Abortions: Are they safe?

When it comes to abortions, there are always mixed opinions; those who support it, those who don’t support it, and occasionally those who have no opinion on it. It’s understandable though; it is a human’s life we’re talking about. It’s a real issue that some women or girls may go through. Some schools might not like to cover topics on abortion because they don’t want that idea getting into young girls’ heads. But it’s a real issue some girls have or are going through.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2002’s data, the death rate for women after abortion is very slim. Though its not likely for a woman to die from abortion, there are still slight risks. Some are complications such as heavy bleeding or damage to the womb. This is just before 14 weeks of pregnancy and only happens to 1 in 1,000 women, so its less likely for this to happen. Other than slight risks, an abortion is completely safe and legal and should make no harm to future pregnancies.  

But although abortions are completely legal, there are still people who think abortions should be illegal. According to Gallup Inc, 45% – 52% of U.S. men and women are pro-choice, 50% – 43% men and women are pro-life, and 5% – 4% men and women have no opinion as of 2021. This goes to show how many people are for and against safe, legal abortions. 

Abortions are done using medicine such like Mifepristone and Misoprostol, both prescribed by a medical doctor or through surgery in which they remove the fetus/embryo and placenta from the uterus, which should be done by a licensed health care doctor. 

People of course have their reasons for being against abortions. Many people don’t support abortions because it’s murder. Some consider unborn babies as humans in which an abortion is basically just killing them. Another reason why people may be against abortions is because it defies the word of god. Because of this, many religious people do not support abortions. As demonstrated in the Sixth Commandment of the Bible’s Old Testament, the quote in Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill” applies to all human beings including unborn children. Lastly, another reason some don’t support it is because they believe that a woman should accept the responsibility that comes with producing a child. They believe that it’s a woman’s responsibility to care for the child as a consequence of an unwanted pregnancy. 

On the other hand, according to ProCon.org, women who decide to have an abortion are less likely to suffer mental health problems than women who are denied it. From a peer-reviewed study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that women who were denied an abortion “felt more regret and anger” than women who aborted. From the same study, they found that 95% of women “felt it was the right decision” a week after the procedure. More pros are that many people believe that a baby should not come into the world “unwanted” and modern abortions are safe and do not cause lasting health issues like cancer or infertility.

As you can tell, there are many mixed opinions but always make sure you’re the only one who is satisfied with your decision. Both options are valid and should be done with your consent. If you or anyone is experiencing this, some websites I’d recommend visiting is plannedparenthood.org and msichoices.org, where they further explain your options and help with anything you need to know about abortions.