Partial Birth Abortion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Partial Birth Abortion - Research Paper Example This paper is a critical examination of partial birth abortion focusing on how the procedure is conducted and comparing it with other types of abortion. According to Cathy, partial birth abortion involves terminating a pregnancy without removal of all products of conception (3). One of the major differences between the process and other types of abortion is that the fetus is partially born and alive before it is killed. The procedure of partial birth abortion is delicate and is normally conducted by skilled medical personnel. Partial birth abortion has been practiced for a long time especially in the United States. Cathy notes that the practice came into public attention after a medical doctor admitted to having undertaken the procedure on a routine basis in his practice in 1992(88). The doctor’s admission of the practice elicited intense debates, from both pro-abortion groups and pro-life after the details about the procedure were made public (87-92). Before partial-birth abortion was made illegal, proponents of the practice argued that it was a rare practice, conducted under extreme conditions especially during emergencies when the life of the unborn child and/or the mother is under threat (Alcorn, 72). However, in-depth investigations into the prevalence of the practice in the American medical institutions revealed that the practice was indeed common. According to Reagan, partial birth abortion was regularly undertaken on healthy pregnant women with robust unborn fetuses aged 20 weeks and over (60). Proponents of partial birth abortion also contend that the practice is an important component of the â€Å"virtue of choice†, which allows all people including pregnant women the right to determine what to do with their lives (Cathy, 92). In spite of the practice being illegal, it is still widely practiced across the country. Moreover, research studies indicate that women who terminate their pregnancies have higher risks of de veloping mental problems in the future (Alcorn, 209).