Washington 1 Kimberly Washington Professor Simons Writing Composition 1013 01 January 2012 A Womans Choice One of the most

controversial issues revolving around in American society today is the right for a woman to choose whether or not to abort a pregnancy. Those persons who concern themselves with this issue can be broken down into two groups: Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. People who place themselves in the category of Pro-Life feel thatgovernment has an obligation to preserve all human life, regardless of intent, viability or quality-of-life concerns. or in other words preserve all life, regardless of concerns for the pregnant womans health, or for the quality of the life of the child. The Pro-Choice argument feels that a woman should have that individuals have unlimited autonomy with respect to their own reproductive systems as long as they do not breach the autonomy of others. The majority of the arguments against abortion are religious and moral based. However, there are many reasons why a woman should have the right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. The main reasons it is important for a woman to be able to choose is because the lack of choice could lead to medical problems for the mother, health problems for the child, and a poor environment for the child to grow up in. Many people are against abortion because they believe every living human being has the right to live and that aborting a pregnancy is no less than murder. While most would wholeheartedly agree with belief that every living human being has the right to live, that belief brings forth the question of when does one become a living human being? According to United States law personhood begins at birth, thus aborting a fetus is not killing a person. Religion also

Washington 2 says that abortion is morally wrong, but not everyone has the same belief system. Those who practice Christianity are the foremost believers of the fact that abortion is a moral sin and therefore wrong. Nonetheless, not everyone practices Christian beliefs and see the termination of a pregnancy as morally wrong. Some people even feel that Gods will is to do what is best for both the mother and child. It is not right to force religion, or Gods will on anyone. Humans also have the power of will, and thus can believe whatever they want. There is nothing wrong with choosing to keep a baby, but the choice should be left to the mother and only the mother. The right to choice is important, because saving one life can sometimes mean terminating another. There are situations where a females body is not able to endure a pregnancy, or to deliver a baby. By forcing them to carry the pregnancy to term, one can expect more times than naught that the end result will be the death of the mother. This is most often seen when teenagers accidentally conceive, but whose bodies or more specifically their uterus are not mature enough to carry a child. Through my own personal experience, I can validate this to be true. My aunt was a normal teenage girl that ended up pregnant at the age of thirteen. However, due to her size, age, and physical immaturity, the doctors informed my parents that she would be unable to carry a baby to term. In the state that she lived in abortion was illegal. She died delivering the baby. Her death could have been prevented if abortion were legal during that time. The right to have an abortion prevents stories from these from becoming someone elses reality. One more thing to consider is those persons who are victims of rape and incest. What about them? Do they not have a choice? Rape is already an emotionally traumatic experience. Should women be forced to raise the child of their rapist? A child being born to a mother who is not adequately fit to raise the child can also cause the child problems in early and later life. Studies show that the children of adolescents are more

Washington 3 likely to be born prematurely and 50% more likely to be low-birth weight babies (R. Maynard). In addition, children of adolescent mothers grow up with more health problems than children of mothers who are twenty and above. Surveys of parents reports on their children have shown that 38% of children born to adolescent mothers had excellent health, as compared to 60% for children born to mothers over twenty. (R. Maynard). Of all ages, children born to young mothers are at the greatest risk for being the victims of child abuse or neglect, including foster care. These children do not choose this, and it is not their fault. On average most children born of the result of an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy grow up in unstable conditions. Those said children also often grow up in mother-only families, who due to lack of support can only afford to raise them in poor neighborhoods, and under the most poverty stricken of conditions. It is not fair for a mother to be forced to raise a child whom she cannot support. Imagine how the mother feels when she cannot feed her child, or buy them the necessary things they need such as socks or underwear. Imagine how the child feels growing up with barely what they need to survive, knowing all too well the pains of hunger and knowing there is nothing to eat nor will there be later. Mothers without adequate means to support a child should have the option to abort. Abortion is an important option for all mothers to have the ability to exercise at their own will. The people that are against abortion have the choice to not abort; hence the category pro-choice not pro-abortion. Those who differ in religious and moral beliefs should have the freedom to practice what they think is right and moral. If a mother feels that it is harmful to her health mentally or physically, the babies health, or that by carrying the pregnancy that the child would have to grow up in poor conditions; she should have the choice to do what she wants with her baby. It is not fair for anyone to tell a woman what to do with what is rightfully hers.

Washington 4 Works Cited George, R. M., & Lee, B.J. (1997). Abuse and neglect of the children. In R. Maynard (Ed.), Kids having kids (pp.205-230). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press Moore, K.A., Morrison, D.R., & Greene, A.D. (1997). Effects on the children born to adolescent mothers. In R. Maynard (Ed.), Kids having kids (pp.145-180). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press Wolfe, B., & Peroze, M. (1997). Teen childrens health care and health use. In R. Maynard (Ed.), Kids having kids (pp.181-204). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press http://www.cpeip.fsu.edu/resourceFiles/resourceFile_78.pdf http://www.prochoiceohio.org/issues/factsheets/200403243.shtml