Abortion: A Problem-Solving Project

Introduction

A study noted that there can be at least 36 million cases of abortion across the world in a year, and about 10 million of those cases are illegal. In the United States alone, approximately one-third of pregnancies are terminated each year. Today’s society is eyeing abortion as a big issue of morality and choice, in fact, it has been ultimately controversial since time immemorial. At some point, this issue has formed two opposing sides: Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. Pro-Life advocates believe that abortion is murder to terminate the life of an innocent child. Pro-Choice advocates, on the other hand, believe that mothers should have the right to decide for their own bodies. A poll conducted by Pew Research Center found that at least 55% of Americans are in favor of legalizing abortions in most case scenarios, but there are reservations regarding which cases should be allowed.

Problem

The question remains the same, should abortion be known as a choice or as an act of murder? A guessing game between life and death over an innocent fetus - who technically had nothing to do with how it was conceived. Furthermore, the debate begs the question: at what point does life begin for a human?

Valued Ends

Abortion is a sensitive topic and it touches both religious and philosophical worldviews, all the while making most people believe they are entitled to their own opinion on the matter. This makes things complicated because each and every idea needs to be considered and examined thoroughly, leaving the issue of the legalization of abortion a never-ending cycle of arguments, counterarguments, and rebuttals. Ideally, women should be given the freedom to choose the way they want to live their lives, without having to compromise anything. Then again, the society we are living in has burdened everyone with heavy opinions regarding pregnancy and being a responsible parent. Furthermore, unwanted pregnancies have become much more complicated due to the lack of support for mothers since society has more regard for their opinion over the factual evidence that supports the woman’s case - be it medically or statistically.

Possible Solutions and Consequences

• Better information dissemination through government intervention to break the myths. Certainly, religious beliefs and practices shall be left untouched, however, better-informed individuals can evaluate the issue between life and choice more critically, leading to a better judgment. 
• Reservations on freedom of speech to protect women from harsh or unnecessary opinions. We get it, we are just saying what we think because we are entitled to our own opinion, and we have the right to say what we want to say, but all these comments are not really about us. There is another truth in this, everything we say cannot really help a woman facing the challenge of pregnancy, planned or not, and the last thing these women need is prejudice and judgment from the society they dwell in.
• Stricter regulations and intensive guidance for men and women. Aside from the public, the main person involved in this dilemma should be given more than enough knowledge about their situation, the options, the consequences, and the alternatives, apart from the emotional support and financial aid they deserve. Whatever the reason why the woman is thinking about getting an abortion, it must be addressed with caution and support. 

One Workable Solution

Truth be told, when it comes to debating what is right or wrong in abortion, there is no single solution that can accommodate all worldviews. It is impossible to present one sensible answer without hurting the opinion of another, but we all have to understand one thing: we have to try and see abortion with the positive results it could bring, as well as explore the alternative solutions to pregnancies that are simply accidental such as adoption and betterment of foster homes. Aside from the fact that there are laws already existing to regulate abortion, we have to accept that the negative opinions can only bring more negative impact to an already sensitive issue. For one, we must provide support to women who are considering terminating the pregnancy, especially emotionally. Another thing is to ensure that we educate our children better about contraception and the consequences of their choices through sex education. Making sex a taboo is making children ignorant and curious about the act. At some point, children have to learn about it to better inform them about what it entails and how it would affect their lives altogether. By doing so, we are giving them a chance to make informed decisions for the sake of their future. Discipline and knowledge are among the many keys to preventing the dilemma surrounding abortion. 

Action Plan

The first thing to reconsider should be the regulations and process of abortion. In cases where the child was conceived through a criminal act, the mother should be supported in all aspects and assisted throughout the process until a decision has been made – to terminate the pregnancy if the mother is psychologically and physically incapable or to allow the child to live and be adopted by another family. The next important matter is to improve the availability and affordability of contraceptives, followed by better education for young adults regarding intimacy. It is always better to implement prevention, rather than formulating last-minute solutions. Finally, we should all try to even out emotional comments regarding the issue and accept the fact that not everybody has the same perspective, respect each other’s beliefs, and put a stop to the never-ending arguing.

Conclusion

Regardless of anybody’s opinion, abortion is something we have had in our society since the 18^th century, and arguing whether it is right or wrong is like letting the issue control us, instead of us controlling the issue. It is time to take a new stance when tackling this issue. Better considerations and more extensive studies should be made in order to come up with better solutions such as laws regarding safe abortion.