Abortion, is the termination of a pregnancy that is done due to issues that mostly stem

from unwanted pregnancy, teen pregnancy, rape, financial struggle, and health
problems. While many countries and states have legalized this procedure for a long
time now, the discussion of abortion is still seen as controversial and is still criminalized
and considered taboo by many, especially in socio-religious communities. A Lot of
debate and disputes circle around the discussion as to whether women should have the
right to decide over their body, especially when it comes to abortion. Criminalizing
abortions does not stop it, rather, it only stops safe abortions, it forces women to seek
out risky and unsafe methods or to a major responsibility which they may not be ready
for.

The inaccessability to safe, affordable and respectable abortions and the stigma that
revolves around this topic pose risks to women’s physical and mental well-being. The
Lack of access to high-quality abortion care runs the risk of violating a number of
women's and girls' human rights, such as the right to life, the right to the best possible
physical and mental health, the right to benefit from scientific advancement and its
realization, the right to freely and responsibly choose to create life, or when to do so,
and the right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment
and punishment. Unsafe abortions may cause numerous physical complications such
as infections, incomplete abortion (failure to remove all pregnancy tissue from the
uterus), uterine perforation, damage in the genital tract and other organs as a
consequence of inserting dangerous objects into the vagina or anus, and may even
cause Death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Each year, about 4.7
-- 13.2% of maternal deaths are attributed to unsafe abortion. It is estimated that 30
women die for every 100 000 unsafe abortions and that number rises to 220 deaths per
100 000 unsafe abortions, estimates from 2012 indicate that in developing countries
alone. 7 million women per year were treated in hospital facilities for complications of
unsafe abortion. It is also stated there that “Developing countries bear the burden of
97% of all unsafe abortions. More than half of all unsafe abortions occur in Asia, most of
them in south and central Asia. In Latin America and Africa, the majority (approximately
3 out of 4) of all abortions are unsafe. In Africa, nearly half of all abortions occur under
the least safe circumstances “

Not only does inaccessibility to abortion care physically impact a woman, it also
imposes mental, and financial burden. Restrictive regulations affect those who do not
have the proper resources, these are the people who are living in poverty, people of
color, and sexual and gender identity minorities, as well as those who live in rural or
medically underserved areas, and developing countries or regions where it is needed to
travel or attain certain requirements for proper health care. There are even cases where
women, especially those who come from religious backgrounds will never consider this
option because of the stigma and shame surrounding this procedure which often leads
to negative effects not only on the now mother, but also on the child she will soon have.

The reason why this stigma exists is because of the questioned morality of women,
mentioned by Patel (2021) in a research about the origins of moral arguments against
abortion rights “One of the most common arguments levied against a woman’s right to
choose is the idea that abortion is “murder,” and the killing of an innocent fetus is the
most heinous sin a woman can partake in”, “they painted women seeking abortions as
murderesses devoid of morals” and in religion many believe that to be able to create life
is a miracle and to ‘erase’ that would be a sin, if so, why are the children labeled as
‘miracles’ are not treated as such? Why are they treated like the heaviest burden when
the people around them say they are blessings? When abortion is not accessible,
women are then forced to have these children no matter the circumstance. What if a
child from rape grows up to know their father was a rapist, a sex offender? What if this
child grows in a toxic environment because they were unwanted? What if this child
suffers the consequences of poverty? It is never the child's fault but they often shoulder
and share the burdens that the parents bring. A similar thought was brought up in a
book by Philip Ney (1979) that stated “It is argued that unwanted children are more
frequently abused; therefore people should only have wanted children. Unwanted
children may not only be aborted. They should be aborted now, in case they are
battered later. It is the child’s right to be wanted; ergo, if he is unwanted, it is his right
not to be”

Women should have the right over what happens to their bodies. Women should be
provided access to abortion especially in circumstances where they are not able to bear
or raise a child. Countless injuries and deaths of women could be avoided and
prevented with proper abortion care. Giving them this right could possibly save children
from a life they don't deserve. Criminalizing abortions does not stop it, it only pushes
women to seek unsafe methods or to bear a responsibility they are not able to cater to.
So why take away abortion when without it, we’re hurting more than what we're
protecting?