Overtime, the topic of abortion has become one of the most controversial debates in history. As modern technology continues to advance, it appears that abortions are becoming more and more common. Although most individuals can agree that the main argument is pro-life or pro-choice, the question remains on whether or not that should be the ultimate focus. Instead, why not conclude that a vast majority of abortions have been the result of fear and lack of knowledge on other options? Although women are slightly informed of what an abortion consists of, as well as side effects such as depression, they are not told that they are not alone, offered a helping hand to lead them another way, or shown what state of mind the decision of abortion could lead them directly into. If women were required to attend and complete an informative course on not only the physical, but also the negative emotional and psychological impact of abortion before being able to have one, less abortions may occur, therefore saving many unborn children's lives. Before choosing abortion, women should be informed not only of the pro-life versus pro-choice controversy, but also the negative impact the decision of abortion could have on their life.

Pro-choice is the idea that it is a woman's choice to have an abortion or not, regardless of the circumstances. The pro-choice argument is often thought of as the pro-abortion side of the debate; however, those who stand with pro-choice disagree entirely. Bertha Manninen, the author of "Pro-Life, Pro-choice: Shared Values in the Abortion Debate", makes it clear that just because an individual claims pro-choice, does not mean that they agree with pro-abortion. She emphasizes that there is a fine line between agreeing with a choice and pursuing a decision. This, she claims, is one of the biggest issues with the abortion debate (Manninen 90). This is often questionable as people become confused as to why they believe a woman should have the choice to abort, but do not claim that they agree with abortion. On the other hand, Katha Pollitt, author of the academic article "Reclaiming Abortion Rights", states that the political hindrance on abortion, as well as stigma, is instead the largest issue at hand. Politically, society looks down upon women who take the matter of abortion into their own hands, as well as their unborn child's. Women do not feel able to share their thoughts or concerns, as well as individual experiences, without the judgement of others (Pillot 77). The author of the article "It's Time for the Pro-Choice Community to Embrace the Word Abortion", Jessica Arons, questions why this still even remains an issue. "Abortion is a difficult and challenging subject but it is a critical piece of the story of women's advancement and it should not be overlooked or censored" she claims. She is confused as to why people still debate whether or not abortion should be legal, when it was declared that way decades ago. She continues by adding that Roe v. Wade occurred roughly 40 years ago, therefore women should no longer be hesitant when choosing abortion (Arons). However, it is not always that a woman is afraid to have one, as it is also the fear of what society will think. Aspen Baker, a speaker for the Ted Talk video "A Better Way to Talk about Abortion" works to spread awareness about the voice of women dealing with abortion. After having one herself, she believes that the best attempt to take on the topic of abortion in "pro-voice", allowing women to speak freely without fear of denial. She dislikes the idea that individuals must place themselves in either pro-life or pro-choice, as if they have no ther opinion on the topic. "We didn't think it was right to tell women to pick a side. We wanted to show them that the whole world was on their side" she states (Baker). She also makes the claim, "The dialogue around abortion in the United States has left little room for anything beyond pro-life and pro-choice. It's political and polarizing" (Baker). Although this theory makes sense, it also displays what the main idea behind pro-choice appears to be. Individuals claim pro-choice, while also claiming that they should be free of judgment. The fear of what others might think seems to be the biggest reason why many women choose not to have an abortion, therefore questioning the real intentions behind why they were contemplating it in the first place. It's hard to believe that some women contemplate aborting their own child, but instead choose not to because they are self-conscious. Therefore, often times, in turn they feel guilty. 

On the other hand, is the idea of pro-life, which declares that women should not have the choice to abort their unborn child, as it is a human being. Most often, pro-life is strongly associated with the Church and religion of some sort. Also, those who choose to proclaim that they are pro-life, typically back their points up with the idea of morality. Ziad Munson, author of the article "The Making of Pro-Life Activists", attempts to link religious beliefs with the pro-life worldview. He finds that every time he questions someone on why he or she claims pro-life, their answer is most always religious based. He states, "This pro-life worldview often, although not universally, includes a strong commitment to religious faith" (Munson 7). He continues on by stating, " ... real action often precedes meaningful belief about an issue" (Munson 20). Another point made by pro-life is the idea of the worth of a fetus and the morals behind the decision one chooses. In a video by PragerU, a network for informing people on major controversial topics, titled "The Most Important Question about Abortion", it emphasizes the question of why women have the right to dictate the worth of their fetus. He suggests that women often do not consider the life of their unborn child, and instead, only consider it a "fetus". It also argues that society has turned the entire discussion towards legality, when the real issue is morality ("The Most Important Question"). In the article "Why I Am Pro-Life" by Thomas Friedman, he shuts down the idea previously made by Katha Pollitt and Aspen Baker, claiming that one's choice of political party does not define whether they are pro-life or pro-choice. People often assume that Republican is linked with pro-life, while Democrat is linked with pro-choice. Although this may seem like an accurate representation, it cannot be deemed completely true, therefore should not be considered a valid argument. He continues by claiming, ""Pro-Life" can only mean one thing: "respect for the sanctity of life"" (Friedman). While Pro-life fights for the sake of the unborn child, pro-choice argues for the sake of the woman. Katelyn Beaty, author of "The Power of Pro-Life Women", makes the claim that society has come up with a false dichotomy towards pro-life, often taking ideas and twisting them to try to prove their own point. She states that individuals often make the claim, "If you care about women, you will support their right to choose abortion. You are either for women's well-being and empowerment, or you are pro-life" (Beaty 26). This often infuriates those who side with pro-life, as they could claim the same argument, except focusing on the unborn child. Suggestions like such are often the reason why some women choose abortion, while bashing those in favor of pro-life. Some who side with pro-life suggest that the Church is not doing their job. "Pro-Life is More than Anti-Abortion", a magazine article written by Haley Henderson and Stephen Boyd, believes that the attitude Christians have towards abortion, as well as those who have had them, is only increasing the amount of individuals who choose pro-choice. People, as well as Christians, often frown upon those who have had abortions, singling them out, therefore pushing them away from the Church all together. They claim that it is the Church's job to reach out and help those contemplating abortion, not judge them (Boyd and Henderson). The Church does not intend to voice its opinion on those who are contemplating or have had an abortion, but instead aims to aid the broken, hoping to encourage individual's to make the decision against abortion. This can often come off as judgmental, leading individuals in the opposite direction. Also, the Church attempts to prove that abortion is considered murder, as it is the killing of a living soul. The biggest question those who are pro-life often use to base their argument off of is why, if a pregnant woman is killed, it is considered a double homicide, but if a woman aborts a baby, it is not considered murder in any form. People often have a hard time combatting the idea of murder. 

Society wants the community to think that the majority would choose pro-choice over pro-life; however, that is not the case. Steven Ertlet, the author of "Roe at 40: Polling Shows Americans Are Pro-Life on Abortion", declared that pro-life was actually voted on over pro-choice, shocking many Americans from what they had prior believed. He claims that the media played a big role in the convincing of pro-choice being the leading vote, while the polls proved otherwise (Ertlet). The media attempted promoting abortion rights, while signaling out those against it. Many believe that the entire abortion controversy has gotten much worse since abortion was declared legal, splitting society against each other now more than ever, claiming The Economist in "The War that Never Ends" (The Economist). Author of the article "Are Most Americans Really Pro-Life", Jessica Valenti attempts to explain that none of the polls are an accurate representation of society's beliefs and thoughts toward abortion. The polls were taken from people who offered up their opinion, therefore wanting to make a point. She suggests that all people do not exactly agree with pro-choice, though statistical results may seem that way (Valenti). In society, it appears that those who disagree with abortion are the minority, singling themselves out, standing outside of abortion clinics, attempting to scare people away. The vast majority of individuals disagree with pro-choice, while not wanting to be associated with the standout rioters.

"Education for Choice", a website discussing how young women can be better informed of their choice on abortion states, "The government guidance on teaching abortion says that abortion should not be taught simply as a matter of right or wrong, because of the complicated nature of unplanned pregnancy. This can mean for example, that debates are not always the most helpful way of learning about the issue" ("Education for Choice"). This quote can be easily questioned, as it only applies to the assumption that a young woman is going to choose abortion, since she is not told or encouraged otherwise. Women should be informed of the debate, as it will allow them to see both sides of the spectrum, instead of being told what they "can" do if they were unsure.

Pam Tebow, mother of the famous NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow, told the story of her experience with the issue of abortion, while speaking at the Carolina Pregnancy Center fundraiser in 2011, after filming a commercial with Tim that aired during the super bowl. "Twenty-four years ago, a doctor told me that if I did not have an abortion, I could die," Pam stated. "But me and my husband trusted in God and went against the doctor. God spared the life of me and my son" (Thomasos). Pam Tebow is a perfect example of a woman who chose against what society had spoken, and listened to what she felt was right. She continues to share her story with young women, hoping to have an impact on individual's lives, while already having saved so many (Thomasos).

As a Christian, I side with pro-life; however, I am aware that abortions will continue to occur regardless of what some may think regarding the issue. Although I cannot relate personally, I know that many women regret their decision to have an abortion and will live with the sadness and remembrance for the rest of their lives. I believe that the morality side of the pro-life argument plays the biggest role, as that is where one would find guilt. Morality is not just linked with religion, but instead a constant reminder of what the best decision truly is. As a result, I believe that the best option for the abortion issue is an informative course that allows women a chance to see exactly what they're getting themselves into, while also being offered an aid and other opposing options, such as adoption. Although this will not stop all, it may change the minds of a few.

As of right now, abortion is legal and there is a slim chance that it will ever be deemed illegal, but society should continue to work towards strongly informing young women of the effects of their decisions. Although the debate of abortion will continue to be thrown around in political debates, speeches and every day conversations, allowing a woman to be of full knowledge of the emotional and psychological impact she will endure is only fair. If a woman is going to make the choice of abortion, she needs to know exactly what will emotionally come with it. By forcing women to complete an informative course on the negative effects of post abortion, many women will change their minds, which will lead to the saving of many lives.

