Seven Arguments For and Against Abortion
📝 Take the evaluation: Pros and Cons — My Personal List
- The arguments for and against abortion differ with each woman, according to her unique perspective. They derive from her values.
- Some women find it helpful to weigh their reasons by putting them on paper and grading their importance since the deciding factor is not only the number of arguments but also their value.
- Using the results of our 2023 study of data drawn from counseling 123.456 pregnant women throughout 2022, we have compiled the seven most common pros and cons of abortion.
Abortion Pros and Cons — Your Self-Evaluation
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The 7 Most Common Pros and Cons of Abortion
Based on the 2022 Profemina statistics collected while counseling 123,456 women, these are the most frequently mentioned arguments for abortion and their counterarguments. However, many women raising these questions feel torn about how to respond. As you read these lines, you may be facing a similar situation. In that case, you may find it helpful to consider each argument and recognize which ones you resonate with the most.
⏰ Argument #1: Timing and Aspirations
About 51,481 of the 123,456 participants (41.7%) cited biographical reasons for feeling unsure about the pregnancy.
Pro Abortion: This is not the right time to have a baby. Maybe in a few months or years — but now? I had completely different plans for my life. There is so much I had wanted to do… I don’t want to give that up.
Con Abortion: Will the timing ever be absolutely perfect? What would be so drastically different a few months or years from now? Am I even certain that my circumstances will have changed that much?
The best things in life cannot be planned — they just happen: falling in love, a close friendship, or a baby. All of these call for spontaneity. Also, would I really have to surrender my plans — or could they be realized later? How could I arrange things so that a baby would still allow for other activities?
😰 Argument #2: Overwhelmed
About 37,654 of the 123,456 participants (30.5%) cited feeling overwhelmed as their reason for feeling unsure about their pregnancy.
Pro Abortion: Physically or mentally, I have reached my breaking point. I could not handle a(nother) baby. That would be too much for me.
Con Abortion: Perhaps I have been feeling overwhelmed for a while. Could this situation be an opportunity to reorient my life? Is there any help I could get in my everyday life? Which areas need to be reprioritized and reorganized?
How would an abortion affect me? Is it possible that an abortion would even make me feel worse? Would the additional burden of a potentially traumatic experience weigh me down even further?
💔 Argument #3: The Relationship
About 21,234 of the 123,456 participants (17.2%) cited relationship issues as their reason for considering abortion.
Pro Abortion: The relationship is still very fresh, or we are going through a rough patch. We are not even together. His initial reaction to the pregnancy was negative. He does not want the baby.
Con Abortion: How could an abortion affect our relationship? Abortions cannot make everything undone, allowing us to pick up where we left off before I got pregnant. It might create a rift between us or even cause us to break up because we did not step up to this challenge.
It is common for men to need time to come on terms with the pregnancy, especially if the pregnancy had not been planned. In most cases, they become loving fathers who share parenting responsibilities.
💰Argument #4: Finances
About 8,272 of the 123,456 participants (6.7%) cited financial reasons for feeling unsure about their pregnancy.
Pro Abortion: Having a baby costs money, which I do not have. I cannot afford a(nother) baby.
Con Abortion: While financial difficulties are often initially cited as the main reason for considering abortion, the numbers decreased to 6.7% after considering the financial support available to expectant mothers. The one thing my baby needs more than anything else is love and care. This is readily available and yet priceless!
🩺 Argument #5: Health or Fetal Diagnosis
About 3,827 of the 123,456 participants (3.1%) cited health reasons or a fetal diagnosis for feeling unsure about their pregnancy.
Pro Abortion: I don't want to continue dealing with this physical or mental health condition. My substance use may have caused permanent damage. The baby may have a fetal defect.
Con Abortion: Medically necessary abortions are very rare. The vast majority of high-risk pregnancies and births are free from complications. Sometimes, pregnancies even cause chronic illnesses to improve. Medical support is available to carry most pregnancies to term. Using harmful substances before the 5th week of pregnancy usually does not affect the baby. Fetal anomaly tests may be inaccurate or exaggerated. Perhaps getting a second opinion could provide some peace of mind.
🚫Argument #6: Rape
About 617 of the 123,456 participants (0.5%) cited rape as the reason for feeling unsure about their pregnancy.
Pro Abortion: I did not choose this pregnancy. This baby could be a constant reminder of the assault.
Con Abortion: It is not the baby's fault. Having an abortion does not aid in processing or healing the experience of rape. Despite the harsh circumstances, gentle feelings may be starting to develop. It is not the baby's fault. Is the opportunity to love the "innocent" perhaps creating a stronger bond than the pain of memory?
🗜Argument #7: External Pressure
About 370 of the 123,456 participants (0.3%) cited feeling pressured as the reason for considering abortion.
Pro Abortion: Having an abortion will get my partner or parents off my back.
Con Abortion: Having an abortion for the sake of someone else stifles my ability to make a decision that is consistent with my core values and convictions. Forced abortions are illegal and disempowering and can even lead to significant trauma. It is my body and my choice!
Advantages and Disadvantages of Making a Pros and Cons List
Making a list of abortion pros and cons can help you analyze all the rational aspects of a decision. You will be able to take stock of your worries and concerns – as well as any pleasant thoughts – and realize which ones are most meaningful to you.
While this list is a perfect place to start, it need not be the be-all and end-all. This decision is multifaceted and involves more than meets the eye. As well as limiting the decision-making process to the rational, focusing on a list can also encourage brooding. This would obscure one’s view rather than lead to increased clarity.
Guard yourself against this by laying your list aside once in a while. Take a walk or do something else which allows you to distance yourself from overpowering thoughts. Your heart also needs a voice in the matter. But your deepest desires only become audible when everything else quiets down.
Our tip: When you create your list of abortion pros and cons, introduce a point system. How would you rate the importance of each of the arguments? You could use a scale from 1-10. This would give you a better sense of your inclinations rather than going by the sheer number of arguments. How will you take your strongest points into account? What will need to be reconsidered to allow room for your priorities?
It may be helpful to use colors or symbols to create categories as you ask yourself: Which aspect is about to change? Which issue could be easily tackled and taken care of? Which argument would change if I received support? Which point is most important to me, placing all others in the shade?
I Have Made My List of Pros and Cons — Now What?
You may have already compiled your list of pros and cons. Or perhaps you took the multiple-choice evaluation, choosing the arguments that are most meaningful to you. Either way, you are actively pursuing answers by considering all sides of the issue! This is an essential step toward reaching a decision that matches who you are and leaves no room for regrets.
Our goal is to provide you with the support you desire so that you can overcome any obstacle that threatens to block your path. You are not alone! Allow us to walk alongside you by providing you with a judgment-free environment in which you can find the path that matches your desires and convictions:
- ⛑ Wondering where to go from here? Take the First Aid Test!
- ⚖️ Abortion: Yes or No? Take the Abortion Test!
- 🛤 Could an abortion affect me long term?
- 👥 What is my pregnancy personality? Take the Personality Test!
FAQs
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Thoughts leading up to an abortion are unique to each woman. Many women name bad timing, relational concerns, feeling overwhelmed, or having different plans for their lives. A list of pros and cons can help clarify your priorities.
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Inasmuch as every lived experience is unique, everyone's reason for or against abortion is different. Apart from the outward circumstances, subjective motivations can play a huge role. You may ask yourself, "Is there really such a thing as perfect timing?" or "Could this pregnancy, despite being unintended, pose an opportunity?" These kinds of thoughts can also be represented in your list of pros and cons.
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Every woman facing an abortion decision will have different pros and cons. Making a list can help you gain more clarity, but can also lead to overthinking. Rather than merely counting the arguments, pay attention to the value you attribute to each one.
