Abortion Be Murder Essay

Do you consider abortion to be murder? An abortion is the intentional ending of a human pregnancy before the unborn child can live outside the womb of the mother. Abortions are usually performed during the first twenty eight weeks of pregnancy but can be performed later in cases where the mother’s life is in danger. Throughout history, different methods of abortion have been used to get rid of unwanted pregnancies. Medical abortions are when a woman takes medication early in her pregnancy to abort the baby. Surgical abortions include vacuum aspiration and Dilation and Evacuation (D&E). In vacuum aspiration, the fetus is suctioned from the womb with a vacuum device. After twelve weeks, a D&E is usually done (Abortion Risks). In a D&E, …show more content…
The risks of an abortion depend on the type of procedure and the stage of pregnancy in which it is done. There are immediate risks as well as future risks to the health of mothers having an abortion. Some of the immediate risks are infection, tearing of the uterus and cervix, blood clots, heavy bleeding or hemorrhaging, shock, anesthesia complications, and even death. In addition, they face future risks to their health. Women who have had an abortion have an increased risk for getting breast, cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer (Abortion Risks). They are also more likely to have endometritis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which increases the risk of life threatening ectopic pregnancies (Abortion Risks). Women who have multiple abortions have a much greater risk of these complications. However, with even one abortion, there is an increased risk of having difficulty having children in the future as well as increased risks in any future pregnancies. The mental effects of an abortion can be just as damaging as the physical effects. Although a woman may first feel relief after an abortion, many women have mixed feelings and soon have very emotional reactions. They may feel sad, guilty, depressed, and have a sense of emptiness. Soon after or even many years later, they may also develop Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS) (Wilke). Some of the symptoms of PAS are regret, guilt, shame, remorse, anger, nightmares, and flashbacks. These may be especially intense around the anniversary of their abortion. It could be these symptoms that lead to the behavioral changes in some women who have abortions. Some behavioral changes linked to abortion are promiscuity, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse, which in turn lead to the increased risk of other health problems. Even more serious is the increased risk of suicide. For some women, the guilt and regret never go