Health Center Sparks Abortion Debate: Always has and always will be your choice

By Jenna Simsen

When a woman wanted an abortion in the 1950s, she had little to no options. Then, abortion laws were strictly enforced, leaving women with a choice: to either hunt for a physician who agreed to perform the operation, or to take matters into their own hands.
For any number of reasons, a mother may decide that she is inadequate to bring a human being into the world. Although abortion was illegal in the U.S. between 1900 and 1967, if a woman found it necessary to cease her pregnancy, she would do so by whatever means.
As we all know, an abortion not performed by a physician can be dangerous to the life of a mother. Between 1967 and 1973, only a number of states allowed abortion and, even then, most had limitations. Before the legalization, women had to resort to other means to terminate a pregnancy. It was not uncommon for women to receive an abortion by someone with no medical training, in an unsanitary or unsafe clinic or to even attempt it themselves.
With the legalization of abortion in 1973 upon the ruling of Roe v. Wade, mothers seeking to terminate pregnancy could do so with the assistance of a trained medical physician.
Research has shown that illegalizing abortion does not deter the number of women who seek abortions. Globally, abortion is responsible for 13 percent of women’s deaths and, for every 100 live births, there are 31 abortions. Research has also shown that in areas of the world where contraception is more widely available, the rate of abortion has decreased.
Today, this environment is one that remains to be seen with all Planned Parenthood facilities across the U.S. including the soon-to-be Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas. As this facility is built, each day of its construction has provoked controversy both silent and spoken among people in the greater Houston area and beyond.
Planned Parenthood does not advocate the right to kill another human being; instead they firmly believe that it is a woman’s right to choose when and whether to have a child. The presence of a new Planned Parenthood facility is a means to help those who do seek abortions or other health services. Planned Parenthood offers many other contraceptive services like birth control, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and information on intercourse alternatives. Giving persons access to means of birth control is often times the best way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy or potential abortion. We cannot control anyone’s choice to risk being sexually active, but we can at least be in support of an agency willing to provide professional help, information and assistance for anyone who encounters an unexpected pregnancy.
Think of the number of teens and young adults engaging in pre-marital sex. Preaching abstinence to the point of withholding sex education and birth control can be ineffective as most people will make their own decisions regarding whether or not to be sexually active. Waiting to have a child until you have the proper means to support it both mentally and financially is what is best for your child. No child should be unwanted or unloved. A facility like this can help to advise someone looking to make a wise choice regarding their unplanned pregnancy, as it could affect the life of the mother or her potential child.
Aside from sexually active teens and young adults who take the risk, what about women who do not necessarily wish to be mothers? Statistics say that a woman is raped nearly every two minutes in America and that the U.S. currently has the highest number of reported rapes. Is it fair to say that any one of those women should be forced to share a lifelong bond with her rapist?  It cannot be said for everyone, but the idyllic process would be to have a child with someone you loved or someone of whom you were at least aware of their identity. These women should have the option to choose when or whether to have the child.
Another possible option for mothers is adoption. This can be a very good alternative for those willing to make this choice. Adoption can be difficult for the mother of the child, as it can be emotionally hard to see the pregnancy through to the end.
The main thing is to think of the quality of life for these children as well as the lives of mothers who are not prepared to make the commitment. No child should have to go through life unwanted or unloved or worse, mistreated at the hands of a person who is unprepared or unfit to be a parent.
Statistics show that nearly three million reports of child abuse are made each year. Other facts show that children who are abused or neglected are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs or abuse their own children in the future.
With the nationwide legalization of abortion in 1973, the number of women who died during the procedure dropped significantly, proving that if they were given a proper platform to receive an abortion, it could be done quickly and safely, as to not harm the mother. Whether we acknowledge it or not, women will always have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, even if it is not necessarily legal or applauded.