Abortion is the act of ending a woman’s pregnancy. The legalization of this act has been debated for many years, but on January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court made its final decision in the Roe v. Wade trial. Their decision was to legalize abortion, which was previously known as a crime to perform unless a woman’s life was at stake. In this case Jane Roe, an unmarried woman, wanted to legally end her pregnancy. The court recognized that the constitutional right to privacy is “broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy” (Roe V. Wade). They also included that states could regulate abortion procedures in the interest of a woman's health or in protecting a potential human life starting at the end of the pregnancy's first trimester. Although the court established a trimester system defining parameters within which states could limit abortion, states were not allowed to refuse abortion at any time during pregnancy. The restrictions that states could apply after the first trimester were licensing of doctors and health facilities, health codes and more. Although the outcome of the Roe v. Wade trial made it seem possible for a state to outlaw late-term abortions, it is not the case. The same day as Roe, another case, Doe v. Bolton, defined "health of the mother" to include all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age. Because the court defined health so loosely, a woman can have an abortion for any reason and at any time during her pregnancy. Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton supersede all state laws, allowing a woman to legally obtain an abortion for any reason throughout all nine months. Immediately after the decision, anti-abortion forces became politically active and dedicated to trying to reverse the Roe. vs Wade decision. The anti-abortion forces included Christian religious groups who considered all procedures of abortion morally evil. The anti-abortion movement, also known as the pro-life movement, argues that a human life begins at conception and that the human fetus is a person and therefore has a right to life. On the other side of the debate the pro-choice movement argues that a woman is the only person with a right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Both sides rely on legal, scientific, and human rights ideals to support their arguments. Although the pro-life movement has made many attempts to reverse the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, abortion should remain a legal option for women because women should not be told what to do with their bodies, every child should feel wanted, illegal abortions result in far more fatalities, many foster homes and orphanages are beyond capacity, but most importantly, there is no conclusive evidence or argument that a fetus is equal to a human being and therefore, has equal rights. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights" (General Assembly resolution 217 A). Every person has an inherent and undeniable right over their own bodies, and as such, it is their choice to do with it as they please. A woman’s body belongs to herself, and she should be free to do what she deems necessary for her body and overall health in any situation. People tend to disregard the fact that women are putting their lives at risk when they give birth, therefore women should be able to choose if they want to risk their lives during pregnancy. Women should not have to answer to anyone; not the church, not the state or even to doctors for their decision. Hospitals do not tell patients what to do with their bodies or act without their consent; doctors suggest courses of action based on medical practice and inform patients of the consequences of each. Schools do not tell students what to study, but they provide a foundational base of learning to equip students with the tools in their desired profession. These prove that our society operates on the foundation of natural human rights. A woman’s right to choose to terminate her pregnancy can be compared to her right to choose what school to go to, what profession she wants to pursue, and what opinions she wants to express. It is a women’s natural right regardless if anyone approves or disapproves her decision. Pregnancy and child birth is a physical ordeal that can have a lifelong impact on a woman's mental and physical health and well-being. In addition, the decision to raise a child has tremendous personal, professional, and financial repercussions. While it takes two to produce a baby, all too often in the case of an unplanned pregnancy it is the woman who is left to cope alone. If a woman undergoes a process that affects her physical and mental well-being as well as her financial and professional future, then she should be able to make the decision herself. If abortion was illegal, women would not only be forced to continue a pregnancy to birth, but also expected by society to support and look after the resulting child for many years to come. It is unethical to ban abortion because doing so denies freedom of choice to women and forces “the unwilling to bear the unwanted” (Roe V. Wade). Ultimately, decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or raise a child must be left to a woman, her family, and her faith, with the counsel of her doctor or healthcare providers without the interference of politicians. Additionally, the status of a fetus is a matter of subjective opinion, and the only opinion that counts is that of the pregnant woman.

The main argument of the pro-life movement is that a human zygote, embryo, or fetus is a human being with a right to life, and abortion is therefore murder and should be illegal. Their claim is completely flawed because there is no scientific or legal evidence that a fetus/zygote/embryo equates a living human being, therefore being incapable of having a right to their “bodies.” A fetus is defined as “an unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception” (Merriam-Webster). Two-thirds of abortion occur before the 8 week of abortion and 89 percent occur before the 12th week of abortion. Abortions after the 12th week are extremely uncommon and only occur if there is an absolute life threatening condition of the mother. (Gutmatcher.org).  Before the 6 to 8 week mark, the organism is a zygote, then an embryo until it has developed into a fetus. A zygote is defined as “a fertilized egg which is formed when the sperm and egg are fused together” The zygote goes through several cycles of division in order to form an embryo, which further develops into a fetus. Don Smith argues that, “there are clear differences between early term embryos and late term fetuses. Specifically, a fertilized egg has no nervous system and hence no consciousness. The nervous system develops gradually, over many months, and along with it consciousness develops gradually too. Until there is significant brain development, there is "nobody home": no consciousness is being destroyed.” (Smith, Don) Once the embryo develops into a fetus, it still does not have the ability to breathe or make sounds. Additionally, it does not have a fully developed brain, body, skeleton or internal organs; in fact, a fetus is practically indistinguishable in appearance from a dog or horse fetus. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that that there is "no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain" (Mary Wisniewski). Considering that the early fetus does not even look recognizably human, it cannot engage in normal human perception or thought, and does not have the most basic human body functions, therefore it cannot be defined as a human being. Human being is defined as “A man, woman, or child of the species "Homo sapiens”, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance” (Merriam-Webster). The US constitution states that humans get a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Roe v. Wade points out that, "the word 'person,' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment [of the US Constitution], does not include the unborn." (Roe. V. Wade).  A fetus requires the mother’s body and physical resources to survive; it is not self-sustainable and has no consciousness or capabilities of basic body functions. Therefore, according to the Merriam-Webster definition and the US Constitution, a fetus cannot be considered a human being with a right to life. Furthermore, abortion cannot be defined as an act of murder.  

In cases of rape or incest, the resulting baby could be a constant reminder to the woman of the trauma she experienced. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), “someone is sexually assaulted approximately every 2 minutes in the United States totaling more than 200,000 sexual assaults per year.” Women have a 5 percent chance of getting pregnant from one-time unprotected sexual intercourse. In addition, according to RAINN, “sexual assault victims are three times more likely to suffer from depression, 26 times more likely to abuse alcohol, and four times more likely to contemplate suicide.” Even if that woman is able to have an abortion, it will not erase the memory of what happened but lawmakers should give women that option if they are the victim of rape, incest, or if the woman’s life is in jeopardy. Sarah, a pregnant rape victim, shares that, “Being so out of control of my body again, it made me remember everything. Then I started seeing his face throughout the labor; it pushed me over the edge” (Pavan Amara). The last thing these victims need is a reminder that they are forced to carry for nine months against their wills and then give birth. Research also suggests that the babies of such cases face a higher risk of neglect or abuse from their mothers for various reasons.

 Unwanted children are a problem for families and society. Every child born should come into the world wanted, loved, and cared for financially. Planned children often have better life prospects because caregivers are better prepared to support the child physically, emotionally, and financially. If a child is born unwanted by their parents, that child might be neglected and suffer in life. Unwanted children are at increased risk of juvenile delinquency. One study from Washington State found that teenagers who were born unwanted had an 11-fold higher risk of becoming chronic juvenile delinquents than did other children. Other studies have found the combination of a complicated birth and maternal rejection to be associated with juvenile crime.  (PubMed.gov).

 Motherhood must never be a punishment for having sexual intercourse. For many women, an unplanned pregnancy can be emotionally draining. Worries of being an unfit mother, financially or emotionally, or of having to leave work to take care of a new life, are common concerns that many pregnant women face. When women get abortions, the majority of the time it is because they are young and are unable to raise a child. They have other responsibilities such as their education, a career, or maybe they are not in a financial situation where they can take care of a child. A 2005 survey from Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health asks women why they had an abortion and the survey “found that 73% of participants said they could not afford to have a baby, and 38% claimed giving birth would interfere with their education and career goals” (Lawrence B. Finer). Unwanted pregnancy can often greatly hinder a woman's ability to finish school, remain working, or support herself financially. Education and job rights are strongly protected by the Constitution, and in order to take advantage of these opportunities, women must be able to control their reproduction. In a Los Angeles Times article Paula Newhorn, a pro-choice feminist, points out that legal abortion free women from the responsibilities of childcare which allows women to enter the workforce more freely. Women are now able to feel equal to men when applying for a job because “employers can no longer argue that a married woman will probably have a baby at some point, or that a single woman will someday snare a husband and get pregnant [because] if contraceptives fail her, the female employee may now remedy the situation safely, inexpensively, without guilt or shame.” (Newhorn, Paula). Not only does it help women, but it also relieves men of the economic responsibility of parenthood in the face of unplanned pregnancy which ultimately helps improve the lives of the rest of the family. 

Prohibiting abortions would not stop abortions, women would simply seek abortions through means which are unsafe and illegal, therefore it is better to provide women access to safe and legal ways to have an abortion. Access to professionally-performed abortions reduces injury and death caused by unsafe, illegal abortions. Historically, women around the world have tried to end their unintended pregnancies whether abortion is legal or not, often jeopardizing their safety and health by self-inducing or seeking a dangerous illegal procedure. Estimates of the number of illegal abortions in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s range from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year.  Today, abortion is one of the most commonly performed clinical procedures in the United States, and the death rate from abortion is extremely low: 0.6 per 100,000 procedures, according to the World Health Organization. Advancements in the medical field have dramatically reduced complications from abortion, and studies show that it is actually safer than carrying a pregnancy to full term. Abortion must remain legal, in order for a woman to have access to the full range of safe options around her pregnancy. Making abortion illegal is also a class struggle since the rich can always go to other places where it is legal and have an abortion, while the poor cannot do this, but have to resort to unsafe abortions which can lead to their death. In the early 1970s, when abortion was legal in some states, a legal abortion was out of reach for many minority women who suffered the most.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 1972 alone, 130,000 women obtained illegal or self-induced procedures, 39 of whom died. Furthermore, from 1972 to 1974, the mortality rate due to illegal abortion for nonwhite women was 12 times that for white women. The risk of a woman’s death from abortion is less than one in 100,000, whereas the risk of a woman dying from giving birth is 13.3 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies. (Guttmatcher.org). World Health Organization statistics estimate that in 2004 back alley abortions caused an estimated 68,000 deaths globally. 68,000 deaths are 68,000 lives unable to reach their full potential because abortions were not legal, and therefore not properly conducted. The state has a duty to protect its citizens; sometimes, protecting its citizens does not involve fighting wars but providing the infrastructure to safely conduct sound medical procedures.

Unfortunately, because of its faulty assumption that fetuses need to be protected from women's irresponsible decision-making, Roe v. Wade opened the door to the passage of many laws making it harder to access abortions, as well as a weakening of the decision itself by later Supreme Court rulings. These attempts, such as the 1989 Webster v. Reproductive Health Services and the 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood Supreme Court cases came very close to a reversal of Roe v. Wade. The Webster v. Reproductive Health Services case, which gave hope to the pro-life movement, reviewed the constitutionality of a Missouri statute that barred public facilities from being used to conduct abortions and prohibited public health workers from performing abortions unless the life of the mother was at risk. Although it was expected that the Webster case would overturn Roe v. Wade, it actually ended up being a disaster for pro-life activists. The Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey confirmed that, “The three key provisions of the Pennsylvania law concerning abortion under scrutiny were: teenagers must obtain consent of one parent or a judge; a woman must wait 24 hours after hearing a presentation on the growth of the fetus; and she must inform her husband except in certain circumstances.” The court did not overturn Roe v. Wade and affirmed Roe’s core principle: “that the state may not prohibit pre-viability abortions.” 

There is no fundamental decision that completely settles this issue because everyone has their different opinions, scientific beliefs and morals that make it hard for the government and society to have a standard “law” on abortion. It is impossible to make a law that pleases everyone, but the Roe v. Wade decision definitely outlines the abortion debate, and even though there are many cases that come close to overturning it, the decision stands its ground in granting women their privacy to choose. Abortion is a personal choice of the mother, not the government’s and should remain legal and accessible.  
