The slightly swollen belly of a young expectant mother is being examined by a doctor. Her feet are resting gently in stirrups with her legs spread for the doctor and staff to get a closer look. She’s almost three months pregnant. The staff is ready. The patient is calm.
It’s time to begin the abortion.
In our society, many things have become the subject of national debate. These subjects range from euthanasia to animal rights, but one of the touchiest has been abortion and the different types that have developed over the years.
This week’s Ted on the Street will examine the controversial topic of partial-birth abortions and the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to ban them.
The Skinny
The U.S. Supreme Court banned the use of partial-birth abortions in the United States in a five-to-four ruling on April 25. The ruling would uphold the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act signed by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has been in adjudication since it was first passed.
The procedure, known professionally as “dilation and extraction,” involves the removal of a partially grown fetus after 20 weeks into a pregnancy due to it being deformed or causing risk to the mothers’ health and permanent fertility to have future children, according to HealthAtoZ.com, an accredited health Web site. The fetus is removed largely intact and its life is terminated with an instrument puncturing the base of the neck and collapsing the head.
According to a study performed by the Guttmacher Institute, a leading research institute on sexual and reproductive health, six out of every 10 women in the United States who have abortions already have children and more than half of those intend to have more in the future. The institute also found that abortion is steadily declining in the United States, except for a small surge in 2000 with low-income women living twice below the poverty level.
Lynne Coenen, assistant director of the Women’s Resource Center, said she believes the ban might limit the reproductive rights of women in general – not just for this particular procedure.
“It is a big concern,” Coenen said. “It’s not that particular procedure that’s the issue here; it’s the climate that comes with the judicial body telling women what they can do with their bodies.”
Coenen continued to discuss how the issue comes down to the right-to-life versus the right-to-abort and personal choice, but that there are other ways to do this before abortion comes into play.
“Abortion is only one aspect,” Coenen said, regarding the effect the law will have on unwanted pregnancy. “It goes to the rights of things like birth control and artificial insemination as well.”
The Street
As one might imagine, with such a sensitive topic, there are various opinions that conflict with one another. Students on campus gave some of those opinions and discussed what they thought about the decision.
“I think that it’s wrong that they ban that procedure,” said Carmen Castillo, a junior biology major. “When it comes to a woman’s health, it’s more important to let her decide. Also, if you don’t want to bring a child with problems into the world, you should have that choice.”
Freshman studio art major Janelle Knepper disagreed, saying that abortion is wrong because a life is being taken.
“I see it as murder,” Knepper said. “No matter what stage it’s in, it’s still life. It’s still a baby.”
“I’m for abortion, but to some extent I’m against it,” said senior liberal studies major Wendy Rodriquez. “If it was an accident then fine, deal with it. If that’s what their choice is, then that’s their choice. But I don’t agree with the fact that the government tries to mandate women’s issues, especially when it is made up of mostly men.”
Ted Concludes
As a man, I’m not in the position to say whether abortion is right or wrong in the physical sense. I don’t know what it feels like and cannot know. Most of the time I try to avoid the topic because it is of such a delicate nature that the very mention of it can spark a heated debate and possibly cost me friends or acquaintances.
The verdict? Partial-birth abortion ban: This question refers to both political and moral reasoning and can’t be answered simply. When considering the need for middle ground, it’s necessary for the government and its people to come to terms on what is more important: the life of the mother or the life of the unborn child.
Most students don’t have the concern of having children, but for those who are considering children in the future, just make sure you are using all the precautions: be responsible with birth control and do as much research as possible when making decisions about sex and children.
