Introduction
Abortion is one of the most sensitive topics among people across the world. In simple terms, abortion is a procedure of terminating a pregnancy using medication or surgery, either in the first trimester or further along in the pregnancy (Beckman, 2017, p. 101). Some people advocate for the practice, while others condemn the practice based on legal, ethical, social, spiritual, and healthcare implications. This paper addresses abortion as it is perceived and handled by individuals, healthcare professionals, rights activists, and the legal entities in the United States (U.S) and Globally. The selected topic is important as it touches on crucial human interest issues, which are decisions and consequences of keeping or terminating a pregnancy. This paper seeks to address the problem of high abortion rates among women and why they make that life-threatening decision. From observation, women who are not married usually opt for abortion under the claim that the pregnancy was unplanned, and thus, they are not ready to be mothers. The issue of abortion presents a dilemma in nursing as the professionals are torn between breaching the healthcare code of conduct and granting individuals their wish. Therefore, the paper narrows down to the argument that abortion has adverse legal, ethical, social, spiritual, and healthcare implications.
Background of the Topic
Existing data shows that abortion laws are not only prevalent in the U.S but across the world. In one study, the researchers established that over 30% of the world’s population is governed by strict laws that criminalize abortion (Chesney-Lind & Hadi, 2017, p. 76). The prohibition of abortion in the affected countries triggers a large scale of unsafe abortions worldwide. Such phenomena put pregnant women at severe risk, including damage to their reproductive systems or even death. The facilities that carry out such unsafe abortions also face the risk of closure and revoking operating licenses. Legal actions against such entities also put the staff members’ careers on the line. Fortunately, some countries permit the procedure in critical cases where a pregnant woman’s life is at risk. Therefore, this scholarly paper reviews the topic of abortion from a broader global perspective than focusing on the U.S alone.
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Different Perspectives on the Topic of Abortion from Underlying Literature
Legislative actions affect healthcare practices significantly. For instance, in the U.S, there is Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws that discourage healthcare providers from facilitating abortion (Austin & Harper, 2018, p. 128). TRAP laws limit the execution of abortion services by imposing costly terms for healthcare facilities. Consequently, these limitations result in a significant decrease in abortion rates at the state level. However, such laws face criticism from different parties, ranging from human rights activists and healthcare providers. The parties argue that a pregnant woman’s life is at stake in some cases, thus prompting the controversial decision to keep or terminate the pregnancy. For example, some men have been in a situation where obstetricians attending to their pregnant women tell them that either the mother or the child will succumb to delivery-related complications. The man is put in a difficult place as he has to decide whose life he would like the doctors to save. As painful as it may be, the man may choose the woman over the unborn child with the consolation that there may be another chance to sire another baby. In such a scenario, TRAP laws may be viewed as a barrier to critical care.
Abortion politics in the U.S present a two-way set of ideologies. Some people argue that women should have the liberty to decide whether to keep a pregnancy or go through abortion (Beckman, 2017, p. 103). Such proponents of abortion claim that legalizing abortion meets the social equality rights for all women. On the other hand, opponents of abortion defend their position by citing several concerns. First, there is the possibility for an increase in mortality rates among pregnant women who embrace abortion. Second, the critics of abortion associate the practice with immorality in society. Lastly, the critics view abortion as a threat to social cohesion. In Beckman’s scholarly article, the author expounds on the relationship between abortion and social cohesion. In essence, the lack of a common voice in society regarding abortion implies that people experience social disintegration at the expense of social cohesion. Therefore, the U.S population is hereby challenged to unite and join the anti-
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