Does being unable to conceive justify being anti-abortion?

By Nina Steele 

It is inevitable that for some of the couples who have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive often for many years, reading about other women getting pregnant effortlessly, then choosing to abort, can lead to anger. I have heard many arguments suggesting that instead, the women in question should consider giving the unwanted babies up for adoption.

As I wrote before, I have never been pregnant in my life, let alone having an abortion. I do however know a few women who have had abortions and the impression I got was that it was done with a heavy heart. The argument that instead of going the abortion route, those women should have given their baby up for adoption, misses the point in my view. The point of having an abortion is to avoid having to carry a baby to term, for a myriad of reasons.

As I am sure you are already aware, the debate on abortion is a very divisive one, particularly in the West. Whether you agree with it or not, will depend on your background and the values that you hold dear. I think it is fair to say that most people will agree that using abortion as a form of contraception, as some women have been accused of doing, is irresponsible. Having said that, as a free society, we cannot tell people how to live their lives, beyond the respect of the rule of law. What we can do instead, is provide the education needed for them to make better decisions for themselves.

With the emotional roller coaster that comes with trying unsuccessfully to conceive, without mentioning the financial costs (some couples going as far as re-mortgaging their home in order to pay for fertility treatments), there is bound to be some hostility toward abortion in some quarters. Even so, being unable to have children should not lead to being intolerant of others who seem to conceive effortlessly, and then choose to abort. Yes it seem unfair, but ultimately, that is their choice, whether we like it or not.