Ethics, Religion and The Issue of Abortion in Medicine Term Paper by Master Researcher

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.