Briana Priolo

Bioethics Report
Research Question: To what extent are abortions an ethical method of discontinuing the growth
of an unborn baby?

There is a large amount of controversy when discussing the ethics of abortions and if they should
be allowed in certain countries. There are many factors which decide how ethical discontinuing
the growth of an embryo: religion, law, morals, or even the circumstance and situation.Whenever
dealing with a case involving ethics, it is important to understand exactly what the procedure is;
how effective it is, how it is completed, etc. to be able to make the judgement of how ethical it is.

An abortion by dictionary definition is “the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most

often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.” The whole process is very invasive.
The procedure begins by applying a local anaesthetic or numbing agent in order to minimize the
pain during the procedure. A clamp is then put in place to hold your cervix in place while they
insert absorbent rods of different sizes to artificially dilate the cervix. Once the cervix is wide
enough, a suction device is placed inside the uterus to remove the fetus and placenta. Simply
looking at the surgery, this already raises some questions of how morally correct it is to take
away a potential life by, in simple terms, vacuuming it away. Along with the procedure, there are
health risks that come with it. Simple effects include sweating, cramping, nausea, or fainting but
there are also more serious effects such as damage to cervix, blood clots, and perforation of the
uterus. You are also more prone to infections.

There are also other ways to have this procedure done, like the abortion pill. This pill blocks off
progesterone, which is needed for the normal growth of a baby. You may experience nausea or
bleeding just by taking the pill but usually your doctor or nurse will give you misoprostol which
is taken 6-48 hours after your first pill which will cause cramping and bleeding which is the
death of the fetus. It usually occurs within 1-4 hours of taking misoprostol. Antibiotics will be
given to avoid infection. This process can last for 1-2 days. This process is less invasive but
involves you personally dealing with the death of the fetus rather than the fetus being removed.

Both procedures are scientifically effective. The procedure involves technology which allows
them to reach the inside of your uterus in order to suction the fetus and placenta out to
discontinue the pregnancy. The abortion pill is also very effective. It uses the science of the
development of a fetus in order to determine what to put inside of the pill to discontinue
pregnancy. The combination of both medications non surgically allows you to end the growth of
the fetus. In terms of statistics, those who are 8 weeks pregnant, the pill is 98 out of 100 times
effective, from 8-9 weeks, 96 out of 100 times effective, and 9-10 weeks, 93 out of 100 times
effective. The procedure is very effective if you are within 28 weeks of your pregnancy.

There are many factors that determine how ethical it is to get an abortion which makes it very
hard to finalize laws based on them. Firstly, religion is a major factor. When looking at
catholicism as an example, it is frowned upon to get an abortion as it is looked upon as murder
by God in the Bible. In that religion, it is looked at as unethical and morally incorrect. Simply
looking at morals, it is difficult for some people to think an abortion is an ethical decision as it is
the termination of a life. The fetus or embryo is not legally a person, therefore it cannot think or
make decisions for itself. Despite this fact, people still have a difficult time determining if it is
still correct as you are removing a potential life without giving it the opportunity to have a life.
In some countries, they have made abortions illegal, therefore people have to leave their country
in order to have this procedure done if desired. It is difficult to make certain laws as abortions are
mainly determined based on the situation and circumstances. In cases such as incest or rape, it is
understandable one would not want to carry the child of someone who has sexually assaulted
them or if a family member has committed incest.

It is also important to look at the situation of a birth defect. There are certain tests that can be
done in order to determine if your child will be born with a disability. In some situations, one
would not want to bring a disabled child into the world for many reasons, one could be that,
depending on the disability, the child could be born with a lifelong struggle of pain and suffering.
One would not want to bring a baby into the world where they would not have an enjoyable life.
This is also an important factor.

In terms of my own opinion, I feel that abortions should be legal. In order to eliminate all
complicate decisions and by having the choice to abort allows individuals the freedom to make a
decision based on what is occurring in their specific situation. This could lead to issues as some
people might be discontinuing a life just because they do not want a child, but that is a personal
decision and they should have the right to their own privacy based on the circumstances. I don't
think we should have a say on how someone decides this for themselves. It is a personal choice,
one that can be complicated and if it is legal then those struggling with this decision can act
within the law rather than against it.

Some might argue that legalizing abortions could have economic gains. The drive for abortions
to be allowed is not based off of the economy but if they were legal, there would be an added
benefit. An abortion pill (medication abortion) can cost from $300 - $800. This is due to the lab
work, types of testing, region of country, and office visit. A surgical abortion (aspiration
abortion) costs around $300 - $950. If the need for abortions increases, the economy would
benefit as both types can be expensive.

In conclusion I believe that there are pros and cons to this argument. There are circumstances
that can justify the choice to abort and situations that cannot be argued. We live in a free country,
therefor the choice should be given to the individual being faced with the decision without
worrying about the legal aspect.

Bibliography:

French Source
Durand, G., & La Voix de l'Est. (2010, May 20). Avortement: éthique et politique. Retrieved
April 16, 2018, from https://www.lavoixdelest.ca/opinions/collaborateurs/avortement-ethique-et-
politique-1945ce2bb3584b95bd4525c67e0742ef
English Sources
Surgical Abortion Procedures: Types, Side Effects and Risks. (2017, January 26). Retrieved
April 16, 2018, from http://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/surgical-abortions/

Parenthood, P. (n.d.). How Does the Abortion Pill Work & What Should I Expect? Retrieved
April 16, 2018, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill/what-
can-i-expect-if-i-take-abortion-pill

Abortion debate. (2018, April 10). Retrieved April 16, 2018, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_debate

Early Abortion Options. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2018, from

https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/health-info/early-abortion-options/