Abortion: pro-choice

The right to choose abortion is fundamental to make sure a woman can decide for herself when and with whom to establish and grow a family. It is important to protect and expand such an essential fundamental human right in access to safe and quality health care. The landmark ruling in 1973 Supreme Court pronounced abortion as being a constitutional right setting the stage for the fight women’s equality and autonomy (Suarez, 2017). This topic is very important since it elicits mixed emotions; touches on the life of the mother and unborn baby. The readers have to care about this issue because since it involves basic human rights that entail access to healthcare services. The paper demonstrates and supports the importance of pro-choice about abortion, considering the health and welfare of the mother as a fundamental right.

Meaning of Pro-choice and Right of Women to Abortion

The concept of pro-choice holds that every individual has the fundamental right to decide whether and when to have children. Being pro-choice means that people can choose abortion as an option for any pregnancy that is unplanned, but this does not mean that if someone holds the pro-choice perspective, he or she will choose abortion (Suarez, 2017). Being pro-choice is allowing people to make their own conscious decision about whether to go for abortion or not. Making abortion illegal will lead to many unplanned pregnancies to be terminated in unhealthy and precarious conditions. Denying women the right to abortion pushes them to unsafe settings that are unsupervised by existing medical agencies and government agencies.

Pro-life Stand

Safe abortion can only be attained by allowing pro-choice to be the way that gives people a chance to decide their destiny. People who are against abortion are known as pro-life (Goldenberg, 2017). However, in many circumstances, pro-life proponents are only concerned with the life of the fetus. However, they are not concerned about the life of the expectant mother, the unintended pregnancies, or the wellbeing of the child after it is born (Cioffi et al., 2020). It is important to consider the circumstances that are surrounding both the woman and the child by allowing her to make decisions concerning her life. Unintended pregnancies and conception out of rape necessitate the need to allow safe abortion to happen in legalized and well-equipped medical healthcare facilities.

For a long time, the fundamental right of choosing abortion has been a subject of controversy, and pro-choice proponents have been compelled to defend it over and over since anti-choice agencies and politicians focus on undermining this right until legal abortion is abolished completely (Goldenberg, 2017). There have been many laws that have been legislated, restricting the ability of a woman to access abortion care.

The laws take many forms that include attempting to outlaw access to abortion care, shutting down clinics, restriction to access abortion based on income level as well as dictating available medical procedures. Anti-choice extremists use dirty tricks in trying to stop women from choosing abortion as an option by bringing so many hurdles and make abortion inaccessible to certain parts of the population. Restricting abortion endangers the life of the mother when they resort to looking for the same services from unqualified medical practitioners (Suarez, 2017).

Impact of Not Accessing Legal Abortion Services

When the fundamental right to abortion is endangered, the basic equality of women is denied. It is a fallacy to profess equality in society if women cannot access the basic right of making decisions for herself as well as her family. In a survey conducted in the USA, 7 out of 10 Americans are in support of the right to legal abortion (Wayne, 2016). Pro-choice proponents are trying as hard as possible to ensure that women have a right about their life and destiny (Wayne, 2016).

Despite the restrictions that are being raised by anti-choice supporters, it is important to consider the argument of pro-choice, particularly when the life of the woman is involved. The argument that women have the moral right to make decisions about their bodies is pro-choice and supports gender equality. The right to abortion promotes gender equality since it gives women the right to be autonomous and making decisions about their lives and bodies (Wayne, 2016).

The right to abortion is important for individual women to attain their full potential while making abortion illegal puts the lives of women at risk by compelling them to make use of illegal means to access abortion. The right to abortion has to make part of a portfolio of pregnancy rights enabling women to make a free choice of whether to keep the pregnancy or terminate it considering the prevailing circumstances like their health, their ability to establish and grow a family; and medical condition surrounding the unborn child (Jelinska & Yanow, 2018).

Conflicting Opinions

Some individuals hold opposing views about pro-choice. People who support pro-reproductive rights usually oppose laws banning abortion and laws that make abortion to be out of reach, such as regulations that shut down health care facilities performing an abortion or forcing patients who to go through hoops to access the healthcare service. Pro-reproductive people support accessibility to sex education, birth control, care at Planned Parenthood centers as well as other forms of reproductive and sexual health care (Jelinska & Yanow, 2018).

Access to safe abortion mitigates exposure of women to risks that are linked with illegal abortions (Suarez, 2017). Abortion-rights supporters frame their argument about reproductive freedom, individual liberty, as well as reproductive rights. Individual liberty comprised of many political movements during the 19th and 20th centuries, while reproductive rights and reproductive freedom concerns were transforming perspectives regarding sexual freedom as well as bodily integrity. The pro-choice perspective supports individual liberty and women’s liberty to make important decisions about their lives (Cioffi et al., 2020). Pro-life proponents have to consider not just the life of the baby but also the welfare of the mother and her readiness to bring forth a child. The mother has a right to make an important decision about her body.

In conclusion, Pro-choice gives women the liberty and autonomy to make important decisions about their bodies, health, and future. An advocate for gender equality cannot purport to be anti-abortion. Rights Movements in the 19th and 20th centuries advocated for individual liberty. Gender equality cannot be fully achieved when women do not have the right to make important decisions about their bodies, health, life, and future. Women have a right to choose the destiny of their lives when they get pregnant and access the option of whether to keep the pregnancy or terminate it in a safe environment. Women have the liberty of making the final decisions about their lives and whether to bring forth the child or not.