The Abortion Control Act Law Medical Essay

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Hannah Jones

Etheridge, L

AP Government and Politics

28 February 2013

To Abort or Not to Abort

Abortion is used all over the world to control fertility of women. Though it is looked down upon in some society’s abortion helps women who may not be able to carry a child and could potentially save her life. The government has altered how women deal with pregnancy by given them the choice of weather to abort or not. Though abortion is not widely accepted, it gives women the right to choose and that is the main reason it is legal today.

Abortions have been legal since the earliest settlers arrived in the United States. When the Constitution was adopted having an abortion was performed on a regular basis and widely advertised. During the mid to late 1800s states started passing laws that made abortion illegal. Anti-abortion laws during this time varied depending on the state. Many Americans feared the population would soon be dominated by children of the arriving immigrants because of their higher birth rates than that of an Anglo-Saxon woman. Abortions were very risky in the 1800s due to the lack of hospitals and medicines. Most women in need of abortions had no other choice but to turn to illegal practitioners who didn’t have the necessary technology to perform a safe abortion. By 1910 every state, with the exception of one, had deemed abortion a criminal act except in the event to save a woman’s life. This was the way abortion was transformed into a practice for physicians only. Even though abortion was seen as a criminal act, it did not stop the 1.2 million illegal abortions per year before 1973. Many women suffered or even died due to medical problems after attempting to perform self-induced abortions or going to untrained practitioners. Some private doctors still performed a safer abortion even though it was still illegal. Abortions decreased because the doctors faced questioning from hospital administrators concerned about the legality of their operations. From 1967 and 1973 one-third of the United States liberalized their abortion laws. (Abortion ProCon)

In 1973, the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade made it possible for women to get legal, safe abortions from well trained medical practitioners. During 1970, Norma McCorvey was a 21 year old pregnant woman without access or funds to an abortion. Since she lived in Texas the law stated that unless a woman’s life was in danger, she had been raped or the baby was the product of incest then she was unable to have the abortion. McCorvey talked with her two lawyers, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, and they convinced her to say she had been gang raped so they could attempt to overturn the state law prohibiting abortion. Norma used the alias Jane Roe, went to court, and pleaded her case. Her case was appealed to the Supreme Court and on January 22, 1973 abortion was legal in all 50 states. However, at the time McCovey was too far along in her pregnancy and was unable to have the abortion. She gave birth to a baby girl and put her daughter up for adoption. During the 1980s Norma revealed her identity to the public and wrote an autobiography titled "I Am Roe: My Life, Roe v. Wade, and Freedom of Choice." (Who is Jane Roe)

In 1982, the Abortion Control Act was passed in Pennsylvania, which required women to give "informed consent" before abortions could be performed and put a 24-hour waiting period in place for women seeking abortions. In the 1992 case Casey v. Planned Parenthood the Supreme Court ruled that states can pass laws protecting the life and health of the fetus or mother. For example, the states could pass a regulation that you could only terminate a pregnancy if the fetus was viable. (McBride)

Abortion comes from the Latin word abortio, translated into English meaning to abort. In medical terms it means prematurely ending an abortion, also known as termination of pregnancy. There are two kinds of abortions; the first is referred to as a medical abortion. This type of abortion means the woman has to take pills or other medicines to cause a miscarriage. Woman can also have a surgical abortion where the fetus is taken from the womb surgically. If a woman chooses the abortion pill and she is not past the 9 week mark she has to take the medicine that causes an early miscarriage and 2 clinical visits are required. If the woman is past 9 weeks she has to take a different medicine which causes the womb to contract and push the pregnancy out of the womb. If the woman chooses the surgical form of abortion she has two options also. If she is less than 15 weeks along she must use the vacuum aspiration which removes the pregnancy using delicate suction. If she is between 15 and 24 weeks a doctor must remove the pregnancy using narrow forceps which pass through the neck of the womb. (Young People)

Many people wonder why a woman would consider abortion and don’t understand the complications. Every year, almost half of all pregnancies among American women are unplanned. Half of those unplanned pregnancies, 1.3 million each year, end in abortion. If these rates continue to rise, it is estimated that 35% of all women during their reproductive age will have had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45. Women ranging from 15 to 19 in age account for about 19% of all abortions; women 20 to 24 account for 33%; women over the age of 30 account for 25% of them. Some women feel unable to care for their child so they feel abortion is their only option. In 2000, 57% of women who had an abortion had some college education; 88% were from metropolitan areas; and 57% had a low-income. Having the father of the child around can also play a factor in a woman’s decision. Among most women who get abortions 83% are unmarried; 67% have never married and 16% are separated, divorced, or widowed. A woman’s religious views can also affect her decision. 13% of abortion patients say they are "born again" Christians and 27% of abortion patients say they are Catholics. (Dudley)

Social Reasons (given as primary reason)

- Feels unready for child/responsibility

25%

- Feels she can't afford baby

23%

- Has all the children she wants/Other family responsibilities

19%

- Relationship problem/Single motherhood

8%

- Feels she isn't mature enough

7%

- Interference with education/career plans

4%

- Parents/Partner wants abortion

<1%

- Other reasons

<6.5%

TOTAL:

93%

(Approx.)

"Hard Cases" (given as primary reason)

- Mother's Health

4%

- Baby may have health problem

3%

- Rape or Incest

<0.5%

TOTAL:

7%

(Approx.)

In 2008, approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the United States, a decrease from an estimated 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 200, and 1.36 million in 1996. Between 1973 and 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions happened in the U.S. In 2009, most abortions in the United States occurred in New York estimating 119,996 while Wyoming had less than 20. Not just the United States uses abortion. (National Abortion Federation) The top 5 countries that perform abortions are Russia, the United States, India, Japan, and France. Russia has about 2,766,360 abortions per year. Following Russia, the United States has 1,210,880 abortions. 596,345 women in India also decide to use abortion. Japan has the 4th largest number of abortions in the world, 343,024 women have had abortions. France is the 5th with 161,129 abortions per year. (Vineoflife)

Even though abortions are safe there are still some potential side effects to having an abortion. Some frequent side effects after an abortion are abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, also spotting and bleeding. Serious complications occur in fewer than 1 out of 100 first trimester abortions and approximately 1 out of every 50 late term abortions. The following risks include: heavy or persistent bleeding, infection or sepsis, damage to the cervix, scarring of the uterine lining, perforation of the uterus, damage to other organs, or in some cases death. Sometimes the emotional side effects affect women more than the physical. Psychological and emotional effects are more common than physical side effects. Some woman may just feel regret while others may suffer from depression. (American Pregnancy Association) The emotional side effects of abortion include regret, anger, feelings of guilt, shame, sense of loneliness or isolation, loss of self confidence, insomnia or nightmares, relationship issues, suicidal thoughts and feelings, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. If the emotional and psychological effects are too much to handle then women sometimes find counseling to help cope with their emotions. (Abortion Emotional Side Effects) Though many women choose to abort their baby, women have a right to choose if they would like to have an abortion or not. If the woman is totally against having an abortion she may put her baby up for adoption. Adoption is the legal process where a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family. Once a final order of adoption has been ruled by a court of law then the adoptive parents gain full custody and responsibility. The adoptive child also gains the same rights as birth children. They can inherit family riches, child support, and other legal matters. When the adoption is finalized the adopted child’s name can be legally changed and the court orders a new birth certificate. (What is Adoption) For the women who are not ready to provide for a child but are not willing to abort, adoption would be the best outlet for them. This way the child can receive the attention and care that their birth mother may not be able to give. Statistics on adoption have not been collected since 1975 but, it is estimated that there are 130,000 adoptions per year. The chart to your right shows how many abortions vs. how many adoption referrals there were in 2011. (The Option of Adoption)

When an unplanned pregnancy occurs often times adoption is overlooked. Many women who find themselves incapable of parenthood choose abortion without considering adoption. The emotional side of adoption is far less depressing than of that of an abortion. When women give their child up for adoption they will remember giving birth, naming the child and most of all your pregnancy ends with giving a life. Also mother’s who place their child up for adoption still have an option of being a part of the child’s life in the future. (What is Adoption) This all depends on what type of adoption the adoptive parents and the mother agree on. Some adoptions may result in a confidential adoption which insures the privacy of the birth parents and the adoptive parents. If the child wants to meet his or her birth parents when they become and the birth parents agree the arrangements can be made by the Mutual Consent Adoption Registries. Some adoption cases result in a semi-open adoption which is where the birth parent may be allowed to select the adoptive parent for their child. During this form of adoption there may be an exchange of gifts, pictures and non-identifying letters through the first year or longer. Another form of adoption is an open adoption. Open adoption includes sharing identifying information, such as names and addresses. This allows the birth parents and adoptive parents to have ongoing contact with each other and allows the child to know their birth parents. An identified adoption is also an option. If the birth parents know someone who wishes to adopt the child, the adoptive parent(s) may be referred to the proper agency to help the adoption get underway. Some parents choose foster care for their child, one type of foster care is pre-adoptive foster care. Pre-adoptive foster care is for parents who are certain they want to give their child to a certain home. This assures that the child will be put into the adoptive family directly after birth to begin boding with the new adoptive parents. Temporary foster care is a popular choice among parents. This is for parents who are unsure if they want to give their child up for adoption. The child is placed in a home for a legal waiting period so the parents can think of their decision. Some parent’s find they are ready and do not want to give their child up for adoption and end up keeping their baby. (The Option of Adoption)http://liveaction.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/planned-parenthood-adoption-abortion-chart22.gif

Having a choice is something women have not always been able to have. Even though some may not agree with abortion or even adoption, the important thing is that women are now allowed to choose what they want for their unborn child. Having the ability to choose has helping millions of women choose the best alternative for her child, weather it is abortion or adoption. The important thing is that women have options to explore and they don’t have to be forced to do anything they don’t want to do. The power to choose takes some stress off of women and allows them to really think about what decision she would like to make. The important thing is women have the ability to make a decision that would not have been possible if the government had not stepped in to make the laws legal.