Legalizing Abortion

Topic: Abortion Question: Should abortion be legalized in East Africa? Claim: Yes, abortion should be legalized in East Africa. Outline: I. Introduction A. Definition of the term B. Historical background II. Reasons A. Abortion helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family. B. It helps in controlling the population of a country. C. It helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. III. Unstated assumption: It is good to have a decrease in population because when population of a country increases, it may lead to decrease in the national income and economic growth, and increase in unemployment.

IV. Opposing views A. Choosing adoption as an alternative to abortion. B. Abortion can lead to a decrease in population which may endanger the economy of a country. C. Legalizing abortion does not guarantee the survival of the woman after abortion. V. Responding to opposing view A. In Kenya, adoption in Kenya has a long process and restrictions. B. A decrease in population is also a positive impact to the country. C. Legalizing abortion reduces the unsafe abortions hence, gives hope to the woman aborting. VI. Conclusion A. Summary of points

B. Recommendations Abortion Abortion can be defined as ending of pregnancy or termination of pregnancy by choice or one that happens accidentally in case of miscarriage. The pregnancy is removed from the womb, either by taking pills which involves taking medicines to cause miscarriage or by surgery. In East Africa abortion is common and is almost always illegal and unsafe. Even though induced abortion is highly restricted in most of Eastern Africa, an estimated 2. 4 million unsafe induced abortion occurred in the region in 2008.

Nearly one in five maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion and more than 500 women die per 100,000 unsafe abortions. If compared with United State, where abortion is legal and safe the case fatality ratio is 0. 6 deaths per 100,000 abortions (Hussain, 2012). Hence, legalizing abortion will reduce unsafe abortions and the expense of the procedure. Abortion helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family. Most of these abortions results from unwanted pregnancy, hence the family or the woman is unable to support the child decides to do abortion.

Because a child needs a lot of care and support therefore money is involved. And this will help in minimizing the effect of poverty that would have likely occur if the fetus was kept. Abortion helps in controlling the population of a country. Kenya is among the under developed countries. This means there are fewer resources compared to the number people in the country. There abortions help in decreasing the population of the country which reduces the dependency ratio in the country and increase employment.

It is good to have a decrease in population because when population of a country increases, it may lead to decrease in the national income and economic growth, and increase in unemployment. Abortion helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. Most of the abortions performed in Kenya are unsafe due to lack of proper professional performing the abortion or lack of proper environment including equipments and surrounding where the abortion is being performed. Hence, endangers the health of the mother. I agree that women should choose adoption as an alternative to abortion.

The woman should give the child away to a needy family which lacks children instead of aborting. But that is not likely to happen in a country like Kenya. It’s because childless families most of the time takes the children of their relatives to take care of. And also Kenya adoption process is very long and the court is the only legal body that approves the adoption. I concede that abortion can lead to a decrease in population which may endanger the economy of a country. A country like Kenya is still growing hence needs human labor. Decrease in population may lead to decrease of the countries performance.

However, a decrease in population is also a positive impact to the country. Because it will lead to increase in employment which will lead to an increase in the country’s Gross domestic product (GDP) and also leads to an increase in living standard of people. While it is true that legalizing abortion does not guarantee the survival of the woman after abortion. This is because the chances of surviving the abortion is 0. 6 per 100,000 people but legalizing abortion reduces the unsafe abortions hence, gives hope to the woman aborting.

When abortion is legalized even the big hospitals will offer the services which are better compared to these illegal and dirty places where most of the abortions are performed. Abortion therefore helps in stability and minimizing the effects of poverty in a family, it helps in controlling the population of a country, and it helps in preventing the deaths of women caused by illegal abortion. However, the government of Kenya should limit the number of abortion to be done per woman and this should not imply in miscarriages.