While some view abortion in black and white terms, the issue is much more complex and ultimately the right of a women to control her body should be the first priority. Unwanted pregnancies are a risk to the mother and the child. The right to an abortion is a basic human right, while yes when you are pregnant there is a fetus growing in your womb and you are aborting it, that does not mean you are “killing” it. The real question is, to what extent can the excuse “I’m pro-life” be used to justify the control over women's bodies?  

There are many circumstances create an unstable or unsafe environment for a child. Whether they are unwanted and it causes their parents to resent them, or they are born and put in the foster care or adoption system. The risk for postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis is increased when the pregnancy is unwanted. The other option is that the fetus is placed in the adoption/foster system when they're born, this also creates a problem because many children placed in the system grow up in unstable living conditions. In the case they are born and unwanted by their parents, it causes a large risk for abuse and an unstable living environment. Going through a pregnancy is an incredibly difficult thing, no matter if the fetus is intentional or unintentional. You are bound to create some kind of a bond with your “baby” which makes giving them up an even more difficult decision and can cause issues with the mother's mental health. 

Unborn babies are considered human beings in the United States. By that logic, abortion is killing a human being which is murder. In fact, by 8 weeks a fetus has developed its pain receptors therefore by that time an abortion would be painful for them. Although not getting an abortion deeply affects women, getting an abortion has proven to cause psychological damage. A study done by the Southern Medical Journal of over 173,000 Americans showed that women who had an abortion are much more likely to commit suicide than women who carried the baby to term. Another similar study published in the British Medical Journal showed that “the mean annual suicide rate amongst women who had an abortion was 34.7 per 100,000, compared with a mean rate of 11.3 per 100,000 in the general population of women.” 

However, you can't be “pro-life” because unwanted pregnancy can be a risk to the mother's health, therefore you may not be killing the fetus you may be killing the mother. Multiple health risks can be caused by pregnancy. There is a high risk of developing high blood pressure, and gestational diabetes. The weight gain that comes with pregnancy also comes with health risks. A large weight gain can cause heart problems, spina bifida (a neural tube defect), and hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain). Not only can unwanted pregnancies lead to problems with a mother's physical health, but they can also cause large problems with their mental health. 1 in 9 new mothers suffers from postpartum depression, which can be caused by many different circumstances. If the mother is a victim of rape or unwanted sexual assault, then the baby may be a reminder of their trauma.

There has been a lot of growth in terms of the legalization of abortion. Currently, there are only 26 countries in the world where abortion is completely illegal and 37 where abortion is only legal if the pregnancy is a risk to the mother’s health. However, in those countries, people are protesting and spreading awareness about abortion rights. They are standing up for what they believe in and they are making a difference. Finally, speak up! Abortion has been stigmatized for much too long, and the best way to help prevent that is to speak up and educate yourself and others.