The Ethics of Abortion

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The Ethics of Abortion
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The Ethics of Abortion
Abortion is described as the process of removing the fetus from the uterus that results in
termination of pregnancy. This process is among the known medical procedures carried out in
America and other nations every year. Several research studies conducted indicate that more than
30 percent of women end their pregnancy through abortion. Currently, abortion has become a
crucial ethical issue in the field of politics, law, and also religion as each sector has its
interpretation and opinion toward this topic. Abortion is often depicted as a two-sided debate that
includes those who identify themselves as pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life followers do not
support it as they believe that it is murder. On the other hand, pro-choice followers support
abortion. However, the issue of abortion is quite multifaceted, and it also includes speculations
on biology, ethics, and constitutional rights. The paper outlines different views and
understanding to this controversial topic.
Ethics deals with what is right and wrong. It explains what should be done and what
should not be done. Medical ethics deals with how healthcare professionals should handle moral
issues that result from the care of the patients. Most of the decisions made in the clinical area
involve more than just the condition of the patient. The ethical principles that guide medical
workers in making clinical decisions include autonomy, veracity, beneficence, nonmaleficence,
confidentiality, role fidelity, and justice (Morse, 2007). Ethical problems come about when all
values cannot be respected. Therefore, it requires prioritizing the values in conflict and justifying
bleaching the values that are not respected. Research has proved that these issues are not dealt
with by the ethical discipline alone, the law and religion also play a significant role.
Nurses as clinicians must understand ethical principle concepts so that they can make
sound clinical decision whenever they are faced with various ethical issues such as abortion.

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Ethical principles form a significant reference guideline of the health ethics. The principle of
beneficence guarantees the well-being of the person involved. It means that people should strive
to perform well and avoid harming others by all means (Morse, 2007).The principle of autonomy
describes the importance of independence. It explains that people’s choices should be respected.
Giving patient independence should be regulated so that they don’t end up making decisions that
can harm others or themselves. The principle of non-maleficence describes importance of
avoiding harming others. It is stated as "above all do no harm to others." People should not harm
others intentionally or involve themselves in activities that can hurt others. The principle of
justice states that all individuals should be dealt with fairly. All people should be equally treated
unless there is a genuine reason as to why an individual may be treated differently (Bastable,
2003). Veracity is the principle that obligates a person to tell the truth. Confidentiality is the
principle that ensures protection of the privacy. The principle of role fidelity requires loyalty,
fairness, truthfulness, advocacy, and dedication.
There exist different opinions about debates that examine whether it is moral or ethical to
kill the fetus when the woman is pregnant or before the actual delivery. Currently, modern
medical technology allows women to undergo an abortion if they wish in several states.
However, people ask themselves whether this act is considered ethical (Baird & Rosenbaum,
2001). In order understand this ethical issue; some crucial questions that are triggered by this
issue must be analyzed. People ask whether a zygote is a human person who possesses rights,
self-conscious, and self-aware. In fact, there is no satisfactory answer or substantial facts for this
inquiry. Some people believe that the fetus is capable of sensing painful stimuli around 20 to 26
weeks of gestation period. Whatever the answer is, the right way is to apply this issue with
various philosophical views on multiple situations.

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This issue should be analyzed first in relation to two antagonizing perspectives from
Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism. Kant, a philosopher from Germany, argues
that all humans have individual worth and should be respected (Gillon, 2001). He believes that
people engage in most actions and behaviors merely because they believe that they are correct
things to do. Secondly, human beings act in a certain way basing on the morality apart from
other different reasons. Kant considered an abortion as immoral as it is wrong to cause a murder
(Hewson, 2001). In simpler way, the circumstances a woman encounters during her pregnancy
do not matter, considering terminating the pregnancy is immoral. This view considers an
abortion immoral because Kant believes that it is an act of murder that cannot be justified in any
way.
Jeremy Bentham is a philosopher from Britain who pioneered the utilitarianism theory
that antagonizes Kant’s views. An abortion in his opinion can be permitted in particular
situations. For example, it can be necessary when the woman lacks essential resources for
bringing up the future child. Also, when the mothers know that the fetus has congenital
malformations, permission can be granted for the need of bringing happiness (Baird &
Rosenbaum, 2001). There exists no exact difference between what is wrong or right according to
his opinion, only if the outcome will bring the most desired satisfaction in the affected person.
The issue of abortion raises many ethical questions. The issue can be grouped into two
different groups that include pro-life argument and pro-choice argument in order get the answers
to these questions. Pro-life people are against abortion. It's known that the unborn are distinct,
living and whole human beings from the initial stages of development scientifically (Baird &
Rosenbaum, 2001). Embryology supports this by asserting that a zygote is the beginning of new
human being. Pro-life followers believe that the act of abortion denies an innocent person the

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right to live. They believe that aborting a fetus treat a distinct human being with inherent moral
worth like just a disposable object (Hewson, 2001). They also argue that abortion results in
complications later in life such as ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage. Pro-life advocates do not
support this issue as they equalize it to murder that is going against human rights.
Pro-choice people support abortion. These people believe that the fetus become self-
conscious and self-aware at around twenty-six weeks after conception. This group argues that a
woman should never be strained to undergo pregnancy or childbirth if she is not willing to carry
the pregnancy (Gillon, 2001). The group suggests that the woman should be free to ask for an
abortion if it is performed at an early stage before a fetus assumes personhood. They also argue
that the government should accept the decision of a woman who seeks an abortion. Many women
who opt to terminate their pregnancies do it during their first three months of pregnancy
(Greenwood, 2001). Medically performed abortions poses only 0.5% risk of developing
complications and do not affect the health of the woman or her ability to have a child. Pro-choice
believers encourage women to abort their fetus if they have a substantial reason for terminating
the pregnancy.
The rights of a pregnant woman are another issue to consider when deciding whether
abortion is right or wrong. Women possess certain rights that entitle them to abortion. One of
them is the right to privacy. This right is outlined in the case of Roe and Wade where women
were given the right to end their pregnancy in the first trimester. Another one is right to control a
person’s body (Gillon, 2001). Any person has the right to use his or her body the way he or she
wants. The other one is right to be treated equally. Women argue that men cannot conceive and,
thus, they should not be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy as they are equal to men.

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Another one is the right to determine oneself (Hewson, 2001). Women have the freedom to make
decisions that affect their futures, and it is immoral to compel a lady to give birth to a child
against her wish. Many feminists see the issue of abortion with the perspective of the way
women were oppressed in the past and the hazard and death that occur to women in those states
where abortion is not legalized. These women’s rights complicate the issue of abortion.
The issue of abortion is multifaceted, and it also involves ethics, religion, and law. Ethics
justifies what is right or wrong. The principal argument advanced on the issue of abortion
includes the view that a fetus is an innocent person. It also includes the view that it is immoral
wrong to kill a harmless person. As a result, it is immoral wrong to terminate the life of a fetus
(Baird & Rosenbaum, 2001). The religion holds that the issue of abortion is morally wrong, and
nothing can justify this evil act. The law is not consistent from one country to another. Some
states legalize abortions while it is illegal in others. Even in those countries that it is legal,
physicians fear to engage in this practice. The issue of abortion is controversial.
Nurse practitioners as clinicians have the role of understanding the ethical principles so
that they can apply them to solve ethical issues such as abortion. Patients cannot make a reliable
decision on such a controversial issue as abortion without the help of a clinician (Morse, 2007).
They are expected to make a sound judgment about ethical issues that they encounter in daily
practice. For instance, the principle of autonomy grants the patient the right to make independent
choices about their health, but the clinician must regulate those choices to ensure that they are
beneficial to the patient. The clinician should also use the principle of non-maleficence to advise
a person who is seeking abortion without a medical indication that they are harming others
(Morse, 2007). In this case, such a person wants to harm the innocent fetus, and this advice can

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assist the person to make a sound decision about the issue. Nurse practitioners as a clinician
should advise the client that she should strive to do well according to this principle.
The principle of justice describes that all people should be dealt with fairly. The clinician
should advise the client who wants to abort her fetus without medical indication that even the
fetus deserves a fair treatment (Greenwood, 2001). The clinician should also apply the principle
of veracity to tell the truth to the client concerning the issue of abortion. He or she should ensure
that whatever they discuss with the client regarding this issue remain private (Bastable, 2003).
The clinician should also ensure that he or she remain loyal, fair, truthful, and dedicated while
advising the client on the issue of abortion according to the principle of role fidelity. Thus, nurse
practitioners as clinicians play a pivotal role in assisting the client to make substantial decisions
about this controversial issue of abortion.
From the argument and understanding of abortion, this issue is controversial as there is
no precise decision that brings a satisfying solution to the act. People are presented with many
options that end up confusing them rather than finding a substantial solution to this issue. The
issue is multifaceted involving ethics, religion, politics, and law. Clear understanding of the
ethical principles can help healthcare providers to make a reliable decision about this issue.
Healthcare providers play a pivotal role in assisting clients address this issue. The issue of
abortion remains a controversial all over the world.

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References
Baird, R. M., & Rosenbaum, S. E. (2001). The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-
choice.Amherst, N.Y: Prometheus Books.
Bastable, S. B. (Ed.). (2003). Nurse as Educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing
practice. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
Gillon, R. (2001). Is there a ‘new ethics of abortion’? Journal of Medical Ethics, 27(Suppl 2),
ii5-ii9.
Greenwood, J. (2001). The new ethics of abortion. Journal of medical ethics, 27(Suppl 2), ii2-
ii4.
Hewson, B. (2001). Reproductive autonomy and the ethics of abortion. Journal of medical
ethics, 27(Suppl 2), ii10-ii14.
Morse, J. M. (2007). Ethics in Action: ethical principles for doing qualitative health
research. Qualitative Health Research, 17(8), 1003-1005.