PHI-FP 2000 Assessment 4: Dealing With Complexity

Hello everyone, on-air this morning is……………. I welcome you to this long-awaited session; “make our society better podcast. I will be hosting the program this morning, and I request that you pay attention to what we will explore. Our society is faced with several social issues that impact people’s lives, from children and youths to adults. As such, this morning, I would like to explore one of the most debatable and hot topics; abortion. One of the things that make abortion such interest is that while some states allow abortion any time the fetus is in the womb, others only allow it up to a few weeks of the fetus’s life (Bloomer et al., 2018). You will agree with me that abortion is such a polarizing issue. Every time the topic of abortion gets attention, various popular questions come to the fore, such as should it be legalized or not, and if yes, under what circumstances? Stay tuned as we dive deeper into this issue.

The Contemporary Issue With Reference to Practical Instances

Abortion has been practiced for a long time, even in colonial America. Even thou the abortion laws began in the 1820s, abortion before quickening was illegalized in the 1860s, implying that before then, a woman could freely carry out an abortion without restrictions. The laws have undergone several changes, and by 1857, American Medical Association made it illegal, with only mothers at risk allowed to do so (Bloomer et al., 2018). Currently, the issue of abortion is divisive, and there are pro-life and pro-choice in both sides of the divide. Just recently, on 24^th June 2022, to be precise, the U.S Supreme Court overturned the Roe versus Wade, which is a court decision that offered a constitutional right to abortion in the year 1973. There are expectations that this ruling will lead to abortion bans in about half of the states. In particular, the Republican-led states may severely limit or ban abortion with immediate effect, while others may do it later. Various Democrat-led states have already set steps in motion that is to protect abortion access as they wait for the formal statement by the Supreme Court, which is anticipated to confirm the ruling.

Contributions to the Issue from Academic Disciplines

Abortion as a contemporary social issue has been widely discussed across various disciplines. For example, in the nursing discipline. Nursing ethical principles revolve around autonomy as one of the pillars and the abortion debate pits the principle of autonomy against the principle of sanctity of life as well as the pregnant mother’s right to control her body (Simmonds et al., 2021). As such, in some instances, autonomy takes center stage in determining whether abortion should be performed or not. Autonomy implies that an individual is given then a chance and right to make decisions. Hence nurses are to view individuals as unique and that they have the right to be what they are and to make the decisions they have to make.

The debate around abortion has made the nursing discipline make a substantial contribution to the issue and come up with suggestions on how the professionals should handle the issue. Where abortion is legalized, registered nurses offer abortion care in clinics and hospitals and support better outcomes by offering family planning care and sexual health education (Simmonds et al., 2021). The nurse practitioners help in improving abortion access to prevent unsafe abortion, which has been shown to be costly. They do such through prescription and by offering to counsel regarding abortion, providing and offering resources regarding abortion options as well as follow-ups.

Psychology as a discipline has also contributed to the topic of abortion. For a long time, abortion opponents fronted an argument that abortion has a considerable impact on an individual’s mental health leading to negative mental health outcomes. However, a recent study known as the Turnaway study proved otherwise. With thousands of people recruited across the U.S, the results showed that those who had an abortion did not present with an increased risk of negative mental health outcomes. On the other hand, the study found that individuals who were denied abortion presented with short-term heightened levels of low self-esteem, low life satisfaction, anxiety, and higher levels of stress as compared to the individuals who were able to obtain the abortion they requested (Coleman, 2022). Therefore, these perspectives from psychology have brought in completely new ideas regarding abortion from the psychological perspective.

Distinct Positions on Abortion

As earlier indicated, the abortion debate still rages on with two major arguments emerging regarding abortion, as to whether it is good or bad and whether it should be legalized or not. As such, there are the pro-life and pro-choice positions that are frequently clashing. Those who support abortion hold the notion that abortion is a safe medical procedure key to protecting lives and that banning abortion only tends to endanger pregnant people who are not looking to abort, create many repercussions, and deny individuals autonomy (Ganjon, 2020). On the other side of the coin are those who oppose abortion. They hold the perspective that abortion is like murder because when conception occurs, life has already started. Therefore, abortion encourages a culture where life is disposable.

The pro-choice position supports abortion as a way of respecting people’s choices. They are for advancing and protecting justice, rights, and reproductive health. They argue that every woman should be in a position where they can access high-quality reproductive health care services, legal and safe abortion included. In support, they front ideas for Planned Parenthood with a package of important reproductive and preventive health care for millions of women and especially those from low-income economic backgrounds. The pro-choice arguments come from the belief that individuals’ autonomy should be respected and that their rights should not be violated (Ganjon, 2020). The pro-life group believes in the sanctity of life and that immediately after a woman conceives, the fetus is considered a new life, and that abortion amounts to disregard for life and murder.

The Personal Ethical Position on the Issue

Abortion is a complex issue, and coming up with an argument that can be considered all-around or perfect is equally complicated. Therefore, the ethical stand I choose and defend is a pro-life choice. However, I would like a situation where abortion is allowed only in limited cases. I am aware that banning abortion in its entirety can be detrimental as the medical treatment for every other nonviable pregnancy is usually the same as that of abortion. For example, cases of ectopic pregnancy, incomplete miscarriage, or missed miscarriage may all be solved through the same route as abortion. Therefore, I believe such cases should be exempt from the law barring abortion. I believe that the sanctity of the fetus’ life should be respected and allowed to grow to term without any interference.

Conclusion

Complex social issues are usually a challenge, especially in the healthcare setting, due to the fact that they come with ethical dilemmas. The implication is that health care professionals have to make ethical decisions in such situations. Abortion is among such issues, and there is a need to ensure that the issue does not lead to negative health outcomes. The recent ruling of the Supreme Court means that the topic still remains a hotly contested one, and in the coming months, a lot of activities are expected in relation to abortion throughout every American state.

References

Bloomer, F., Pierson, C., & Estrada, S. C. (2018). Reimagining global abortion politics. Bristol: Policy Press.

Coleman, S. (2022). Abortion, Science, and Morality in the Turnaway Study: New Perspectives for the Helping Professions: The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having–or Being Denied–an Abortion, by Diana Greene Foster, New York NY, Simon & Schuster/Scribner, 2020, 360 pp. Hardback, 27.00,ISBN978-1982141561;Paperback 18.00, ISBN-13 978982141578. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2022.2037821.

Ganjon, K. S. (2020). Pro-life and Pro-choice: What Shapes the Debate over Abortion in America?. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/821/

Simmonds, K., Schwartz-Barcott, D., & Erickson-Owens, D. (2021). Nurse practitioners’ and certified nurse midwives’ experiences providing comprehensive early abortion care in New England, USA. Health Care for Women International, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2021.1929991