Whether or not a woman should have access to an abortion is currently a very debated topic. Some states and countries have heavy restrictions on abortions, and others don’t allow them at all. Illegal abortions are performed constantly, with dangerous effects afterwards. A woman may want an abortion because the pregnancy could be potentially dangerous for the baby and/or the mother and she may not want to bring it to full-term. Many women aren’t financially stable enough to properly provide for a child, and making abortion an option would reduce the welfare costs to taxpayers. Women should have access to an abortion for many reasons, however this isn’t always the case.
In some cases, the reason a woman wants an abortion is because the pregnancy could have dangerous complications or be potentially life-threatening for the woman and/or the baby. The baby may also have serious complications that will render it completely dependent upon its parental figures for its entire life. Abortion gives pregnant women the option to choose not to bring fetuses with profound abnormalities to full term. In states or countries where abortions are strictly regulated or even prohibited, women will still continue to seek abortions. States such as North Dakota, Nebraska, and Indiana have imposed a six-week abortion ban. This means that women will no longer be able to receive an abortion past the six-week point in their pregnancy. If a woman were to receive an abortion in any of the twelve states that imposed this law, it is a punishable crime. Strangely enough, some women aren’t even aware of the fact that they are pregnant at six-weeks. However, abortions performed in countries where they are illegal can be very dangerous and done incorrectly. They are often performed by someone who does not possess the correct training and/or education to perform the procedure. Because women are getting unsafe and illegal abortions from untrained medical personnel, the maternal injury and death rate is very high within these countries. Having access to legal and professionally-performed abortions reduces maternal injury and death caused by risky, illicit abortions. Arguments are made that abortion can lead to future medical problems for the mother, however that is only true if it is performed incorrectly. Abortion, when performed by a professional, is as safe as receiving a vaccination while at the doctor's office. Bringing a high-risk pregnancy to full term is much more perilous than getting an abortion to terminate it. Abortion needs to be legal and safe for mothers everywhere in order to prevent future health problems because it was unsafe and performed incorrectly.
A plethora of studies have been conducted, and results have shown that women who are able to undergo an abortion are less likely to suffer mental health issues than those who are declined abortions. The mother will not have to deal with the stress and responsibility of raising a child if she is not prepared to do so. Another reason a woman would seek an abortion is because she may not be financially stable enough to properly provide for a child. Being unable to provide for the child is an immense stressor for the mother or parents of the baby. A study conducted in September of 2013 compared the mental health of women who received abortions and women who were denied abortions. The results showed that women who were unable to receive abortions felt more remorse, anger, less relief and less happiness than women that were able to receive abortions. That study also found that 95% of women felt that they made the right decision a week after the procedure. On the other hand, a woman may be told that she should take necessary precautions against an unwanted pregnancy. However, even if a woman takes the necessary precautions against an unwanted pregnancy there is a chance that they will not work correctly and a pregnancy could occur.
The choice to have an abortion can have a paramount effect on the welfare system and economy. If women don’t have a choice, it will increase the federal deficit by $225 million over the next nine years because of the increased need for Medicaid coverage. Women who seek out abortions later on in their pregnancies are frequently low-income and need more time to save up enough money to pay for the procedure. If they have other children, they are likely to need assistance from other government programs. Denying low-income women access to abortions and family planning services would mean the delivery of around 24,000 babies that they would not have otherwise had. In the state of Texas, that would cost the taxpaying residents as much as $273 million because of medical expenses and covering their infants under Medicaid. Some may argue that adoption is always an option, however the mother may not be able to afford to have the child, then put it up for adoption. If the mother cannot afford to raise the child, she cannot afford to have the child.
There are many reasons why women should have access to an abortion, yet they are still heavily restricted or prohibited in certain states and countries. The reasons abortion should be an option for women include many more than being unable or unprepared to provide for a child and the fact that illegal abortions are performed continuously. Not allowing women access to abortion takes a toll on themselves, their families, and the women’s overall health. The after-effects of making abortions illegal and denying women access to them are more substantial than allowing women to be able to get an abortion. In conclusion, abortions should be legal, safe, and accessible for women everywhere.
Works Cited:
"An Overview of Abortion Laws." Guttmacher Institute. N.p., 01 Mar. 2017. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
Covert, Bryce. "How Denying Women Access To Reproductive Choices Costs Taxpayers."ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 01 July 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Kliff, Sarah. "The abortion ban Texas is debating? It already exists in 12 other states." The Washington Post. WP Company, 01 July 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
ProCon.org. "Abortion ProCon.org." ProCon.org. 1 Feb. 2017, 12:55 p.m., abortion.procon.org/ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 01 July 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
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