An abortion is when a pregnancy is terminated (ended) through a surgical procedure or through medication. The baby does not survive. People choose abortions for a variety of personal reasons, such as feeling too young to raise a child, not having the financial ability to raise a child, having been raped, the unborn baby is known to have health problems, the mother’s life is at risk because of the pregnancy, etc.. Many many reasons exist.

With abortion, you may have heard the terms Pro-Life and Pro-Choice and wondered exactly what they mean.  Or maybe you understand one term but don’t understand the other, leaving you to think, What else could people actually believe? We are going  to provide you with a brief description of both belief systems so you can decide what you believe.

Presently in this country, when a woman becomes pregnant, planned or not, she has the right to choose how she will proceed with the pregnancy. This is a right that the Supreme Court has granted women. This way of thinking is referred to as Pro-Choice.  It means that a woman has the choice of continuing with a pregnancy or ending it (before 20 weeks in most states).     

The belief system behind Pro-Choice is that a woman has the right to control what happens to her body.  Many people believe that if a woman is raped, or a victim of incest (rape when the attacker is related to the victim), or if the baby has health complications or if the woman’s life is threatened by the pregnancy, she should be able to abort (stop) the pregnancy. Other people believe that a woman can terminate a pregnancy simply because she didn’t plan it or because having a baby would put too much stress on her (and her present family if she has one).  The laws in this country do not distinguish between circumstances for when a woman can or can not have an abortion.  

Other people believe that terminating a pregnancy is wrong under any circumstances.  They believe that ending a pregnancy is ending a life and therefore, simply wrong.  This is the belief system behind Pro-Life. Pro-life supporters do not believe that a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy as, to them, it amounts to murder – the willful taking of another’s life. 

Thinking about your beliefs is an important aspect of your sexual life. What would you do if you got someone pregnant (if you are a guy) or if you became pregnant (if you are a girl)? What do you believe is right? Yes, what do YOU believe. Not your neighbor, the person next to you, your family or the man on the moon. You.