Opinions on.. Abortion

In the UK, about 200, 000 abortion procedures are carried out every single year. Women from their 40s, right down to teens choose to end unwanted pregnancies, the reason always being dependant on the individual. This week, anti-abortion campaigners in the UK have been increasingly vocal against the 1967 Government Legislation which made abortion legal, which they believe is being abused.

Under UK law, an abortion can usually only be taken out during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy as long as certain criteria are met. The UK has one of the highest repeat abortion rates. Amongst 13-19 year olds 50% of repeat abortions took place within 12 months.

Abortion is always a controversial topic; with Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life campaigners being unable to reach a happy medium. Often being something that seems distant, with many girls saying “it would never happen to me”, pregnancy becomes a very real possibility as soon as girls become sexually active, and for many, abortion is on the cards. Whether in a long term relationship or after a one night stand; and whether careful using contraception or drunkenly forgetting the condom, abortion at some point considered by many students that “never thought it would happen to them”. 

Most of us have discussed the topic of abortion with friends or debated it ourselves, but few of us know how we would react when put in the situation; imagining staring at a pregnancy test in the bathroom is not something many would like to become a reality. In the UK, women have a choice to decide what they like up to a certain point; however this is not the case for all women. In Northern Ireland, women cannot get an abortion even if they have been raped, the only exception being if her life is at risk. Indeed in 97% of countries abortion is allowed in order to save a woman’s life.

Both sides of the coin have strong arguments, making it difficult to come to a resolute conclusion. Many factors alter people’s perception on abortion, including circumstance, age, religion, country; there are many areas that need to be considered. 

Arguments for Abortion:

•     In the case of rape or incest, a forced pregnancy through violence may cause a woman huge amounts of stress or to have mental health problems. This would result in certain difficulty in raising the child.  
•    Women have the right to do what they like with their own body, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy when a foetus is barely developed; it should be the mother’s choice as to what she does with her body. One Exeter University student said: “it is your choice what you do with your body, abortion should always remain an option.”
•    Particularly for teens and girls in their 20s, the prospect of motherhood can be a terrifying thought. At such a young age, it is unlikely women would be financially stable or able to support a child. Indeed another Exeter University student said, “I just wouldn’t be able to have a child now. I want kids in the future, but right now I could not support it, and I think I would have to strongly consider abortion if I was to get pregnant.”
•   Following through with an unwanted pregnancy can cause huge mental health problems for the mother, which could be detrimental to her and her child’s well-being. 

[pagebreak]Arguments against Abortion:

•       Under current UK law, abortion can take place up to 24 weeks into pregnancy, that’s five months. At this stage, a baby has fully developed lungs, fingers and toes. Many deem abortion at this stage to be murder. Babies born prematurely at this stage can live as has been seen recently in the press. An Exeter University student said, “No matter how old the foetus is, you are killing it if you have an abortion. A life is a life and it isn’t yours to decide to kill.”
•   There are alternative options to abortions such as adoption. With millions of people wanting to adopt children, there is no such thing as an unwanted pregnancy.
•   Abortion should not be used as a form of contraception. If couples use contraceptive methods correctly, they are able to avoid pregnancy. Particularly nowadays, most people are well educated on contraceptive methods, and understand the risks in not taking procedures. Another student commented, “if people are stupid enough not to use contraception they should have to deal with it.”
•  Abortion can cause huge stress and mental health problems, and may face pressures from both sides. “You have to think about religious groups too, and how they may see the concept of abortion.”

It seems many girls surveyed saw abortion as an option that should be available, but only as a last resort. One Exeter University student said, “Abortion should be allowed. People should have the right to do so, why should a child be brought into a family when they don’t necessarily want it? But 24 weeks is too late because the child is fully formed. If abortion is to continue the number of weeks it is allowed should definitely be limited.” Most girls agreed with this idea, and suggested that 24 weeks was too far along in the pregnancy. However others disagreed suggesting that the life begins as soon as it is conceived; evidently the debate continues. 

No woman wants to face unwanted pregnancy, particularly whilst at University. There are many options available, abortion being one of them. No matter which side of the fence you are on, there are supporters on both sides, and we are lucky enough to have an option to choose for ourselves in the UK. The partner must also be considered, and it seems many girls are acting either way without consulting the unborn child’s other parent. HCX sees both sides of the debate, and recognises abortion as a very sensitive and debatable topic; but which side of the debate are you on?  

Sources: bbc.co.uk, nhs.uk

Image credits: bbc.co.uk, babymed.com, coloribus.com 

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