Pro-Choice or Pro-Life

This is a prevalent argument that many conservatives and liberals have. The most common statement I see pro-life individuals say is mainly for religious purposes. If your religion tells you to not have an abortion, then you should 100% not have an abortion. The fact is that we should not be mixing politics and religion. We live in a country where religion and politics are simply separate. Ultimately, the choice to have an abortion or not have an abortion is up to the woman. Her body is her choice. That is not a flawed statement. Pro-life individuals argue that a fetus is actually an innocent life form that deserves a chance at life, but they often support the death penalty. This is a flawed argument. If you choose to believe that life is so valuable, then why keep the death penalty? Furthermore, that's not to say that pro-choice individuals do not value human life. They most definitely love human life, and most importantly, the mother's choice and choice are the most valuable to them.

Yet again, the pro-life argument continues with their statement to support the death penalty asking the question, "what crime did the baby commit?" This sparks another debate about whether the embryo/fetus should be considered a "baby." Doctor Maureen Condic states that a lifeform does start as soon as the embryo is formed, but this is an objective opinion based on how one looks at the biological definitions. Calling it a full-blown baby is a stretch. A correct term would be a zygote (which is formed from a human embryo), something that "produces increasingly complex tissues, structures, and organs that work together in a coordinated way" (Condic, 2014). Human embryos and human cells are two different terms. The human cells can in no way on their own "produce the kind.

Of coordinated interactions necessary for building a fully integrated human body" (Condic, 2014). In other words, calling an embryo a clump of cells is not biologically correct. Although, it cannot be called an organism, a living being, because it is only part of a human. This embryo cannot sustain life on its own. In the end, this is a perspective issue if abortion is just for you personally. Most pro-choice individuals state that a woman has a right to an abortion because it is their body, and what they choose to put themselves through is their choice.

Another argument many pro-life individuals have is the ethical issue of having an abortion for them. They often post horrible images of the baby's limbs being torn apart and the stress the mother has to go through. This is not the case; 80% of abortions happen during the first trimester, before the 13th week of gestation. The most the embryo has grown at this point is the size of a plum. In 2017, 39% of abortions were medical abortions, most commonly known as the abortion pill. This percentage of medical abortions has been growing throughout the years. The rate of abortions reported as early medical abortions increased by 113% from 2007 to 2016, with a 14% increase from 2015 to 2016 (CDC). Since 1973, the proportion of abortions performed after the first semester has decreased as safe abortions have become more available to women. Pro-life supporters often point out that women might regret their decision to have an abortion. The research study "Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States: A Longitudinal Study" stated differently. In fact, the study shows that over 99% of women believe they have made the correct decision to get an abortion.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that many pro-choice supporters would not get an abortion for themselves. These individuals do believe that a woman's choice is something that should be valued as it is her body that is capable of bearing a child. For many pro-life individuals, I wonder why abortion is such a massive issue because the government is not forcing individuals to get abortions. This is a

A choice that is available to other women. I leave you with this final thought: why do we often control women and their bodies differently. A man can simply walk away from pregnancy for 9 months or even the first few years of the child's life and still return to be a good father. Often a mother is left with the child and has to bear him or her for 9 months. Their bodies undergo a tremendous change, and they should be able to choose if they want to go through this change. That is all anyone asks for, simply a choice.
 
Resources

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279965687_Decision_Rightness_and_Emotional_Responses_to_Abortion_in_the_United_States_A_Longitudinal_Study

https://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/5113/9611/5527/Abortion_After_first_trimester.pdf

https://s27589.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/On-Point-Scientific-View-of-When-Life-Begins-Condic-2014.pdf

https://bdfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/wi_whitepaper_life_print.pdf

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/poll-pro-choice-support-increases-840698/

http://www.bcgavel.com/2019/04/01/anti-abortion-is-anti-feminist/

http://apushwithmaria.blogspot.com/2010/08/great-awakening-separation-of-church.html