Abortion Rights

Abortion is an extremely controversial issue and can cause strong arguments for either side. Those who oppose abortion believe that pregnant women are playing god and are committing murder. The people who agree with abortion believe that pregnant women have the right to choose if she wants to have the baby or not. Women have the undeniable right to decide the fate of their unborn child. However, laws have made it harder for women to enact these rights because of personal beliefs.

Pregnancy is a huge moment in a woman’s life. She is creating another life, which brings her as well as the family a lot of joy. However, a large percentage of pregnant women are not able to take care of their future child. This causes other options being discussed and abortion is considered greatly as a primary option. Guttmacher, a center in research states, “75% of abortion patients in 2014 were poor or low-income. Twenty-six percent of patients had incomes of 100–199% of the federal poverty level, and 49% had incomes of less than 100% of the federal poverty level ($15,730 for a family of two).” ¾ of the women getting abortions are not able to support themselves let alone another life. This shows that there is a valid reason for pregnant women to have abortions.

There are many laws that restrict groups of people. Laws can be unfair and even times contradicting. The government has decided to have a say in the medical rights of specifically pregnant women. In 2007 there was a first ever law that banned abortions. This allowed politicians to interfere with the health decisions of women and families. The abortion ban criminalizes abortion that is in the second trimester of pregnancy. This ban restricts women the right to their own health decisions. No one should be able to tell someone what they can and cannot do with their own health. A lot of times abortions are recommended from doctors due to the safety to the carrier. There are many complications that can occur during a pregnancy that can lead to having an abortion. Since 1976 there has been a Hyde Amendment. “The Hyde Amendment has blocked federal Medicaid funding for abortion services (since 1994, there have been  three extremely narrow exceptions: when continuing the pregnancy will endanger the woman’s life, or when the pregnancy results from rape or incest). This means Medicaid cannot cover abortion even when a woman’s health is at risk and her doctor recommends she get an abortion.” (plannedparenthoodaction.org). This is an unfair Amendment. Every pregnant woman should be able to get the help coverage they need no matter what for an abortion procedure. As stated before most women who become pregnant are not able to financially take care of their child, which means there is no way they would have the money to pay for a very expensive procedure. This law was not created for the benefit of pregnant women, but to satisfy biased opinions from lawmakers. This shows how much rights can be violated and stripped away from contradicting laws.

Pregnant women should have the right to make decisions about their health as well as their unborn children. Unfortunately laws make it extremely hard for women to have abortions due to their biased opinions about the situation. Not wanting pregnant women to play God by aborting their unborn children, the government has decided to play oppressor in retaliation.

Works Cited

Parenthood, Planned. "Hyde Amendment." Planned Parenthood Action Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. <https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/hyde-amendment>.

Parenthood, Planned. "Federal and State Bans and Restrictions on Abortion." Planned Parenthood Action Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. <https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/federal-and-state-bans-and-restrictions-abortion>.

"Induced Abortion in the United States." Guttmacher Institute. N.p., 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. <https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states#fn0>.

"Possible Physical Side Effects After Abortion." American Pregnancy Association. N.p., 02 Sept. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. <http://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion-side-effects/>.

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