Many abortion activists insist that “abortion is a decision between a woman and her doctor!” This line of argument is used in an attempt to shut down the abortion debate, painting the pro-life movement as an intrusion on women’s privacy and healthcare. But how accurate is this claim? The claim that abortion is “between a woman and her doctor” makes two assumptions. First, that the woman seeking an abortion is the only person affected by her decision, and secondly, that abortion is performed exclusively for medical reasons.
Regarding the first assumption, we have to keep in mind that abortion is really about the life of the child in the womb. Neither a woman nor her doctor have the moral right to make a decision to end the life of another human being. Because of this, we cannot say that abortion is a private decision that ought to be kept between a woman and her doctor. In no other circumstances would we say that two people have a right to make a “private decision” determining whether or not another person should live or die. The death of millions of innocent humans is an issue that touches every single member of our society because disregard for the value and dignity of human life anywhere is a threat to human life everywhere. It is not up to a woman and her doctor to decide that a child does not get to live.
The second thing to consider is that the vast majority of abortions are not committed for medical reasons. A report from the Family Research Council breaks points out that “Of the many abortions committed in the U.S. each year, only 1-3 percent are for the ‘hard cases’ of rape, incest, fetal anomalies, and danger to the mother’s life.” The report goes on say that “Three quarters of women who obtain an abortion say they cannot afford a child or that having a baby would interfere with school, work, or the ability to care for dependents.” An abortion textbook tells a similar tale. These are social and economic reasons, not medical reasons. If social and financial pressures, not medical concerns, are the driving reason that many women seek out abortion, then it is not really a medical decision. As such, it is not really a decision between a woman and her doctor.
Furthermore, when abortion activists say that abortion is between a woman and her doctor, they ignore the plight of women who are coerced into abortion. Family Research Council reports that according to one study, 58% of women who had an abortion did so in order to “make others happy.” When a woman is coerced into having an abortion, it is not a decision between her and her doctor.
Ending the life of another human being can never be between a woman and her doctor because neither of them has the right to take away the life of another. Portraying abortion as a private medical decision fails to recognize the reality of abortion. It also fails to acknowledge that very few abortions are performed for medical reasons. Abortionists offer the “quick fix” to women who are facing financial difficulty, coercion, and social pressure by “getting rid of” her unborn child. The pro-life movement, on the other hand, reaches out with support to women who are facing social and financial pressures during pregnancy.
