Legalizing abortion

In the U.S. alone, about 350,000 underaged girls get pregnant every year. 82% of these pregnancies are unintended, 31% end on abortions, and only 5% of the teens give birth. Abortion is a highly controversial topic around the world and is illegal in many countries, which is why women fall back on back-alley abortions, that have a high risk of compromising health and can have lifelong repercussions. On the other hand, some countries are more flexible, and if the situation meets certain criteria, will allow procedures. Most girls have no say over their own bodies when it comes to terminating unwanted pregnancies due to unconstitutional laws banning abortions; not only are they denied a right but also potentially life-saving health care.

For many, having a baby is prejudicial. Emotional, educational, physical, and social hindrances are just some consequences a young mother faces if an abortion is not permitted during the early stages of gestation. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer declared, “it is estimated that there are up to 1.2 million illegal abortions every year…and from 5,000 to 10,000 deaths a year from back-alley abortions.” The evidence depicts how many women are willing to risk their lives just to terminate their pregnancy, and how conscious they are about the overwhelming responsibility of bringing a child into the world, especially when the situation isn’t right. If teenagers are allowed to choose services like a c-section during childbirth—a far more dangerous procedure—why don’t they have control over their own termination process?

When it comes to a more flexible law, parental consent is a crucial requirement for approval. Although it’s easier for an abortion to be performed under these circumstances, numerous girls have exceptional reasons not to tell their parents about their pregnancies. Based on Henshaw & Kost’s study of “Parental involvement in minors’ abortion decisions”, 22% of teens feared to tell them because they might get kicked out of the house, 14% had parents who abused drugs or alcohol, and more than 8% were frightened about getting beaten because they had already been physically abused at home. These statistics depict common scenarios where the parental consent “loophole” is another barrier instead. Preventing access to this procedure is risking the safety of minors and certainly not uniting families. Nonetheless, everything should be done responsibly, which is why abortions should have regulations to be properly enacted.

No matter the age or circumstances, if a minor is seeking to terminate a pregnancy it should be allowed, as long as the gestation period is under 16 weeks and the fetus has had no important developments. According to Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, “At this time, however, the nervous system has yet to fully mature. No laminar structure is evident in the thalamus or cortex.” This illustrates how the brain starts to form, and can’t sense pain until it’s fully mature. Although most doctors would say abortion is an unnecessary liability, only mothers can decide what is best for them.

Some people also argue the pro-life perspective, “I believe that human life starts at conception—which is when an egg is fertilized. So doing an abortion is killing a human,” Daniel Zuloaga, TCS student, said. Also, it is no secret that abortions can severely affect the body: heavy bleeding, botched surgeries, infection, damage to the cervix and perforation of the uterus. Psychological effects are very common too, such as depression, eating disorders and guilt. However, women who decide to carry out the process are informed about the risks and decide they’re worth taking.

Just in Colombia, as stated in Guttmacher Institute, contraceptives had notable gains in past years, still 68% of the pregnancies were unintended. This same year about 400,400 induced abortions were performed. No matter what society says, abortion is a choice minors should be able to take about their own bodies, without prohibitions causing them to depend on dangerous alternatives.