Washed Away, Women Should Be Able to Make Their Own Decisions

Washed Away by Isabella Perrini

Isabella Perrini is a female artist, whose art focuses on the unspoken harsh parts of life, especially relating to girlhood. Through digital realism media, her goal is to bring to light the obstacles we, as women, face daily. These pieces uncensor the reality of coming of age as a girl.

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Women Should Be Able to Make Their Own Decisions

Sanaeya Nalladaru

“No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body,” said Margaret Sanger. All hell will break loose if abortion is banned. Teenagers who are not prepared to have a child will be forced to do so. Women who have been raped will be forced to have the child. Women who cannot afford to support the child will now be required to work double or triple shifts just to care for it. Women should have the ability to get an abortion because women should have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies.
Some people believe that terminating a pregnancy is done because the mother simply does not want the baby. However, there are numerous reasons to have an abortion. In 1987, a survey of abortion patients was conducted. The survey found that three-fourths of the respondents said having a baby would interfere with their work, school, or other activities. The current financial situation of two third´s respondents was insufficient to support the child. Lastly, one-half of the respondents said they did not want to be a single parent or that they were currently having relationship problems. These are not the only reasons to have an abortion. Some abortion victims are under the age of 20, and they may be too immature to raise the child or finish their education. Not to mention the dangers of adolescent pregnancy. By the year 2000, countries had an estimated 1 billion teenagers, who are physically mature enough to reproduce but far too young to be responsible. Pregnancy under the age of 20 is extremely dangerous for both the adolescent and the child, and pregnant women under the age of 20 are more likely to die or become ill. Finally, some women have abortions to complete their education, while others have children to care for. Alternatively, they do not believe they can afford child care. There are many reasons to have an abortion, yet some people still think that abortion should be banned. If there is a ban, would it be effective?
Thousands of women are killed each year as a result of illegal abortions. But that won’t stop women from getting it. If the United States outlaws abortions, the number of illegal abortions will skyrocket. So, is abortion prohibition effective? Before abortion was legalized, life was extremely difficult. Women used to attempt to perform abortions on themselves using hangers if they could not get access to an illegal abortion. Some women succeeded with their abortions, while others were killed as a result of their efforts. Abortionists are those who engage in illegal abortions. The abortionists would use unsanitary tools on occasion, endangering the patient undergoing an abortion. Furthermore, it could take weeks, if not months, to locate an illegal abortion clinic. Before abortion was legal, women would travel all over the country looking for a doctor who would perform an abortion, and if they couldn’t find one, they would look for an abortionist outside of the country. Some hospitals kept track of the number of women who died as a result of illegal abortions, and in 1930, 2,700 women died as a result of illegal abortions. Prohibiting abortion will only increase the number of people who have unsafe and unsanitary abortions. The truth is that people will have abortions regardless of how far away the illegal abortion clinic is or whether the abortionists could permanently damage a woman’s body. This just goes to show how far a woman will go to have an abortion. To summarize, regardless if abortion is legal or illegal, women will always have them. Pro-lifers are those who advocate for the prohibition of abortions. In addition to opposing abortion, they believe it is murder. The real question is whether or not that is correct.
Mother Theresa once said,” It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” This sentiment expresses the pro-life belief that abortion is a self-centered act of murder. However, this is not the case. Abortion is not murder because, until the end of the second trimester the fetus’s brain is not developed and as a result, has no awareness. Without the ability to feel or think, the fetus is just a wad of cells and is simply non-existent. Scientifically, there is nothing to murder. Pro-choice groups argue that abortion should always be legal, no matter the reason for getting an abortion, and pro-life groups argue that abortion is murder. Abortion is a contentious issue, and many Americans are working to find common ground on the subject.
Women should be able to obtain abortions because they have the right to control their bodies. However, no one can predict the future, and women must have the freedom to do what they believe is best for them. Abortion is not murder; it is a choice. Abortion is something that people have for a variety of reasons, and by making abortion illegal, women will still have abortions, however more dangerous ones. If the Supreme Court bans abortion, they are removing a woman’s freedom and rights. “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother,” said Margaret Sanger. Take into consideration what she said.

Works Cited
Juettner, Bonnie. Abortion (Ripped from the Headlines). Erickson Pr, 2007

Monroy De Velasco, A. “Consequences of early childbearing.” PubMed, 1988, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12264602/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.

Paltrow, Lynn M. “Beyond Abortion: The Consequences of Overturning Roe.”
PubMed, 1988, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35652910/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.

Torres, A., and J. D. Forrest. “Why Do Women Have Abortions?” PubMed, 1988, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3243347/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.

Werning, C. “[Is Abortion Murder?].” PubMed, Sept. 1995, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7476658/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.

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Sanaeya Nalladaru is a 13-year-old girl, born and raised in the States. She is a proud Indian-American daughter, who spends her days reading, swimming, listening to Taylor Swift, and spending time with her friends and family. She discovered her love for literature 3 years ago and has been obsessed with it ever since.