Key Arguments From Both Sides of the Abortion Debate

Pro-choice and anti-abortion protesters converge outside of a government building

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Many points come up in the abortion debate. Here's a look at abortion from both sides: 10 arguments for abortion and 10 arguments against abortion, for a total of 20 statements that represent a range of topics as seen from both sides.

Pro-Life Arguments

  1. Since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life.
  2. No civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without punishment, and abortion is no different.
  3. Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. And with 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.
  4. An abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies is increased if other factors such as smoking are present, the chance of a miscarriage increases in some cases, and pelvic inflammatory disease also increases.
  5. In the instance of rape and incest, taking certain drugs soon after the event can ensure that a woman will not get pregnant. Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be punished.
  6. Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception.
  7. For women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence.
  8. Many Americans who pay taxes are opposed to abortion, therefore it's morally wrong to use tax dollars to fund abortion.
  9. Those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterward.
  10. Abortion sometimes causes psychological pain and stress.

Pro-Choice Arguments

  1. Nearly all abortions take place in the first trimester when a fetus is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord to the mother. As such, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb.
  2. The concept of personhood is different from the concept of human life. Human life occurs at conception, but fertilized eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives and those not implanted are routinely thrown away. Is this murder, and if not, then how is abortion murder?
  3. Adoption is not an alternative to abortion because it remains the woman's choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Statistics show that very few women who give birth choose to give up their babies; less than 3% of White unmarried women and less than 2% of Black​ unmarried women.
  4. Abortion is a safe medical procedure. The vast majority of women who have an abortion do so in their first trimester. Medical abortions have a very low risk of serious complications and do not affect a woman's health or future ability to become pregnant or give birth.
  5. In the case of rape or incest, forcing a woman made pregnant by this violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. Often a woman is too afraid to speak up or is unaware she is pregnant, thus the morning after pill is ineffective in these situations.
  6. Abortion is not used as a form of contraception. Pregnancy can occur even with contraceptive use. Few women who have abortions do not use any form of birth control, and that is due more to individual carelessness than to the availability of abortion.
  7. The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to civil rights. Take away her reproductive choice and you step onto a slippery slope. If the government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy, what about forcing a woman to use contraception or undergo sterilization?
  8. Taxpayer dollars are used to enable poor women to access the same medical services as rich women, and abortion is one of these services. Funding abortion is no different from funding a war in the Mideast. For those who are opposed, the place to express outrage is in the voting booth.
  9. Teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave school; receive inadequate prenatal care; or develop mental health problems.
  10. Like any other difficult situation, abortion creates stress. Yet the American Psychological Association found that stress was greatest prior to an abortion and that there was no evidence of post-abortion syndrome.

Additional References

View Article Sources
  1. Life Begins at Fertilization with the Embryo's Conception.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University.

  2. Long-Term Risks of Surgical Abortion.” GLOWM, doi:10.3843/GLOWM.10441

  3. Patel, Sangita V, et al. “Association between Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Abortions.” Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, Medknow Publications, July 2010, doi:10.4103/2589-0557.75030

  4. Raviele, Kathleen Mary. “Levonorgestrel in Cases of Rape: How Does It Work?” The Linacre Quarterly, Maney Publishing, May 2014, doi:10.1179/2050854914Y.0000000017

  5. Reardon, David C. “The Abortion and Mental Health Controversy: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Common Ground Agreements, Disagreements, Actionable Recommendations, and Research Opportunities.” SAGE Open Medicine, SAGE Publications, 29 Oct. 2018, doi:10.1177/2050312118807624

  6. CDCs Abortion Surveillance System FAQs.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 Nov. 2019.

  7. Bixby Center for Reproductive Health. “Complications of Surgical Abortion : Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology.” LWW, doi:10.1097/GRF.0b013e3181a2b756

  8. "Sexual Violence: Prevalence, Dynamics and Consequences." World Health Organizaion.

  9. Homco, Juell B, et al. “Reasons for Ineffective Pre-Pregnancy Contraception Use in Patients Seeking Abortion Services.” Contraception, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2009, doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2009.05.127

  10. "Working With Pregnant & Parenting Teens Tip Sheet." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  11. Major, Brenda, et al. "Abortion and Mental Health: Evaluating the Evidence." American Psychological Association, doi:10.1037/a0017497

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Lowen, Linda. "Key Arguments From Both Sides of the Abortion Debate." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/arguments-for-and-against-abortion-3534153. Lowen, Linda. (2021, July 31). Key Arguments From Both Sides of the Abortion Debate. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/arguments-for-and-against-abortion-3534153 Lowen, Linda. "Key Arguments From Both Sides of the Abortion Debate." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/arguments-for-and-against-abortion-3534153 (accessed March 19, 2024).