Is the Deliberately Induced Abortion of a Human Pregnancy Ethically Justifiable?

Abortion is a sensitive subject to speak of especially among people that are considered to be moral Christians. As to whether or not it is ethically justifiable to deliberately undergo one depends on ones moral standing. Based on moral beliefs, there is no rational ground for one to have an induced abortion. However, the medical society considers several life-threatening aspects like ectopic pregnancy and a deformed fetus as valid reasons for the procedure. The theory of reasoning among different individuals has driven a conflict on the matter of abortions (Caplan & Arp, 10).

This paper provides an analysis of the morally right reasons for induced abortions. The paper hypothesizes that induced abortions should be ethically permissible in the event of a high-risk multiples pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, deformed fetus, anencephaly fetus,  and if the pregnancy puts the life of the mother at risk. Though some people may consider these reasons heartless, they are in the interests of the women.

Deliberately Induced Abortion of a Human Pregnancy is Ethically Justifiable

I believe that having an induced abortion is morally permissible since it cannot be equated to murder. A fetus is not a fully formed and knowledgeable person so it does not care about life as a whole human being does. As Smith states in his article Couple Chooses Life and Sextuplets, “After learning Brianna was carrying sextuplets, doctors strongly recommended “selective reduction”, a common euphemism for selective abortion, emphasizing they believed the potential risks were too great” (1). So, although its life cannot be replaced, aborting it in the event of a life threatening situation or complication is no question for morality.

While I am a firm Christian and believe murder is wrong, I am of the contention that a fetus does not fall under the same status as an adult human. While the fetus will later develop into a full human, its stage of development gives the mother’s life superiority. As such, a woman can choose to have an induced abortion if the doctor cites some medical complications that could endanger her life (Smith, 1). Although my argument has grounds, I feel that human beings can be hypocritical when it comes to the morality aspects of abortion as many consider it to be torture. However, come to think about it, humans have been known to inflict pain to their enemies or people that do not make them happy. This is just a reflection of why induced abortion should not be classified as torture to a fetus. A fetus has not developed the sense of self-awareness that triggers survival skills so terminating a pregnancy does not necessarily mean the killing of life. In the defense of abortions, Kuhse, Schuklenk & Singer argue that, “The active potential which he or she already has includes the very capacities which are distinctive of persons” (16).

I believe that any life-threatening situation should allow for the choice of induced abortion. There are women diagnosed with genetic conditions that turn out to be risky during pregnancy like the HELLP Syndrome. Such a health problemis not only a danger to the mother but also the fetus itself. I believe that the pregnant mother, in this case, has a right to consider undergoing an induced abortion in order to keep living.According to Mitchell & Riley, such an instance calls for a life and death decision. The doctor is thus faced with a real-life moral problem to consider when making recommendations (97). Nonetheless, the issue of multiple pregnancies disturbs me because babies often survive like in the case of the sextuplets. The doctors will analyze the potential health risks to the mother and fetuses before suggesting an induced abortion. The decision for the selective abortion lies entirely with the mother and the legality of the entire process.

Instances Where I think an induced abortion is not ethically justifiable

I must, however, disagree with some pro-abortion activists on the issue of incest and rape. In this case, the life of the mother is not at risk so even if you do not want to keep the baby, there is always the option of giving it up for adoption. If the doctor diagnosis your fetus with a rare genetic disease, I also do not think that aborting it is morally and ethically right. There are successful people with similar genetic problems that have grown to have a positive impact on society. There are always other medically approved ways of dealing with babies that have debilitating genetic disorders(Marchick, 1). As Kuhse, Schuklenk & Singer argue in “Why Abortion is Immoral”, making ethically correct life and death decisions might save a life, but can you live with your conscious (15)? Various bioethicists are faced with a dilemma when carrying out their responsibilities in various fields of operations due to the stipulated moral issue.

Conclusion

At the beginning of this paper I argued that induced abortions are ethically permissible in the event of a high-risk multiples pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, deformed fetus, anencephaly fetus and if the pregnancy puts the life of the mother at risk. However, one should not mistake my views as those going against my Christian values. I believe that the moral status of a fetus cannot be said to be equal to a fully formed infant so the issue of induced abortion is okay with me on this one. Furthermore, I believe that a fetus that is life-threatening to the mother can be terminated safely to avoid complications in the future. This applies to ectopic pregnancies, anencephaly and deformed fetus, and other types of pregnancies that are unlikely to survive as they pose a threat to the mother’s life. These are the few cases in which I would find induced abortion ethically permissible.