Abortion and Human Rights Analysis Essay

Abortion rights are human rights, and every woman should have control over her own body. The right to a safe and legal abortion is a fundamental human right protected under numerous international and regional human rights treaties and national-level constitutions around the world. These instruments ground safe abortion in a constellation of rights, including the rights to life, liberty, privacy, equality, non-discrimination, and freedom from cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

I believe that abortion should be legalized and accepted in all countries for different reasons, such as it's cruel for raped women to go through with the pregnancy; the mother has the right to choose for herself as it is her body, not anyone else's. A woman has, undoubtedly, the freedom to procreate, but once a woman chooses to retreat from that freedom, a commotion arises. Abortion is a woman’s choice for many reasons. Firstly, some women may be victims of rape at any time. This is one of the biggest reasons why abortion is considered normal and the solution to such a problem. A lot of women have faced rape and could not accept the fact of becoming pregnant in this way. The woman may find it very hard to raise a baby born in these circumstances with no legal marriage and no father to take care of the child. The family's daughter may also become a victim as critics will increase their attacks on this girl's honor. In addition, if the woman chooses to have this child at some point in her life, it will remind her of the event when she was raped, which will bring her bad memories and create a long-lasting trauma. It’s her body; therefore, no one else can decide on said person. In other situations, the woman may have family and or financial problems that prevent her from being able to properly care for the child. Not to mention, Pregnant teen women are frequently abandoned by their boyfriends or their parents during this scary time. Sometimes it’s a shared choice between the mother and father. Parents may not be able to afford a kid, or they may be too young or even too old. Young adults in high school and college can't always keep a baby due to hospital bills, diapers, and food. all while trying to complete their education and raise a child. The many reasons that hinder a woman from wanting a child aren't anyone's business. Taking away access to safe and legal abortions only increases health implications and dangerous situations for women. More than 18% of women die from self-assisted abortions (Rachael Benson Gold, Guttmacher Institute). "In New York City, 77% of women who have attempted abortions were self-induced (Rachael Benson Gold, Guttmacher Institute). The inability to access safe and legal abortion care impacts 700 million women of reproductive age. According to the World Health Organization, 23,000 women die of unsafe abortions each year, and tens of thousands more experience significant health complications. Legal restrictions on abortion don't result in fewer abortions; instead, they compel women to risk their lives and health by seeking out unsafe abortion care. Making abortions legal made it safer and the number of deaths had declined significantly in recent years because the tools used were clean, causing less infection and women had more professional help. To sum up, abortion is a woman's private decision and should not be stopped by law.

Murder, as defined by Merriam Webster, is "the unlawful killing of a person, especially with malice aforethought." Abortion is not unlawful and therefore does not count as murder. Furthermore, the egg does not become fertilized until the third week and does not have a heartbeat until four to seven weeks. This indicates that the basic traits of existence do not show instantly, and the values that truly do make one human do not appear until after the child is born. Consciousness plays a key role here; language, intelligence, foresight, mind-Reading, culture, and morality are all factors that contribute to making a human a human—all of which are not present in a fertilized egg. An argument that is often made is that a fetus is already a human being. The pro-life stance often points to religion-based arguments that life in the womb is life. Even if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, killing it is not an option because it is close to killing a human that caused emotional pain. Pro-life activists frequently remind the public that the desire to have an abortion represents a loss of human values and emotional deterioration. Even if this is true, what about situations in which the fetus poses a threat to the mother's life and abortion can save the latter's life since she is unable to bore and give birth for medical reasons? Another argument made by pro-life supporters is that abortion can cause psychological and health issues later in life. It is possible for a mother who lost their child to develop psychological issues later in life, but none have been linked to abortions. According to studies, women who have had abortions feel they made the right decision, whereas those who have been denied abortions feel resentment. When parents do not want the child, neglect and abuse are more likely to follow (Kurzmam).

In conclusion, the decision to terminate a pregnancy should generally lie with pregnant women. It is a private decision that should not be interfered with. Women should be able to determine when to have a child. If she deems it is not yet time, she should be allowed to abort. A woman kills nobody by aborting, but rather prevents the fetus from being able to survive outside the womb. The reason for aborting should not be questioned, whether medical, involving incest or rape, or just personal. Whatever reason it might be, it falls within the right of a woman to determine and control her productive life.