In our government, 64% of the men vote on whether or not to legalize abortion, but 100% of those men will ever become pregnant. So, why should we defer to men when deciding whether or not to uphold our fundamental rights? Abortion is a complex and emotionally charged issue that has been debated for decades. It involves ethical, moral, legal, medical, and religious considerations. The debate over abortion focuses on whether a pregnant woman should have the right to end her pregnancy or if the government should have the authority to prohibit abortion except in certain circumstances. Supporters of abortion rights contend that women should be able to make decisions about their own bodies and reproductive health without interference from the government. Opponents of abortion rights argue that fetuses are human beings with a right to life and that abortion is tantamount to murder. This begs the question: should abortion be legal? Despite the petite intricacies of abortion, abortion is necessary and important to our society because access to contraceptives is not always easily available, abortion is also a safe medical procedure that saves lives, a baby should not come into this world unwanted, and without abortion women who have gotten pregnant through rape or incest would have to withstand the shame and pain of knowing that an unwanted child is growing inside them and might even inflict self pain.

Access to abortion is necessary because contraceptives are not always easily available. Many women who live in underserved communities do not have access to doctors who can prescribe them contraceptives, making abortion their only option. Guttmacher Institute study of health care insurers unveils “75% of insured women lacked coverage for contraceptive services.” (Popehs.ypepad.com). Several birth control options, including the pill, the patch, the injection, and the diaphragm, require a prescription from a doctor. Major group insurance plans only cover the birth control pill in around a third of cases, and about half of those cases, they don't cover any prescription forms of contraception at all. When contraceptives are difficult to obtain or are inaccessible, abortion is extremely crucial. It can be expensive and challenging to obtain contraceptives due to a lack of money or cultural stigma, therefore having the option of abortion is crucial for individuals who cannot do so. Sometimes, even when contraceptives are accessible, their effectiveness in preventing unwanted pregnancies is not frequently extremely significant. Access to safe and legal abortions is therefore required, making abortion a wiser option than birth control.

Abortion is a safe medical procedure that saves lives. Abortion can save many women’s lives if they have any major complications. Erika Werner, physician-in-chief of obstetrics and gynecology, states that “…pregnancy can kill and abortion can save lives…I would be forbidden from offering this life-saving procedure at all. I would have to pretend abortion does not save lives…”(Wbur.org). Abortion is a safe medical procedure that has been used for centuries to protect the lives of women and their families. It is a significant part of reproductive health care that gives individuals the right to decide about their bodies and futures. There are many different pregnancy complications, including placental abruption, bleeding from placenta previa, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and cardiac or renal conditions. If there’s a clear sign of infection, the condition can be life-threatening. Abortion is a safe medical procedure that can safeguard lives, both in the short term and long term.

A baby should not come into this world unwanted. President Barack Obama said on Mar. 29, 2008 “Motherhood must never be a punishment for having sexual intercourse.” (Popehs.typepad.com). The decision to bring a baby into the world should not be taken lightly. Unwanted pregnancies can have negative effects on both the mother and the child. Being an unwanted baby can result in a life of deprivation, abuse, and neglect. We must take steps to ensure that no child is born into the world voluntarily. Giving women control over their own reproductive options and enabling them to make decisions about their own bodies through abortion is one method to achieve this. We can prevent the unwanted birth of any children and allow women the freedom to make the decisions that are best for them and their families by ensuring that they have access to safe and legal abortions. 

 Opponents of abortion rights claim abortion increases the likelihood that women will develop breast cancer. But, the American Cancer Society proves otherwise “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) routinely review the evidence on abortion and breast cancer. Since 2003, they have agreed the scientific evidence does not support a link between abortion and breast cancer [1-3].” (Cancer.org). Abortion and breast cancer are two very different topics, and there is no scientific evidence to suggest that they are connected. Numerous studies have been conducted to find any link between abortion and breast cancer, but the results have been inconclusive. The American Cancer Society has stated that there is no known link between abortion and breast cancer. They also point out that even if a woman has had an abortion in the past, it does not mean that she will develop breast cancer in the future. Therefore, it is clear that women should not be concerned about any connection between abortion and breast cancer. Women need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health without worrying about unfounded claims of a potential connection between these two topics.

Abortion is necessary and important to our society because access to contraceptives is not always easily available, abortion is also a safe medical procedure that saves lives, a baby should not come into this world unwanted, and without abortion women who have gotten pregnant through rape or incest would have to withstand the shame and pain of knowing that an unwanted child is growing inside them and might even inflict self pain. What was once a simple method to prevent unintended births has evolved into a contentious discussion about whether women should be in authority over their own bodies. Let us all protest to let a woman's right stay a woman’s right.

Works Cited

Popehs.typepad. 29 Jan. 2012, p opehs.typepad.com/files/pro-con-abortion.pdf. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.

American Cancer Society. "Abortion and Breast Cancer Risk." Cancer.org, 19 June 2014, www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/medical-treatments/abortion-and-breast-cancer-risk.html. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.

ProCon.org. "Should Abortion Be Legal?" Britannica ProCon.org, 24 June 2022, abortion.procon.org/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.

Werner, Erika. "I'm a High-Risk OB-GYN: Abortion Helps Me Save Lives." Wbur.org, 1 July 2022, www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2022/07/01/high-risk-obgyn-abortion-access-erika-werner. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.