Abstract This paper explores whether policy endogeneity partially explains the negative relationship generally reported between parental involvement laws and abortion rates, since parental involvement laws are found to be negatively related to both teen and adult abortion rates. Since parental involvement laws may be more likely to be passed in jurisdictions with a higher level of anti-abortion sentiment, both the laws and anti-abortion sentiment may be responsible for lower abortion rates. To explore this possible interrelatedness, a religiosity-level variable was used as a proxy for anti-abortion sentiment, since anti-abortion sentiment might affect abortion rates directly and indirectly through the greater likelihood of the enactment of parental involvement laws.
From the Paper "The relationship of parental involvement laws and religiosity level to abortion rates was analyzed for teens and adults; regressions were estimated for four age groups: 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34 years old. Residence county-level 1995 abortion rates were regressed against parental involvement laws and religiosity levels as well as several control county-level variables--restrictive public funding, unemployment rate, population density, percent of college graduates, extent of poverty, percent of married-couple families, and geographic region. The sample consisted of the 1,008 counties from the 17 states that reported abortion numbers by county and by age group."
Tags:abortion, involvement, laws, parental, rates, research, study
Abstract This paper contends that few topics in American politics are more explosive and more divisive than abortion. It explains that although the legal history of abortion is relatively short, it is complicated and continues to be actively debated and pursued by activists on both sides of the argument: pro-choice activists are refocusing their fight to achieve greater access to abortions for all women and pro-life activists, while combating these new pro-abortion pursuits, continue to fight for an overturning of the original decision that led to the legalization of abortion, Roe v. Wade. This paper reviews a representation of the literature on the abortion debate, as well as the legal history and moral debate.
From the Paper "More than thirty years after Roe the jury is still out. Few topics in American politics are more explosive and more divisive than abortion. Perhaps this is because it encompasses a vast combination of one's constitutional rights, moral issues, religious belief .."
Abstract The paper begins by defining the anti-abortion position on abortion and then gives the statistics on the position of many countries regarding this issue. The pro-choice lobby is also cited and their views discussed. The body of the paper is based on the views on abortion in four countries: Brazil, China, France, and The United States. Each country has very different positions and laws regarding abortion and all are discussed in-depth. The paper concludes that each person must have a position on abortion. If abortion is wrong, then both mother and baby should be protected, unless it can be shown that one's life might be lost if the pregnancy were allowed to continue. If abortion is acceptable then the mother must be protected and society must understand that there is only one human in this equation.
From the Paper "There are many people today who believe that abortion is wrong and bad. They recognize that medical science has long since proven conclusively that human life begins at fertilization. Accordingly, they cannot and do not deny that abortion is killing. Further, most also believe abortion is against God's will. But there different peoples and theirs different points of view, even countries have own position on this problem: 39% of the world's women live under restrictive abortion laws: 25% in parts of the world where abortion is permitted only to save a woman's life or is prohibited altogether, 10% where abortion is allowed only when it is necessary to protect a woman's physical health or her life, and 4% in places where abortion is permitted only for these reasons or to protect a woman's mental health."
Tags:abortion, antopology, brazil, france, human, sexuality, usa, cultural, socioeconomic, differences, contraceptive, clandestine
This paper focuses strictly on the physical standpoint of abortion, as opposed to the moral and legal aspects, in which the writer proves why abortion should not be allowed to exist.
Abstract The writer of this paper does not dwell on the moral, religious or legal platform of abortion, yet focuses on the debatable issue from a strictly physical standpoint. This paper defines abortion as the knowing destruction of the life of an unborn child or the intentional expulsion or removal of an unborn child from the womb. This paper discusses the pros and cons regarding the availability of the RU-486 abortion pill as well as other abortion procedures. The RU-486 pill, which can be used within the first eight weeks of pregnancy, is a milestone to the abortion coalition. This paper examines the argument surrounding the viability of an unborn fetus in which the generally accepted rule for viability is around 28 weeks.
From the Paper "Cases have been reported of babies born four months premature, and weighing only one pound, nine ounces, surviving. If the abortion advocates could see what was being murdered they may not take it so lightly. For example, Cheryl Kondroski was 21 weeks pregnant when it was discovered that her baby had a very serious heart problem. After further testing showed that there was absolutely no chance of the baby even surviving the pregnancy, the decision was made to terminate the pregnancy. Labor was induced, and the little boy was born. Cheryl and the father were allowed to hold the baby. He was approximately 8 ? inches long and weighed a little over 1? pounds. Cheryl said, "His ears were still glued to his head. His eyes were shut, but his mouth was open. Everything, even fingernails and hair on his face, was there." Can anyone see this experience and still say that because this child could not survive on its own it was not a real child? Absolutely not."
Discusses the highly controversial topic of abortion, looking at arguments on both sides of the debate as well as how it relates to studies of sexuality and women's health issues.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 10 sources, 2006, $ 71.95
Abstract This paper reviews literature on abortion and its relation to studies of sexuality, and health issues. The paper discusses the view held by some that abortion is antithetical to the long-term health of the mother, while other believe that preventing abortion can be a health issue for some women. The paper points out that abortion is an issue that is part of human sexuality, and a concern about abortion might prevent sexual activity for some, just as the possibility of an abortion might make some unnecessarily careless about birth control.
From the Paper "Abortion is a highly contentious issue in America today and has been at least since the Roe v. Wade decision made abortion legal. The question remains as to whether or not abortion should be legal, and while this is certainly a medical issue, the argument over the question is more often a political one. On the extreme ends of the spectrum are those who believe abortion should be made illegal in all circumstances, usually as an assertion of moral principle and supposedly a recognition of the importance of life; and those who believe abortion is entirely a matter of personal choice on the part of the mother and should be legal whenever requested. A number of intermediate positions can also be cited, from allowing abortion only for victims of rape and incest to restricting abortion under certain circumstances."
Abstract This paper discusses the negative effects of abortion. Abortion is the knowing destruction of the life of an unborn child. But this is only part of the story as abortion also hurts the woman involved. Abortion affects women physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When an abortion is performed on a woman, she becomes subject to many physical complications. Blood loss during the procedure causes diversion of blood flow to various organs and can result in shock.
Abstract This paper addresses the ethical perception of abortion as presented in the article, "The Right of Abortion" by Harriet Pilpel. This article is considered one of the most important documents in this history of the ethical issues of abortion, as it was first published in June of 1969 and summarizes the rights of women to receive abortions. Other sources shall be consulted to support this argument.
Tags: CRIMINAL JUSTICE, LEGAL ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, POLICY / HUMAN RIGHTS, right women abortions
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that abortion today has become a highly contentious ethical issue and the limits to which it is enforced within a legal system is primarily centered on the rationale of an unborn baby being (un)able to claim personhood. The writer points out that arguments are numerous both for and against this and are ultimately aimed at legally justifying access, or restriction, to abortion services. This essay argues that grounds for legalizing abortion are not conclusive and that they are in-fact arbitrary and fallacious in some cases. The writer puts forth a case for illegality in abortion law except under exceptional circumstances, through the objection of the pro-abortion arguments of fertilization being process, and a fetus is only a potential human being.
From the Paper "To insinuate that there is no difference between an ovum before and after fertilization is contrary to current scientific inquiry. The proposition of using the 'process' argument as a justification on relaxing the legal limit to abortion is at very least vague and the consequences of being wrong is worrisome. Being able to distinguish an exact point of personhood, based on subjective criteria, on a continuum, comes across as impossible and plagued by arbitrary judgments.
"Garrett Hardin, formally professor of biology at the University of California in Santa Barbara, writing before the 1967 legalizing of abortion in the United States reasons that the killing of very young embryos is not the same as killing at another stage in life, claiming we are not the same person at different stages of life."
Abstract This paper discusses how abortion came about and how it is perceived today. It includes an historical overview of abortion since the 18th century. It takes a look at the life of Margaret Sanger, one of the founders of the first abortion clinics and moves to more recent events such as the death of Dr. Barnett Slepian, who was murdered for simply doing his job. It concludes with a look to the future of abortion which is not expected to be much different from the present situation.
From the Paper "Abortion is the deliberate termination of pregnancy by removing the fetus from the womb. There are four standard procedures of abortion suction , dilation , hysterectomy , and saline. The first-trimester abortions are simple and safe. It is unknown why spontaneous abortions happen. 25% of all human pregnancies terminate by themselves. Spontaneous abortion can result in expulsion in part or all of the uterus. Induced abortion is the deliberate termination of pregnancy by removing the fetus from the womb (Tietze). Abortion was legal in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was only illegal after the 4th month of pregnancy. When a lady use to get an abortion people would say your pregnancy "slipped" away( Regan 8). Another women can stop a pregnancy is with birth control pills. 3 out of every 4 women use birth control pills. People believe though that birth control pills can cause substantial health risks. It is also the most poplar form of contraception (Shapiro 14). In 1965 the Supreme Court decision for Griswold vs. Connecticut made birth control legal for married couples only (Katz). Margaret Sanger was the founder of the birth control pill and of safe abortions in 1915. Another goal of Margaret's was, she wanted to teach wives to insist on there own rights during sex (Katz). Dr. Slepain was an abortion doctor who was shot in front of his wife and four sons while he warmed some soup in 1998."
Abstract The abortion debate in North America is frequently emotional, even violent. Rational consideration of it often focuses on the concept of personhood. If the foetus is a person, abortion is murder. If it is not, abortion is not murder. Jane English argues that personhood cannot be adequately defined at all. This essay analyses the role of personhood in the abortion debate emphasizing Jane English's critique of its validity.
Abstract This paper discusses the abortion issue, presenting the pro-life side and the pro-choice side. It gives a medical definition of abortion and a legal definition. It gives some of the possible physical and psychological results of abortion, and presents statistics to show that the risks are higher for childbirth than abortion for these complications.
From the Paper "The medical definition of abortion is the induced termination of a pregnancy with destruction of the fetus or embryo ..."
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of legal abortions and human rights. It is an argumentative paper that begins discussion of Roe v. Wade, and the core of the abortion issue - human rights. The paper further discusses the role of women in society, the abortion issue from a global perspective, and the final decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. The conclusion is that abortion rights are equal to human rights, and the rights of women that have been ignored for centuries.
From the Paper "On January 22, 1973 one of the most controversial decisions in United States Supreme Court history was delivered by Justice Blackmun in Roe v. Wade ("Roe v. Wade"). Roe, a pregnant Texas woman, sought an abortion. She was told, however, that in her home State of Texas abortions were illegal unless the attending physician believed that the pregnancy posed a severe threat to the life of the mother. In Roe's case it did not. Yet, Roe felt that having an abortion should be her decision, not one that should be made by a physician, judge, or court ("Roe v. Wade"). She held that terminating a pregnancy was a personal and intimate decision. It was one which no person other than the expectant mother should have the right to make."
Abstract This paper is be a point/counterpoint argument against the view that abortion is wrong and dangerous for women to undergo. The paper's position is that abortion is a medically sound and reasonable procedure and one that should be available to women as an option. The paper addresses the following two arguments: that abortion is a risk for women in that it can cause or lead to breast cancer, and that abortion pills such as RU-486 and the morning-after pill are wrong and/or dangerous.
From the Paper "Abortion: Point/Counterpoint Even before the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision by the United States Supreme Court in the 1970s, the issue of abortion had been a divisive one within this nation's borders. With some individuals and groups claiming that abortion is immoral and akin to murder and others fighting for a woman's right to choose what is done or not done with her body, there has probably not been a more contentious and polarizing debate in America. To this day, as the government's current administration looks to make the court system and the Supreme Court one of conservative values, and as many disagree with these values, abortion is one of the defining issues within American politics and thought. This writer believes that abortion is an issue that is best left to the decision of the individual, of the woman who might possibly undergo such a procedure. "
Abstract The social order of the United States has been in a continuous debate over the issue of abortion since the early 1800s. State and federal laws have affected the legal medical practice of abortions and the individuals on both sides of the issue within the health care profession. The Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade contended that laws relating to women's rights were unconstitutional. However, the court also stated that the issue of when life begins, to address ethical concerns about abortion, would ultimately have to be determined by those in "medicine, philosophy and theology". This paper considers the ongoing and controversial abortion debate, looking at different theological and ethical perspectives as well as the medical perspective on the topic.
Abstract This paper comments upon Judith Jarvis Thomson's views on abortion in her article "A Defense of Abortion". The paper analyzes Thomson's arguments and beliefs about a woman's right to have an abortion, including her belief that abortion should be safe, legal, albeit rare. The paper concludes that Thomson's cautious and meticulous position is not unreasonable.
From the Paper "To Thomson, this leads to a logical dilemma. If the pregnancy will kill the mother, why is it wrong to deny an abortion at the cost of the mother's life? She rejects the notion that killing the fetus (direct killing) is fundamentally different from allowing the mother to die. (190) Thomson reasons that if the woman managed to cause an abortion, she would not be charged with murder. She has a right to defend her life, even against the fetus in her womb. (189-91) From this, she reasons that if the woman unplugged the violinist, causing his death, she would not commit murder. If this is so, then to refuse to grant the rape victim the right to terminate a pregnancy is to refuse to grant her "that very status of person which is so firmly insisted on for the fetus.""
