Abortion is ethical within a timeframe
While at conception, the embryo does not possess all the rights of a person, over the course of the pregnancy it will acquire those rights. Therefore, abortion is only ethical prior to the fetus becoming a person with rights.
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The Argument
Restrictions and bans on abortion differ throughout areas of the world. In areas where abortions are legal, it can be hard to find a doctor or nurse who will give an abortion after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, also known as the first trimester.
[1]After those first 12 weeks, abortions will only be carried out if the mother is experiencing a serious or life-threatening health risk, such as high blood pressure or infections.
[2]
Abortions should only be carried out during the first trimester, and the first reason for this is safely, since having an abortion after the first 12-14 weeks increases the risk of complications. These complications include heavy bleeding, damage to the womb, or infection.
The second reason is the moral issue of whether or not an unborn baby is considered a human being with the right to life. During the first trimester, the baby is still considered an embryo. During week 11 of pregnancy, the baby develops from an embryo to a fetus.
[3]For many, a fetus is considered a legitimate human being, making abortion unethical after this developmental stage. Others will say that having an abortion after six weeks is immoral, since this is the stage where the baby (or embryo) develops a heartbeat, which many consider the first sign of human life.
While the time frame of when abortion is considered unethical varies, twelve weeks is the most commonly used time frame as to how late a woman can get an abortion. While health risks are a major factor for what makes abortion unethical after a certain period of time, the argument as to when an unborn baby is considered a human being with human rights is also a leading factor in this discussion.
Counter arguments
Abortion should not be considered unethical during any stage of pregnancy. For many women, their menstrual cycles are irregular, causing them to not realize how far along they may be in their pregnancy. Women often don't find out they are pregnant until much later in their pregnancy, even after the first trimester. All pregnancies are different, and some women won't experience any pregnancy symptoms until much later. The common 12 week cut-off for when an abortion can be carried out is too short of a time frame, since a woman doesn't always know until it is considered “too late”.
Women get abortions for many different reasons. These reasons include rape or incest, making it unethical for the woman to be forced to have a baby she does not want, or one that was conceived under traumatic experiences. Another factor can be financial issues. Abortions are not free, and there are instances where a woman cannot always meet the cost of having an abortion right away. Whatever the reason may be, a woman has a right to chose whether or not she wants to have a baby, and should be able to get an abortion at any stage in the pregnancy.