The termination of a pregnancy, also referred to as an ‘abortion’ is a process that gives the freedom to potential parents to make a decision to proceed or not to proceed with a pregnancy, mostly depending on financial, health or timing factors. Although access to planned parenthood seems to be common in most countries and has been seen as a norm, this hasn’t always been the case and this norm is progressively being shut down. Abortions in the United Sates weren’t legalized until 1973, after the long fight of a woman who was raped and empregnated, the 1973 court declared a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy and her protection under the constitution thanks to her case, ‘Roe v Wade’. The impact of the event at the time not only signified a substantial step forward for women in America, as her case legalized abortion narionwide, but also had a large influential impact on societies from all over the world. Although this received a general positive response, the decision has long been attacked by conservatives such as former president Donald Trump who appointed ‘pro-life’ judges. Consequently, on the 24th June 2022,

The Supreme Court of the United States made the executive decision to overturn ‘Roe v. Wade’ and completely ban abortions again. This decision stripped many women of their rights and enraged many societies as well as generated many health and financial risks on women. As the controversy remains and continues from several generations ago, societies and people have not agreed on whether or not it should be kept and the population continues to divide. To legalize or to illegalize? This sensitive, heart-wrenching topic is a controversial one, but the need to address it is urgent and important. Although some people might argue that abortions may lead to infertility, the freedom of planned parenthood should be granted as it is unjust to young women from many aspects and it highers health risks for women in general.

To begin with, unlegalized abortions present an injustice to young women since it critical in terms of responsibility, maturity and age. Legally, minors (under the age of 18 or 21) are forbidden to adopt a child as the age of the parents must be of the legal age for both international and domestic adoptions. This is so, due to the adoption agencies’ and the government’s (in most countries like the UK and the US) belief that they have not reached an age of complete full growth and autonomy. The 2002 Act and multiple laws across the world, state that a minor cannot take care and custody of a child because of their lack of maturity and independence at a young age. If so, then why obligate them to keep a child at the same age if they were to get pregnant by baning abortions? A female individual is capable of reproducing starting from the time she first menstruates, typically at the age range of 8 and 16 years old, when they are still minors and far from adulthood. To set things into perspective, if a 10 year old girl were to get sexually assulted by a family member and get pregnant, without legalized abortions, she would have to keep the child, give birth, (if her body is even capable to due to health factors and the lack of its develepoment at such a young age) and take custody to then raise the child where she, at that age, is considered unprepared by the government based on adoptions laws. It is important to note the similarity between both events of adoption and keeping a child where both lead to the same result of having mothership/ parenthood over a child. It is simply inhumane to give that big of a responsibility to a child to raise a baby while they themselves are still in a period of development and in their early stages of life, which is a fact known by both agencies and the government, explaining why minors adopting is illegal. This will not only cause health and financial problems to the young parent, as they are still dependent on their parents but also disturb both of their developments as the child will most likely not be raised properly due to the lack of knowledge of such a ‘young mother’ who is still being raised and maturing herself. This is why, abortions should be legal to avoid this type of situation and avoid giving such a big responsibility to someone so young, and not capable of handling it both physically and mentally where the young parent should be given the chance to avoid having their life distructed and potentially taken away.

Second, banned abortions will higher the health risks for women since it won’t completely stop abortions, just promote the illegal, unsafe ones. In cases where an abortion is needed by an individual in a country where it is illegal to get one, it is common that the individual will do one of two things, both of which are extremely unsafe: Try to get rid of the pregnancy using their own ways or go to an uncertified, unlicenced ‘doctor’ that will perform the procedure for them. According to CDC.org, around 45% of pregnancies are unplanned and unexpected and it is safe to say that a pregnancy isn’t easy to go through and to support, especially if the individual is too young, isn't financially stable, has health problems, or is simply not ready. So what does one do if they fall into the 45% and are not in good conditions to support and raise a child, should the individual just let the child suffer and grow up in unstable conditions and ruin both their lives? If they fall into that category, the individual will most probably end up trying to get an abortion anyway, in unsafe ways such as mentionned previously. One of the multiple examples of this is the case of Argentinian woman Elizabeth (never precise her last name to the public) who was pregnant a month after the Argentine Senate rejected the bill to decriminalize arbortion. Elizabeth unfortunately passed away from septic shock after the endeavor of terminating her own pregnancy using pieces of metal and parsley. Elizabeth was known for having an unstable financial situation by her close ones and later on became a symbol of the 40-some women who pass away each year in argentina due to unsafe abortions since the reject of the bill. There are multiple examples of this case that happen almost daily where women are sacrificing their lives to get an abortion because the state forbids them to do it the safe way, with trained professionals. This shows that women will go above and beyond to avoid raising and having a child or a pregnancy in horrible conditions and that banning abortions will not stop them from happening, it will just higher the risk on women’s health since the alternatives are very hazardous.

To conclude, it is easy to say that abortions simply shouldn’t be criminalized and should be legal and accessible since it it unfair to young women to have a child at their maturity and autonomy level, as said by the government for adoption laws, as well as the fact that criminalizing abortions won’t stop then from happening as women will find much more dangerous, life-threatening alternatives. If a state or a group of people disagrees with abortion and is against it, they should personally avoid it instead of shutting out the opportunity for everyone, especially for the ones who may need it the most.

Sources:

Khazan, O., 2022. When Abortion Is Illegal, Women Rarely Die. But They Still Suffer.. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: <https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/how-many-women-die-illegal-abortions/572638/> [Accessed 12 July 2022].

the Guardian. 2022. Killed by abortion laws: five women whose stories we must never forget. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/may/07/killed-by-abortion-laws-five-women-whose-stories-we-must-never-forget>

Verywell Health. 2022. Why Do People Have Abortions?. [online] Available at: <https://www.verywellhealth.com/reasons-for-abortion-906589>

LII / Legal Information Institute. 2022. 14th Amendment. [online] Available at: <https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv>

Ushistory.org. 2022. Roe v. Wade and Its Impact [ushistory.org]. [online] Available at: <https://www.ushistory.org/us/57d.asp>

Worldpopulationreview.com. 2022. Countries Where Abortion Is Illegal 2022. [online] Available at: <https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-where-abortion-is-illegal>