Goodreads Debate Guild discussion

debate⠀/dɪˈbeɪt/
noun
1.⠀⠀formal discussion on a particular matter in a public meeting or legislative assembly,
⠀⠀⠀ in which opposing arguments are put forward and which usually ends with a vote.
2.⠀⠀an argument about a particular subject, especially one in which many people are
⠀⠀⠀ involved.

verb
1.⠀⠀argue about (a subject), especially in a formal manner.
2.⠀⠀consider a possible course of action in one’s mind before reaching a decision.

SOURCE, OXFORD LEARNER’S DICTIONARY
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionarie...


This is the Abortion topic. Here, we are focusing on helping everyone understand
what abortion really is and the science behind it.

[⠀⠀https://www.britannica.com/science/ab...⠀⠀]
[⠀⠀https://www.medindia.net/health/condi...⠀⠀]
[⠀⠀https://www.plannedparenthood.org/lea...⠀]

Whether and to what extent induced abortions should be permitted, encouraged, or severely repressed is a social issue that has divided theologians, philosophers, and legislators for centuries. There is a difference between thinking abortion is a good thing that everyone should do and thinking that people should have a right to a medical treatment if they want or need it. The brunt of this debate within our country and the wider world is over the freedom of choice to do what is necessary for your wellbeing. We will cover what an abortion actually is, but we want to be clear that actual abortion arguments in the US are over bodily autonomy, not personal feelings about the medical procedure. While there are both religious and scientific aspects of every issue we face in this world, we are focusing on the scientific aspects of abortions. Not everyone holds religious beliefs, but science is factual and straightforward, allowing for an undeniably neutral approach to issues that are widely discussed and debated.

According to the encyclopedia Brittanica, “abortion [is] the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability (in human beings, usually about the 20th week of gestation). An abortion may occur spontaneously, in which case it is also called a miscarriage, or it may be brought on purposefully, in which case it is often called an induced abortion.” To be very abundantly clear, an abortion is a medical procedure that is often vital for the wellbeing of the pregnant individual.

Induced abortions may be performed for reasons that fall into four general categories: to preserve the life or physical or mental well-being of the mother; to prevent the completion of a pregnancy that has resulted from rape or incest; to prevent the birth of a child with serious deformity, mental deficiency, or genetic abnormality; or to prevent a birth for social or economic reasons (such as the extreme youth of the pregnant female or the sorely strained resources of the family unit). By some definitions, abortions that are performed to preserve the well-being of the female or in cases of rape or incest are therapeutic, or justifiable, abortions.

In the modern era with the advent of modern medicine, many abortions are carried out through a pill called mifepristone, which acts very similarly to regular birth control pills. Mifepristone can be purchased at most pharmacies, but it is becoming harder to find with stricter abortion regulations. In the US, abortion was a constitutional right from 1973 to 2022, with the overturning of Roe vs Wade.

Abortion is a medical procedure, just like removing a rotting tooth or ridding yourself of cancerous cells. People should have the right to choose what medical procedure is necessary for their wellbeing, and nobody should be forced to bring a life into this world if they do not have the capacity to support them.