Background of the Abortion Debate

Some definitions: a fetus (foetus) = an unborn child an embryo = a very early-term fetus a zygote = a fertilized egg a trimester = 3 months

Conception is the moment when an egg is fertilized by sperm Conception is the moment when an egg is fertilized by sperm. The fertilized egg, or zygote, contains within it the genetic code (the blueprint of an organism).

Viability is the stage of fetal development (around 22nd to 24th week) when the fetus’s internal organs have developed to the point that in case of premature delivery, the newborn can be kept alive with the aid of an incubator.

Sentience is the capacity to experience pleasure, pain and other mental states. Around the 22nd to 24th week of pregnancy, the human fetus begins to develop or acquire sentience.

3 types of issues regarding abortion: health issues (e.g. Is abortion safe?) legal issues (e.g. Do women have a legal right to abortion?) moral issues (e.g. Is it morally permissible to have an abortion?)

While late-term abortion can be risky, early-term abortion is relatively safe if it is carried out in a hospital or an approved abortion clinic. In the United States, nearly 50% of early-term abortions involve the use of the abortion pill.

In the United States, legal issues related to abortion have largely been settled with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 1973 which held that women have a legal right to abortion during the first and the second trimester (the first 6 months) of a pregnancy.

The abortion debate is not about health issues or legal issues The abortion debate is not about health issues or legal issues. The main issue is the moral permissibility of abortion, and the debate arises from the clash of 2 basic rights: the fetus’s right to life and the mother’s right over her own body.

The moral basis of the pro-life position, which supports the fetus’s right to life, is the sanctity of life principle: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ ‘We have a duty to preserve life.’ ‘Life is a gift from God.’ ‘The right to life is a God-given right.’

It can be argued that if a fetus has full moral status, it should be treated as a person with a full set of rights. Abortion is morally impermissible because it violates the fetus’s right to life.

The pro-choice position defends women’s right to freedom of choice over reproductive decisions (also known as ‘reproductive rights’, ‘reproductive freedom’, or ‘bodily autonomy’).

Supporters of women’s bodily autonomy believe that a woman has a right to decide what happens to her body and is under no obligation to support a child she does not want.