Abortion

Unlike many of the topics covered so far, such as smoking, drug use, drinking alcohol and masturbation, abortion certainly isn't a guilty pleasure. Although, many do feel a great sense of guilt after having had one.

Abortion is something that many people feel quite strongly about. Is it morally wrong? Well, it certainly isn't a very nice thing to have to do.

So, first things first. Why do women have abortions?Some are forced into it, particularly by partners or parents. But what of those who choose it?

The majority of abortions are carried out due to unplanned/unwanted pregnancies. Abortion is being used as a contraceptive by those who get pregnant my 'accident', often teenagers. Now, some say that these girls should have to give birth to and bring up their child, to face up to their mistakes. Which is a fair enough point, if they were too careless to use contraception. However, what about those cases where the people involved have been careful and used contraception? Most contraceptives are 98-99% effective, but that still leaves room for error. Now I know that a couple of years ago for about a week and a half, I thought I was pregnant. Yes, I'd been careful and used contraception, and it came to a great shock to me. I was devastated, I felt I was too young, couldn't afford a child.. and yes, I did consider abortion. Until I finally got the courage to go any buy a pregnancy test that came back negative. What I'm trying to say is, although it may not be right, I can certainly understand why a girl who suddenly finds herself pregnant, might want an abortion.

One reason I do think is good enough for a woman to have an abortion is if she has been sexually abused or raped. Having to endure the trauma of rape is hard enough, but to have to bring up the rapists child as well? I don't think I could.

Some can be offered an abortion if some antenatal tests show that the baby will have serious physical or mental problems. I think this whether it is acceptible or not depends on the severity of the disability and whether the mother has the support to look after the child. However, some people have taken abortions after knowing that their child has only minor problems, such as Down's Syndrome. Yes, I understand that looking after a child with Down's can be difficult, but it isn't half as bad as some of the birth defects a child can have. Oh, and sex selective abortion? That just really isn't fair.

So - ethics? The link there is to a BBC website which holds lots of information on the ethics involved surrounding the topic of abortion.

Some people call themselves pro-life - indicating that everyone has a right to life and that nobody should choose to deprive any being of life. On the other hand, there are those that are pro-choice, saying that any woman should have the choice; its her body, her mind and she should be able to choose what happens to it. What about the rights of the father? Should he have a say, after all it is his baby, too.

Even though many people abuse abortion, I don't think it should be made illegal, as I do believe there are some cases where it is necessary. I do think, however, that careful consideration should be made on both the parents and the doctors behalf before a final decision is made. Many people live to regret it.