Why Women Should not Have an Abortion?

Why Women Should not Have an Abortion?

Pabitra Ghimire (kalu)

Oh my god! She was pregnant. She hadn’t even married yet. What a shameless woman she was! A woman was pregnant by a man. She had not married with him. So she was rejected by her family and society and blamed as characterless woman. Eventually she had to kill the child at the end with no choice. This is the only a representative case of unmarried-pregnant woman. But there are so many married women who prefer abortion rather than giving birth to the child. Unmarried women are afraid of the society and family, and they are made feel insecure to give birth to a child. Whereas married women do abortion wanting a son and sometimes they pretend that it is unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.  Why are the women not strong enough to give birth to a child rather they go for abortion. Isn’t it a crime?

Few years back, there was an unmarried lady (Dilasha, name changed) who was a pregnant of six months. She did not tell anybody that she was going to give birth to a child. Finally, her family knew that she had not had her period. Then she was scolded and beaten up.  Forcefully she was taken to hospital for her pregnancy test. After that everyone in the society started hating her, criticized her and was blamed of being degraded woman. Unfortunately, in the beginning nobody could knew the father her child. She finally revealed the truth but the man did not accept it. Poor lady! she had no option and killed the child. This is just an example of unmarried women who are compelled to do the abortion.

These days, the advancement in technology, influence of western culture, influence of Hollywood and Bollywood movies, access of media and so on, youths fall in love at an early age. They cannot control their emotions and involve in sexual relation. Unfortunately, they do not know any precaution and do not use any protection. As a result, girls happen to be pregnant. Both the boy and girl feel insecure and finding no option boys force girls to go for abortion.  There are large number of young girls who are forcefully made do the abortion in urban areas. Talking about rural or village areas, young girls are rejected by the society, mistreated, and killed as well if they are pregnant before marriage. Why the women should only be responsible for that? Why are they blamed and killed? Isn’t there any role of the men who make women pregnant? Don’t they have any responsibility? Can women become pregnant themselves without men? Isn’t it an injustice? 

Few months ago, I had been to a hospital for my normal check-up. While I was waiting for the doctor, I happened to meet one of my friends who had been there for abortion. I asked her the reason for it. She replied it was her unplanned pregnancy. It made me feel so disappointed. It is just an example of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. There are so many cases where women kill the innocent child.  There are women in the society who are compelled to give birth to male child. They become pregnant times and again and do abortion until they have son. Why are the women not conscious about their health? Isn’t a daughter their child? In some cases there are some external factors for abortion; such as disruption of education or employment, lack of support from the father, poverty, unemployment or inability to afford additional children and many more.

 

An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. (Wikipedia)

According to WHO, "every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day.

In the USA, nearly half of pregnancies are unintended and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion, there are over 3,000 abortions per day. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion."

Around 56 million abortions are performed each year in the world, with about 45% done unsafely. Abortion rates changed little between 2003 and 2008, before which they decreased for at least two decades as access to family planning and birth control increased. As of 2018, 37% of the world's women had access to legal abortions without limits as to reason. Countries that permit abortions have different limits on how late in pregnancy abortion is allowed (copied).

Historically abortions have been attempted using herb medicines, sharp tools, forceful massage, or through other methods. Cultural or religious views of abortions are different around the world. In some areas abortion is legal only in specific cases such as rape, problems in fetus, poverty, risk to a woman's health, or incest. There is debate over the moral, ethical and legal issues of abortion. Those who oppose abortion often argue that an embryo or fetus is a human with a right life, and they may compare abortion to murder. Those who support the legality of abortion often hold that it is part of a woman's right to make decision about her own body. Others favor legal and accessible abortion as a public health measure.

It is immoral to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. How would you feel if someone told you to kill or take your life away before you ever knew? I strongly believe that you would hardly believe it. Nowadays, however, this situation is taking place everywhere in the world through abortion. Is it good or bad? But in my opinion, I strongly disagree that abortion is the worst decision. It should never be done because there are many better solutions.  Many women in the entire world have abortions. Women believe there are many reasons to abort such as fear of having or raising a child, rape, or not having enough money, support from the family and society. But whatever the situation, there is never an acceptable reason to get an abortion. The human values, religious values, and values of conscience deny the act of abortion.

The first reason why women should not have an abortion is related to basic human values. Women need to think about their unborn babies who are not responsible for this situation. These unborn babies should have the privilege to live and grow into a normal being. Women need to be more humanitarian and less egoistic with these babies. On the other hand, the baby doesn’t know how or why it got into the womb. It is not necessary to kill a life rather there can be other solutions to resolve this problem.

Keeping some unavoidable and genuine cases aside, woman must give birth to a baby at any cost if she is pregnant. No matter what people talk and think about her, She must bear the responsibility. Abortion does not only kill the baby even it affects mother emotionally and physically.  There should be strict law in the country to prohibit abortion.

Thus, the most important reason why women should not abort is related to her conscience. When a woman has an abortion, she will always think about the baby she might have had. A woman who has an abortion can’t forget about what she has done. The truth is that women need to think about the consequences that can occur before having sexual relations. I think that the effects of an abortion can be very sad for both woman and her family.

Pregnancy is the term used to describe the period in which a fetus develops inside a woman's womb or uterus. It usually lasts about 40 weeks or 9 months, as measured from the last menstrual period to delivery. Health care providers refer to three segments of pregnancy, called trimesters (copied). Every woman wants to be a mother and every man wants to be a father. Many women feel so blessed and complete when they are pregnant. They seem to be extremely happy as they are going to give birth to a child. It is also said that to establish new generation they want to give birth to the child. It is an extremely good feeling and a true blessing for women but for some it happens to be a sin becausethey cannot give birth to a child with certain reasons, like unwanted child.

Whether, a woman is an unmarried or a married lady who is pregnant, she must give birth to her child. Pregnancy must be done with plan and vision. It is a sense of immaturity to say unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. It is absolutely an injustice to want a male child. There must be equality between son and daughter.  Both the couple must be responsible for their actions. Unmarried ladies should challenge the societies, families and all to give birth to the child if they are pregnant. Let the society reject them, and criticize them. Let them do whatever they want but do not kill the innocent child.

 Abortion should not be legalized except the genuine and unavoidable cases such as women being victim of rape or incest, being in abusive relationships, and not being ready to be mothers. There should be a law for providing citizenship of unmarried women’s children in country like Nepal. The single-parented child, basically by mother are not being able to get any legal facilities. As a result unmarried women are forced to abort. It is already late to raise voice against this injustice to protect unborn children.