Abortion

Nowadays abortion is a field of war between two fighting communities. One, called “pro-choice”, promotes abortion as a natural free choice of every pregnant woman, who can independently decide if she wants to have her baby born or not. Another, called “pro-life”, believes that every tiny human being has the right to be born and live. It seems that any comprehension of these two groups is impossible, although they both declare to care of human life and women’s health.

During ages, there always were some unwanted pregnancies. Because of many circumstances women of different cultures and times were trying to hide their gravidity and kill their embryos. Some of them succeeded, some died because of the complications, some other had their babies born.

Due to development of medicine number of complications caused by abortion in Europe is constantly falling, but still there are many negative consequences. These are among others infections, hemorrhages, infertility and stillbirths in later life. There are also problems connected with mental heath named Post-Abortion Syndrome. It may include post-traumatic stress, sexual dysfunction or even severe depression leading to a suicide. Pro-life groups cite research from New Zealand proving 30% increase of mental disorder or Finnish study showing 6 times higher suicide rate among women who had decided for this procedure. In the same time pro-choice organizations declare that there is no medical prove of any mental consequences of having abortion. Both sides present different numbers and examinations to discredit opponents.

Arguing about women’s health pro-choice submits that negative consequences of abortion are much more serious in cases of illegal operations. Sterile conditions and qualified doctors support health of women and can save it when something goes wrong. In poorly developed countries abortion is numbered fourth among reasons of women’s death. Pro-life answers are the best way to protect women’s health. And what about tiny “future-women” in their mothers’ wombs? Why the pro-choice don’t care about their health?

Here we come to an essential point of this discussion. If it starts somewhere, it must be at the very beginning of human life. Pro-life activists declare that every human life needs to be protected and it doesn’t matter how old it is or if it is already born. Pro-choice always prefer quality of life of possible mother than its fetus’ life. They say it’s only “a set of cells”.

http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plik:AbortionLawsMap-NoLegend.png&filetimestamp=20101105014459

It’s interesting, that in the 21st century, when we know how to save health and life of immature babies in their mothers’ wombs, which is usually expensive, we also spend money on killing other babies in other women’s wombs. So, when does human life begin? It seems that now we are ones who decide. If a woman wants to have a baby, she calls her 2-week fetus “her baby” and has no doubt that it is a human creature. She loves it from the beginning and does her best to ensure it a good development. When a woman doesn’t want her baby to be born, she doesn’t call it “a baby”, she talks about unwanted pregnancy as a kind of disease.

http://fakty.interia.pl/fakty_dnia/news/najwczesniejszy-wczesniak-swiata,873732

If we think who are people from these two fighting groups, we may contrast feminists and Catholics. In fact it doesn’t show the whole true. There are feminists who are pro-life (check: http://www.feministsforlife.org/who/aboutus.htm) as well as antiabortionists who have different religious views. The fact is that abortion is a huge business subsidized in many countries so definitely we can call it a lobby group.

There are plenty of people somewhere in the middle of this battle of views, who are against abortion but they accept it in some conditions. Polish law is a good example of this kind of compromise. Abortion in Poland is banned except in the following three circumstances:

1. When the woman's life or health is endangered by the continuation of pregnancy,

2. When the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act, or

3. When the fetus is seriously malformed.

Actually these reasons are in minority between ones given for having abortion. These come from USA


The situation is diverse in different countries:

but still it seems that difficult reasons mentioned in Polish law are incidental.

How many pregnancies in Europe are aborted?

Well, these numbers are impressive for me. The situation in Russia or Romania looks dramatic.

Moreover, I want to show you two moving videos for your own consideration:

1. What do you think about it? Are you more pro-choice or rather pro-life?

2. When does human life begin and who should decide about it?

3. Do you accept Polish law solution in this matter?