Other Social Impacts of Abortion
On Abortion
Abortion does not seem to have a positive effect upon society. It sends a range of sour and dangerous messages. For example, it tells people that love is conditional and does not involve sacrifice. It says that people ought not to bear the consequences of their actions. It says that might determines right, and your freedom is limited by those able to make claims of their freedom against yours. It says that you have less value if you are disabled. It says that you, as an individual, are dispensable - whether or not you were born does not matter. We saw such attitudes manifest in the terribly sad case of Indi Gregory, who was made to be removed from life support, despite there being a multitude of options which may have led to some recovery. Brett Cooper of the Daily Wire states that our culture is becomingly increasingly selfish, irresponsible, and morally corrupt.
Abortion also fosters dishonesty, as around 40% of minors who have had an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion. It has also been indicated that ever having an abortion, sterilization, and/or methods of contraception increases the likelihood of divorce – up to two times.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2011) found that the women who had an abortion were 81% more likely to experience mental health struggles. The American Psychiatric Association (2008) stated that they did not believe these mental health challenges would be different whether the woman had a first trimester abortion or chose to remain pregnant and have the baby. The underlying cause of the issues may relate to the cause for pursuing an abortion, but they are correlated, not causally linked. It seems that people with mental health issues are more likely to get an abortion, which makes finding out the mental impact of abortion a little trickier. There seems to be controversy regarding the impact abortion has on mental health, and more questions must be asked and answered before we can have a better idea.
One might speculate that banning abortion may lead to people taking sex and marriage more seriously. This in turn would strengthen the family, leading to a stronger economy and society. People are also less likely to experience mental health issues while in a stable marriage.
On the other hand, it has been said that banning abortion may disproportionately affect the poor. Poor women are more likely to experience unintended pregnancy. At the same time, richer women are more likely to have abortions than poorer women. But across the board, the same proportion of women would be upset (or not upset) by unintended pregnancy. Lower-income women aren't less concerned about the prospect of having a child. The main difference between the two is the supply of contraceptives. Women who earn less are less likely to use contraceptives, but they aren’t less likely to have sex – meaning they have more unintended pregnancy. Obviously, the answer to this is to supply contraceptives and fill in the gap (and advertising celibacy is also an option). But even if the scales were balanced, poorer women are less equipped to care for children than are wealthier women. This problem, however, does not make abortion moral. If anything, this is a case for more effective adoption services and/or more supportive child welfare systems.