Abortion: A civil right?

*This article is not meant as a support for the Pro-Life or Pro-Choice campaigns.  It is meant to examine the right to choose responsibility*

                                                     (www.plannedparenthood.org)

Abortion, perhaps the most debated issue in America.  One of the few issues that you have to pick a side and cannot remain neutral.  It is either pro-life or pro-choice some people believe that the two sides should agree to disagree, but next to the death penalty it becomes something that is a matter of life or death.  On February 2nd the famous Roe vs. Wade marked it's 37th anniversary abortion is in fact a woman's choice that cannot be debated, whether the woman should have access to government approved abortion is where debate begins.  http://www.naral.com

 Abortion has existed with rich history across a number of cultures for several centuries.  However, prohibition on abortion did not begin until the late 1800's.  In 1803 Britain became the first to pass and Anti-abortion law.  By 1880 all abortions in America were banned except those necessary to save a woman's life.  However, abortion was still practiced openly and back- alley abortions became commonplace and had a high death rate at over 1,000 a year by the 1950's.

Abortion was not just banned for the more obvious religious or moral reasoning we see today.  In the 1800's the Victorian movement was in full swing and became intertwined in the Eugenics movement. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eugenics) Because of the decrease in "white" births the Eugenics movement claimed there was a "race suicide" and urged white women to reproduce.  That coupled with a rise in the medical profession and doctors not wanting business taken away, started the conversation on the ban.  The midwives were most often performing the abortions and became targeted by the doctors which is why we saw midwifery nearly disappear for a number of years. 

Fast forward to present: Many of these same issues still exist in a different capacity.  Only 12% of OB-GYN students receive training in how to preform an abortion.  Women of lower socio-economic status find it either hard or impossible to obtain abortion.  15 states have chosen to make abortion illegal, even though it is unenforceable due to national roe v. wade decision, it is not pursued.  9 out of 10 abortion clinics are in large cities limiting access to many. 

Women in 2010 now have the rights to decide whether or not to have an abortion , go through an adoption, or to keep their child.  Within these same rights are free access to any type of birth control a woman chooses, and yet so many women are still having unprotected sex.  It is the civil right and duty of a women to make smart educated decisions about her reproductive choices.  Why is there still a need for abortion when there are so many choices available? Why are women not being responsible with their partners? 

Most people would agree that abortion is not a "pretty" subject and human life should be valued.  But it is a civil right for women to make the choice to bring a life into this world.  Urging the women in your life and raising our daughters to be responsible with their health and choices is what ultimately falls on us all.  More than 700,000 teenage girls will become pregnant this year and half of all sexually active people will have had a sexually transmitted disease by age of 25.   If you or someone you know is in need of contraception or abortion/adoption information please refer them to www.plannedparenthood.com 

Also, are you positive you don't contradict yourself on this topic? Go check out this link and see if your ideals match your statements...www.philosophyexperiments.com/whosebody/Default.aspx

*This article is not meant as a support for the Pro-Life or Pro-Choice campaigns.  It is meant to examine the right to choose responsibility*