With the death of Henry Morgentaler, an abortion advocate instrumental in getting abortion regulations abolished in Canada in 1988, much has been said about his work to promote women’s rights. But I wonder why little is mentioned about the responsibilities associated with abortion rights.
Why has abortion become such a political issue that women refuse to investigate the consequences of it?
We owe it to ourselves to investigate responsibilities associated with our rights and the consequences of our choices. Consider the following.
Canada has no abortion regulations. This means a woman may abort a viable fetus in the third trimester (basically a baby) legally, without having a medical reason to do so. From speaking about this issue with a medical doctor, my understanding is that such cases, while rare, do occur.
I also have an ethical problem with a decision system whereby terms “baby” and “fetus” refer to the same thing (fertilized egg developing into a human being) depending on whether the parent(s) decided to keep or abort it. Shouldn’t a more objective biological foundation determine the “human” status—if a heartbeat is not enough, perhaps brain waves, or signs of human activity such as sound recognition? Are we really okay with a seven-month healthy fetus being aborted on demand?
As a mother, I would have concerns about my daughter attending Carleton and being “informed” by student organizations and their sponsors that “abortion is a safe way to end pregnancy,” as Planned Parenthood—who have previously sponsored the Graduate Students’ Association—state on their website.
As a surgical procedure, it may be. But there are long-term effects and risks that are often ignored by pro-choice advocates. Multiple studies and articles in journals point to the psychological issues associated with abortion. For instance, a study in the British Medical Journal says suicide rate after an abortion was three times the general suicide rate and six times that associated with birth.
Given such findings, should we call abortion “safe”?
Would you want to know if an elective procedure you were considering put you at higher risk of mental health problems and suicide? Who has the responsibility of informing us of these risks?
Abortion is not a right to be taken lightly—just ask women wearing signs “I regret my abortion” walking outside abortion clinics.
And Carleton, being an educational institution and a place of inquiry, should foster the atmosphere where we feel comfortable asking questions.
