one was born. and found out she was pregnant again. So she had an abortion.[ she was on the pill each time she got pregnant} In that case I see no reason why she should have had to have the baby. I guess it really depends on the situation.I feel that no woman who was raped and became pregnant should have to have the child if she does not want to. Every person is different and has their own reasons for what they do.As i would want the rite to chose if I should ever need to I do not wish to take it away from others.

Answer 4

Did you know that in some states, it is illegal to ship pregnant lobsters? We wouldn't want to hurt the baby lobster. So we have laws that protect unborn lobsters, but not humans??
Abortion is a nutshell, is "convenience" killing. For whatever reason, (age, money, career, etc.) its is just not convenient to go through a pregnancy. Thats all the mother would have to go through is 9 months, because she doesn't have to keep the baby, as there are people on waiting lists to adopt them. So all the people saying that they have abortions because it wouldn't be good for them to have a baby, its bull. They are saying that they will not give 9 months to save a life.
I have NEVER seen a doctor who can tell of a situation where the life of the mother will be saved if she has an abortion. It is non-existent. There are women in comas, who deliver babies.
Abortion is the death penalty for a living human being. If the species is human, and the heartbeat indicates life, then it is a FACT that abortion kills a HUMAN LIFE! And religious or not, if you believe the fact of it being a human life, how can you say its a choice? How is it a baby when the woman wants it, but when they don't want it ....its something else?

Answer 5

I think it is an individuals choice and that no woman can say that they would be for or against indefinitely until they are in the situation and are faced with terminating a life growing inside them. I think that sometimes abortion is for the best and that everyone has that right - especially if the fetus is suffering from medical conditions or a woman becomes pregnant due to an adverse situation (rape). Religion plays a large part in the abortion debate and like any matter EVERY person has the right to make a choice - you DO NOT have the right to force that decision onto someone else.

Answer 6

My personal opinion is - i could never do it! Although i can understand why some women doo - rape or congenital deformities...

But i also think that some women take it too far (example having multiple abortions) they use it like a form of birthcontrol which isn't fair on their bodies or the life inside them~

I don't think abortion should be illegal - but i do think there should be more done to prevent it~ Better education about sex and pregnancy (birthcontrol)...

I am non-religion so these views are my own and not some of which have been pushed on to me~ I think everyone has the right to make up there own believes~

Answer 7

Religion does play a big part in the abortion issue. I feel that this is a highly personal decsion. I , myself, would never have one. Then again, I have never been in a situation where I might have needed to consider it. I dont feel someone should be judged for having one because we dont know what they were going thru at that moment of their lives. Would we have done the same??? Who knows??? One can only assume. While I am pro life for myself, I feel the right to choose should not be taken away. People will have abortions regardless of the law. It;s a matter of them having a safe place to do so.

Answer 8

No one likes abortion. No one celebrates it.

The reason it's a big issue is because:

1) Some people think it should be illegal
2) Others think the government should stay out of it.

The questions is -- what is government's role in our personal lives? The government doesn't allow you to take certain drugs or be a prostitute, so there is precedence for the government controlling peoples lives. At the same time, making abortion illegal means you might have 15 year old girls trying to abort children on their own.

Answer 9

someone asked a similar Q a few weeks back - have included all answers given to this....

1)
I don't understand how anyone could abort a baby. A baby is the most precious, beautiful, blessed gift in the world. A baby is innoccent, and we should protect them no matter what. I struggle with peoples rationale on abortion.. I'm too young, too old, not ready, don't want a baby etc. Surely you should think about these things before having sex? Yes, accidents DO happen - but this is not the babies fault so why should they reap the cruel consequnce of abortion. Many justify it by saying a baby isn't a person. I beg to differ - @ just a few weeks old they are no longer a ball of cells but a mini person. A person can have an abortion upto 23weeks - @ 24wks a baby can survive. It scares me that some people do all they can to save a premature baby, whereas others willfully kill a baby that is just 7 days younger! Others rationalise abortion because they were conceived out of rape - although more difficult - it still isn't the babies fault - will they be a constant reminder, or maybe a blessing following a horrible ordeal. A final reason may be the health of the baby - many abort due to defects - is this acceptable? I honestly don't know where I stand on this. Personally, I don't think I could ever abort a baby - but I don't know that I would judge others for this - this IS probably the hardest decision anyone can make, and I no doubt that this is the only decision of abortion that is done with baby in mind. I feel for people in this position - but where do you draw the line???? It's a Q that'll no doubt always be in debate. But, for my part, I'm anti abortion especially for 'social' reasons.
2)
Never crossed my mind , thats why you plan your kids and even if they arent planned...you know what you are doing when you are having unprotected sex and the consequences that it might bring.
3)
It is not shameful if it is necessary to save the mother's life or to have a child through rape that is not wanted. As birth control I think it is shameful.
4)
I knew a girl who had multiple abortions. She would have unprotected sex, get pregnant, have an abortion, go to the store and look at baby clothes and sulk, then go have unprotected sex again. I think that was very shameful. I have mixed feelings about telling women they have no choice, but abortion is not birth control!
5)
ya thats right its quite shameful as we no body to kill any person live. Abortion is advised only when mother has less chances to survive after giving bith or if child is having any abnormality which can question his/her survival otherwise not
6)
What about accidental pregnancy? They do happen, you know. Like when the condom fails, or slips off. Or the doctor fails to tell you the antibiotic he's put you on will weaken the effects of 'the pill'.
I kind of agree with all of you and about the time frame of allowed abortions, I had my two with the first three months. One condom failure, one on the pill along with antibiotics.
I didn't want the kids at the time, couldn't afford them, didn't want to chance having them then hating them and possibility of abusing them.
Don't cry foul on me yet.
Too many kids are locked into a legal system that doesn't work and they're stuck in group homes to be used and abused by other kids or supervising adults. Then when they age out of the system, they're tossed on the street, given a few bucks to help support them for a few days, and told to deal with it.
7)
I think it's not about shameful or not, it's more about our conscience... Abortion can happen due to many reasons so what is shameful or what is not is subjective. I don't think given a choice any woman would want to abort their baby... so as long as it is an informed decision, you bear the consequences.
8)
As a form of contraception abortion is very wrong. Unfortunately bad things happen and some people may feel abortion is the only option. Do you think it is shameful for a 13 yr old girl who is raped by her uncle to have an abortion? What about the addict who stupidly falls pregnant and then runs the risk of giving birth to a heroin addicted baby? We should not judge people for the choices they make, without knowing their reasons.
9)
I have always had this in my mind. I would never go for it, nor recommend it to someone. If you dont want to be a mother, better have protected sex, or even better dont go for it at all. Coz, even protected sex are not 100% safe. Its better than killing a new life, for which many couples try everything in medical science and try all spiritual things. I would strongly object abortion no matter what. The feeling you have when your baby kicks in your womb is so special and so comforting, if you know that once, you would do anything for that little life who's depending on you.
10)
You should never judge a person till you have walked a mile in that persons shoes abortions are preformed for many reasons and we should show compassion to anyone who has to make the heart breaking decision to end an unborn child's life

Answer 10

I'm pro-choice but I don't think that abortion should be used merely as a form of emergency contraception. When you hear of women that are in for their 4th or 5th abortion, it starts to get a bit worrying.

In the circumstances where a rape has resulted in a pregnancy, I think it is the woman's right to have it terminated.

If a baby is determined to be so disabled or disfigured that it would have no quality of life, then I also think this is grounds for a termination.