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Abortion is easily one of the most arguable debates in the 21st century. From pro-life to pro-choice there are plenty of different views and beliefs from all sorts of people, and this is mine. We can all agree that taking a human life is morally wrong. The difference in opinion comes down to whether or not it is morally correct to have an abortion or to force a woman to carry out her pregnancy to full term, depending on the circumstances. 

A common belief among some pro-choice advocates is that a woman should have the right to choose whether or not she should have an abortion no matter the circumstances. Some people, however, miss the choice part in that statement. It is a common misconception that if you are pro-choice, you are pro-abortion, but that is not the case. Pro-choice means  having the right to choose what happens with your body and life. 

I agree with having the right to choose whether or not you want an abortion; however using abortion as a form of birth control is where I draw the line. I do not believe that you should get an abortion just because you “didn’t mean to get pregnant” or cannot financially support the child. There are plenty of families and couples who cannot have children or can support them out there that want to adopt. Women whose pregnancies are a result of rape, incest, or are considered high risk for the mother or baby, should be allowed to decide if they want to terminate the pregnancy without a doubt. People who have never been in the same shoes as a woman who has to make this decision should have no say in the matter whatsoever. You cannot determine how someone should think, process, or heal in circumstances you have never experienced.

Deciding to terminate a pregnancy is a major decision and is not something that someone can determine by the flip of a coin. It is a decision that takes time, a lot of thought, debating, and consideration. Something to take into account as well is that abortion rates over the years have decreased, and continue to do so. There has been a 20 percent drop in abortion rates since 2011, and the main driver of this drop isn’t stricter laws on abortion, but because the most fertile age group simply is abstaining more, along with people using contraceptives correctly. People ignore the real reason this decrease has taken place and believe that getting rid of abortions completely will stop abortions, but that would lead to dangerous alternatives.

If we were to illegalize abortions completely, I would be concerned for the women in our country. Making abortions illegal does not mean they are not going to happen. More women will resort to either attempting to abort their child themselves or having someone else do it for them. Plenty of illegal abortions already take place due to abortions being expensive, or women being afraid of the judgment of their family members, spouses, or even their community. If we illegalize abortions now there will be an increase in these dangerous and unethical procedures, resulting in more deaths, which can be avoided by allowing safe abortions to those in need. 

I have to reiterate: I personally do not believe in using abortions as birth control. You should not get an abortion just because you do not want a kid. However I do believe in having the right to decide what happens with your body, especially in extreme cases. The debate on abortion will be never-ending, and we just need to accept the fact that allowing safe abortions and continuing to promote contraceptives and alternatives, will always be safer than getting rid of abortions as a whole.