Paper Example on Abortion: Contemporary Ethical Issue

Introduction

Over the time there have been debates regarding legalization and the undertaking of the abortion practices among the people. Abortion is practiced by women of all social classes who are driven to terminate their pregnancies because of financial instability, the fetus developing congenital complications like Down syndrome, congenital heart defects, neural tube defects or orofacial clefts or when the continuity and growth of the pregnancy are posing a danger to the life of the mother. In this case, the mothers at times go for an abortion without taking into consideration the effects that the act of abortion is likely to cost them in the future which may be so devastating (Faundes 57). This, therefore, has pushed the legalization of abortion since if it is not legalized than the mothers take risks and go to the quacks to seek the services of abortion. Some other people use abortion as a method of family planning which gives a perfect reason to illegalize abortion to keep the ethics of human living.

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Nurses themselves and all the other health professionals have an opinion about the legalization of abortion which is not more comfortable for them to speak out since they are the service providers they, however, need to be clear about the same to let people know why they believe in doing so and give the rationale and the logic they hold in doing it. The ethical issues that surround the act of abortion have been enumerated so clearly o help and guide nurses and other health professionals by making clarifications on the same. There are philosophies and historical approaches that have been given out to argue the logic on abortion logically. Abortion can be defined as the expulsion of the fetus from the mother's womb before twenty-eight weeks of the gestation period. Abortion should be viewed from a perspective that relates to the situation that causes the mother to get involved in the termination of the pregnancy rather than considering it as a crime.

Description of Issue

In one of the outpatient health unit, a woman came along with a daughter who she claimed to be a student and asked if the nurses were offering the service of aborting the fetus as per the details revealed from the medical checkups, it was evident that the girl was sixteen years of age and was having her first pregnancy that had occurred in four months. The reason that was given was that the girl was a student would like to continue with her studies without termination because of the pregnancy. This case was important having the child considered as a gift from God and the mother as a symbol of care and love to the child (Ekmekci 884). This, therefore, posed a critical need for a logical decision on whether to abort the child or not.

Analysis

Being the health professional, several questions were asked regarding the fetus prompting that as four months the fetus had a right to breathe, to whom it belongs and whether it was right to kill the fetus. Was it right to kill the fetus for the sake of schooling and most importantly whether abortion is murder and to the level and extent the girl would be legalized and if the religion permits abortion? Standing in the position of the mother the question is, is it right for the mother to make decision for the fetus and the reasons for the abortion given by the mother taking into consideration the factors that caused the mother to abort the fetus and why it was not possible for the family to stop the woman from spearheading the abortion of the child and why the girl had to allow to get pregnant and yet she knew she was a student and who the father of this child was as well as his take on the same decision to abort the child (Faundes 57).

Autonomy of Mother Against the Fetus

At the point where the woman gets involved in sexual intercourse voluntarily, fail to use contraceptives and ultimately conceives, it is possible to say that the mother signed the contracts with the baby. The fetus, therefore, has the right to live and the mother is not mandated to make decisions that regard to the fetus. Otherwise, the woman has the right to make choices and decisions on the issues that concern her own body of which the fetus is partly thought every individual has the power and mandate to make decisions for their selves. The mother, therefore, has the right to decide the fetus though it should be for the better of the fetus giving the mother freedom to choose for the pregnancy that they have (Outka 104). This makes the situation of the abortion of the fetus a little complicated with the issue giving the privilege to the mother to abort and the ethics also restricting that it should only be to the betterment of the fetus, not the mother.

Non-Maleficence

Abortion has severe psychological and physiological effects the may be lifelong. The results and the complications may be so devastating to the individual involved otherwise when abortion is done in the right way then it would be safe for the mother and no injurious (Outka 105). As the advocates say that abortion just like other operative procedures which needs to be undertaken following the right procedures following the principles of surgery, will not produce any danger to the mother's health on the other hand, the illegal abortion that is undertaken by the quakes is highly discouraged since it is susceptive to cause threat to the health of the mother aborting.

Debate on Soul Insertion

In any case where the woman does sex with the aim of attaining pregnancy, then that child has the mandate to live till maturity and to be born to live. This has the meaning that at the point of getting involved in voluntary sex for the need of pregnancy, the right of birth of the fetus is crystallized. The proponents' support that at the point fertilization takes place, the soul enters the fetus, and therefore the act of abortion that comes after propagation is considered as killing (Outka 100-146). The pro-life group adds that the fetus has all the right to live and their rights should not be violated. And the bible in the book of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-17 criticizes abortion as Paul writes, the bible says; 'He opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (v. 4). And the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved (vss. 9-10).' This shows that if an individual performs abortion act then they are profaning God.

Legal Provisions

As pointed in the outline, abortion can be therapeutic or non-therapeutic. The non-therapeutic abortion is considered murder by some scholars. The Muslim, as well as the Christians, regard abortion as wrong, evil and forbidden. The Quran states": "Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a soul, and it is as though he has murdered all of humanity" (5:32). They forbid the termination of the pregnancy before the right birth time after the soul has been given in a period of a hundred and twenty days (Ekmekci 884). Abortion is generally considered antisocial though there are exceptional circumstances in which it may be allowed to save a life that is when the mother's health is at risk and when they are financially in capitated to care for the child.

Couple Counseling Services

The health care providers/professionals should at all times respect the values of the patients and strive to put aside the beliefs of religions on the decisions made by individuals. This is the guideline for the service provides. They should as well be in a position to scrutinize and justify the reasons and conditions of the pregnancies prompted to be aborted. Efforts should be put to ensure that all the alternative ways are put into the application to solve the situation apart from abortion. This should be done to maintain the obligations of duty and service provision. The health professionals should as well teach the clients about the antenatal care to avoid the harm to the mother and the baby (Faundes 57). All sides should be considered with the health professional being neutral and not taking side for any advantage.

Conclusion

In summary, it is the health care professionals who have the mandate to justify the termination of the pregnancy and not the mother or any other person. Abortion as issues focusses on the dignity of the woman as well as their autonomy in decision making. It involves the killing of the unborn baby. In the present, prenatal counseling and antenatal diagnosis are essential. In situations where abortion is done to prevent or to terminate the abnormalities of the fetus, the society should stand to support and give a hand to abortion provided the intention is proven right. For such, they should give freedom to the mothers to promote the prevention of suffering as the fundamental aim of the whole process. This follows the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court in Roe v I January twenty second of the year 1973. Roe established that the right of the mother to obtain an abortion as per her privacy must be considered superior than the regulations set by the states and nations.

Works Cited

Ekmekci, Perihan Elif. "Abortion in Islamic ethics, and how it is perceived in Turkey: A secular, Muslim country." Journal of religion and health 56.3 (2017): 884-895.

Faundes, Anibal, and Laura Miranda. "Ethics surrounding the provision of abortion care." Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology 43 (2017): 50-57.

Outka, Gene. "The Ethics of Love and the Problem of Abortion." Church, Society, and the Christian Common Good: Essays in Conversation with Philip Turner (2017): 146.