Milestone three-rough draft_eatucker

.docx

School

Southern New Hampshire University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

POL-210

Subject

Political Science

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

9

Uploaded by DukeMandrillPerson357 on coursehero.com

Is It a Woman’s Right to Choose? Elizabeth Tucker Southern New Hampshire University POL-210 American Politics Milestone Three Rough Draft
Abstract: The topic that will be covered in this paper is abortion. Abortion is the premature termination of pregnancy and is performed by a surgical procedure that removes the embryo, fetus, fetus membrane, and placenta from the female uterus during the gestation period. This paper looks into the challenges on both sides of the abortion debate, the pro-life view of abortion and the pro-choice view of abortion, and how the voices of these two sides are affecting the battle for access to abortion. This paper is to include the Supreme Court cases that have made history regarding abortion access and denial of access. The cases are supported by the constitutional rights of all Americans which include the 14 th Amendment and the 5 th Amendment, this paper expands on what these amendments say and if they support the right to abortion access. This paper is important to the understanding of American women and whether they should have the right to choose to have an abortion should she chose, whatever reason that may be.
Introduction: “No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body” -Margaret Sanger. These quotes and more like them can be seen at any abortion protest rally. People standing on either side of the aisle pleading for change, whether it be one way or another. The fight for the right to women’s healthcare has been going on for decades, some for and others against bodily autonomy. There are arguments of access being a constitutional right, but those arguments are met with ones questioning their morals calling it “murder” and “against gods law”. This paper will cover what rights women have to healthcare over their bodies regarding abortions, as supported by the Constitution. Furthermore, this research will cover major Supreme Courts decisions on women’s right to abortion access and how different views on the subject have shaped women’s access to abortions. To begin this research, one must first understand what an abortion is. Harvard medical school website describes abortion as “Abortion is the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus.” (Harvard Health, 2019). In simple terms, an abortion terminates an unwanted pregnancy. The reason a woman chooses an abortion can be derived from a multitude of reasons including the woman cannot financially or emotionally support the child, personal choice, or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Why Would a Woman Chose an Abortion: A woman who chooses to terminate her pregnancy may simply not want children. In a recent study, women were polled, and the results stated that 63% of women of average childbearing age stated they had no desire to have children (Why Some Americans Don’t Want Kids, n.d.). The reason for not having children may be financial, career driven, or just plainly not
wanting to. The want for a child-free live style may lead a woman to choose an abortion in the instance of an unplanned pregnancy. One of the largest statical reasons women chose to have an abortion is to support the child financially. Over 74% of women stated they chose to have an abortion because they could not financially support a child (Why Some Americans Don’t Want Kids, n.d.). Supporting the child can be financially taxing and emotionally draining, which is why 48% percent of women blamed mental support for the reason of choosing an abortion. One of the hardest topics to cover is a woman who chooses an abortion because the child was conceived from rape or incest. Statically, each year one out of every six women will be raped, this number could be a lot higher as only 20% of rapes are reported (Kuadli, 2023). The woman’s choice in this matter is extremely private and hard. Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life: Women have the choice to terminate a pregnancy, for whatever reason they choose. This personal choice of women isn’t favored by everyone; 13% of Americans believe abortion should be made illegal in all cases (Gallup,2019) These individuals are considered the pro-life group, and they believe women shouldn’t be able to have an abortion. These individuals state that abortion is murder, that the fetus can feel pain, that it causes women to become infertile, and many more reasons. The top reason is normally one of a religious background stating that man shouldn’t have the power to decide who lives or dies, that is “God’s” right (Abolishing Abortion: The History of the Pro-Life Movement in America, n.d.). The opposite spectrum of the conversation sits the pro-choice individuals. This group of people feels that women should have access to abortion, this group is made of up 35% of Americans (Gallup,2019). These individuals feel that whatever the reasons if a woman and her healthcare provider decided it’s okay, she should have access to an abortion. These two groups have played a major part in whether a
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help