The word abortion, in connection with pregnancy, can be defined as "Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival."[1] Thus, the word includes miscarriage, but commonly refers to induced abortion; that is, the intentional performance of a procedure which causes the death of a living organism.
Abortion is a controversial topic in the United States. Prior to 1973 it was illegal, usually criminal, and considered to be serious medical misconduct. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade[2] decision ruled that abortions are permissible, as a woman's choice, up to the point at which the fetus becomes able to survive outside the womb.
The movement which supports freedom of reproductive choice for women labels itself the "Pro-Choice" movement; the movement in the United States which opposes a woman's reproductive rights calls itself the "Pro-Life" movement. However, the "Pro-Life" movement tends to be rather conflicted on which "lives" deserve to be protected - as a majority of the followers of this movement support the death penalty, as well as the wholesale slaughter of the Iraqi people. Seemingly, one is to conclude that a fetus has more rights than a full grown human being in their world view.
References
- ↑ American Heritage Dictionary definition, abortion
- ↑ Online text of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)