Abortion Ethics: Moral & Ethical Considerations
Is abortion ethical? It’s the issue of our time. The truth is, multiple factors should be taken into account when answering this question. The following overview offers unbiased, science-based insight into an issue that humanity has debated for thousands of years.
Ethical Considerations of the Fetus as a Potential Human Life
The scientific consensus is that life begins at conception. Well-known geneticists such as Drs. Jerome Lejeune and Theodosius Dobzhansky clearly state that human life begins as soon as a woman’s egg is fertilized by a man’s sperm. Christians have long held that an unborn fetus is a human life based on multiple passages in the Bible clearly showing unborn babies as distinct persons.
Even most pro-choice advocates don’t deny that a fetus is a living human being. However, they make a differentiation between a biological human and a person, with the latter being defined as a sentiment, conscious human being who is capable of rational thought and able to use language. However, the problem with this argument is that there are many people alive today who do not meet this criterion due to brain damage or a disorder. In fact, statistics show that about 25,000 adults and 10,000 children are in a vegetative state, which would, technically, put them on par with an unborn fetus. If it is ethically permissible to abort a fetus, would it be ethically permissible to end these lives as well?
The Moral and Ethical Implications of a Woman’s Right to Control Her Own Body
Pro-choice advocates hold that prohibiting women from obtaining abortions denies them the right to control their own bodies and make their own medical decisions. Some may also note that the failure to allow women to obtain an abortion consigns many to life-long poverty. Indeed, these advocates have a point; many women seeking abortion come from socio-economically challenging backgrounds and would find it difficult if not impossible to complete their education or maintain a successful career while caring for a new baby.
What’s more, many women obtaining an abortion already have one or more children and the arrival of a new baby could make it hard for a mother to properly care for the other children, especially if she is single and does not have family members and friends to provide needed emotional and practical support. But there are other solutions to these challenges besides terminating the life of a child.
The Ethical Considerations of Access to Safe and Legal Abortion
The WHO estimates that over 13% of maternal deaths are caused by unsafe abortion. What’s more, every year about seven million women require hospital treatment due to complications from unsafe abortions. Pro-choice advocates point to these statistics and state that safe and legal abortion is ethical because it prevents these fatalities and multiple health complications.
While it is true that safe, legal abortion can prevent medical complications and death, this does not automatically mean that it is an ethical course of action. Even a safe abortion raises a woman’s risk of mental health struggles. What’s more, there is a very real connection between mental health and a range of physical health conditions, including diabetes, weight gain, digestive problems, body aches, body tremors, and hypothyroidism.
Mental health issues can also lead to devastating addictions that put additional strains on one’s physical and emotional health.
The Ethics of Abortion in Cases of Rape or Incest
Is abortion ethical in cases of rape or incest? This is not an easy question to answer. Even pro-lifers would agree that it’s incredibly unfair for a woman who has been raped to carry the rapist’s child to term and then care for the child as he/she grows up. What’s more, many rape and incest victims suffer from mental health problems as a result of the crimes that have been committed against them and may struggle to care for a new baby.
On the other hand, one cannot deny the fetus is also a human life. What’s more, recent research indicates that a fetus may be able to feel pain at just twelve weeks, far earlier than originally believed. Is it moral or ethical to cause pain and suffering for a human being that is innocent of the crime committed against his or her mother?
Alternative Options to Abortion Such as Adoption
Another aspect of the abortion debate is that it is inherently unethical for a woman to have an abortion as an adoption plan can be formed for the baby. In such instances, the mother would not be responsible for caring for the baby long-term and the baby would have the chance to live a happy, productive life. What’s more, adoption agencies that help birth mothers find adoptive parents may often cover the mother’s medical costs and also provide other forms of financial assistance to pregnant women.
Granted, adoption is an emotionally difficult decision that impacts both the birth mother and the child. However, from an ethical and moral standpoint, as opposed to an emotional one, it is typically the best decision for all involved if a woman feels she cannot parent her unborn child.
The Impact of Societal and Cultural Attitudes on the Abortion Debate
It is important to note that changing societal and cultural attitudes have had a huge impact on the abortion debate. There is no longer a stigma surrounding single motherhood; thus, many women who would have had an abortion in times past have kept their babies.
On the other hand, the fact that many women are expected to study and pursue a career rather than remain at home and care for the children has led many to have abortions in order to avoid a permanent change in lifestyle or career plans.
The Ethical Considerations of a Doctor’s Right to Refuse to Perform Abortions
If a woman has a right to fully control her body and make her own decisions, then it is clear that medical professionals should be granted this right as well. Doctors and nurses should have the right to refuse to perform an abortion even if the woman wants to obtain one. The only time when such a decision could be considered unethical and immoral is if a woman has a life-threatening condition, and it is clear that, without medical intervention, both the mother and unborn child would die.
Abortion can seem like the best option in many cases; however, it’s not necessarily a moral or ethical course of action in most instances. A woman facing an unplanned pregnancy will want to consider all her options to make the best possible decisions for her personal situation. A local pregnancy center, like the ones Caring Network operates, can help in the decision-making process by providing free early pregnancy services, counseling options, and support to help women as they face the multiple challenges that come with dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.
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Abortion; 2021, November 25; World Health Organization; accessed February 1, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
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Physical Health Problems of People with Mental Illness; 2016, 29 March; White Swan Foundation; accessed February 1, 2023, from https://www.whiteswanfoundation.org/mental-health-matters/body-and-mind/physical-health-problems-of-people-with-mental-illness
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