While many suppose that Abortion has only been available during the last century, the fact is that women have been aborting babies during the course of the not a two Millennia. Women often had to resort to abortion for a variety of reasons starting with rape to familial pressures as well as the fact that the fetus posed a grave danger to their own health. In fact, nearly half the abortions done in the last decade were performed on unmarried women who wanted to get rid of the fetus on account of familial pressure. This is why, women since time immemorial had opted for abortion through various means, in order to survive. Listed below are some of the positive and negative effects of abortion.
Positive effects of abortion:
It can be hard to relate abortion with anything positive as the process involved often results in the termination of the fetus itself. A woman’s body often undergoes great changes when she becomes pregnant; during this period her body undergoes several changes including hormonal; her body will be subjected to severe stress, both physical and emotional during the period of pregnancy which can last up to nine months and more. In fact, no woman would consider abortion lightly without considering all the ramifications of undertaking the same. Given below are some of the positive effects of abortion.
Rape: There have been several instances where a woman had become pregnant as a result of rape. In such instances, it is to, that the victim may prefer to abort her baby rather than to have a living proof of her shame.
Incest: one of the other reasons that a woman may want to opt for an abortion is the fact that she may have been subject to rape by a member of her own family. In such cases, it is to be expected that the victim would emotionally fragile. And if she becomes pregnant as a result of rape by incest, it is perfectly understandable that she would want to terminate her fetus and courts have even upheld the decision to abort under these circumstances.
Medical emergency: If it is determined that the woman would put her life at risk by carrying the fetus to full term, then in such cases, she would be advised on the issue. She would be informed that carrying the fetus in, this case, may well result in her death and would be advised to terminate the same at the earliest.
Negative effects of abortion:
Health hazard: Aborting a fetus is not a risk-free procedure as it often leads to complications and in certain cases, uncontrolled bleeding resulting in death. This is why it is advisable that women who seek to abort their fetus do so under controlled condition and in a medical facility with doctors on hand to help provide the required assistance. Often young women, who remain uninformed to the dangers of abortion, opt to do so at a local clinic, one run by quacks with predictable results, uncontrollable bleeding, and death.
Convenience: Ever since it has become easy to abort fetuses with the help of a pill, especially during the initial stages – women often resort to the same as a matter of convenience. While the decision to carry the fetus to term or not depends more on the woman in question than the father, the fact remains that some of the women in question opt to do so as a matter of convenience. The downside to this fickle approach to life is that the abortion pill can result in long-term health complications, from uncontrolled bleeding to becoming infertile.
Depression: When a woman becomes pregnant her body starts changing right away. This is why, when she chooses to abort her fetus, these hormonal changes can continue for a while post-abortion. These can result in the woman experiencing severe mood swings, and even result in severe psychological and physical stress including depression.
These are some of the positive and negative effects of abortion, but the fact remains that it is the mother in question who gets to decide whether to terminate her fetus or to carry it to term. After all, she is the one who would be subjecting her body to severe strain and stress during the entire period of pregnancy and naturally, has all the right to make an informed decision. Her doctor would advise her on the risks of abortion and advise her on the same, should she choose the same.