Every year an estimate of 1,000 women die due to
abortion complications and tens of thousands of women are hospitalized each
year for complications due to illegal and unsafe abortion. Until now, this
procedure is still illegal in the Philippines and in fact, is a crime. This
country should give women the right to choose what will happen to their body,
including the choice to have a safe abortion. Many believe that abortion is
immoral and unacceptable especially in the Philippines being dominated by
Catholics but there are different factors that cause women to undergo illegal
abortion.
One
of them is being unprepared. Having an unplanned pregnancy can affect the lives
of the fetus’ parents especially when they are still young. Young couples
having this dilemma are not ready to bring a life into this world. Considering their
status, they are not capable of rearing a child financially by supporting
his/her needs or emotionally as they, themselves, are young, immature, and
unprepared for the responsibility. A single act of negligence can affect the
lives of two people drastically and having no choice to abort can destroy their
lives forever. How a mistake can be so defining when a solution is available to
both parties that will benefit both of them?
Many
children from unintentional pregnancies grow up being abused by their parents
either physically or emotionally. This is due to the fact that parents are
resentful of the mistake they have done. In addition, most of these children
come from broken families as young couples tend to separate because of
immaturity. Some also are left by their parent/s to escape from their
responsibilities. Knowing all of these and many more are consequences of
unplanned pregnancy; abortion should be an option. Bringing a child into this
world is a blessing but if this child is to suffer, isn’t that too cruel? A child
must be a given a chance to not experience all of these hardships and that
could only happen if the mother has the right and the choice to abort her
unborn child.
Having an abortion
secretly in the Philippines is unsafe. According to Unintended Pregnancy and
Induced Abortion in the Philippines: Causes and Consequences (2017), a study
presented to the Guttmacher Institute, every year, 31% of the pregnancies in
the Philippines are unplanned and 15% of these result in induced abortion.
Among the cases of abortion, only 1/3 are done in hospital or health center and
the rest are done either by a massage conducted by a hilot (traditional healer), ingesting herbs/medicine, drinking
alcohol, exercising, or inserting substances into their vagina. It is proven
that most of these procedures are unsafe, unsanitary, and dangerous at worst
but women choose these because of its cheap price and availability (not many of
medical practitioners offer abortion as it is illegal). If abortion becomes
decriminalized and legal in the Philippines, no more Filipina will have to
suffer abortion complications and maternal deaths might be as well decreased.
A child is maybe a gift
but it should be the right of the parents to choose if they would like to bring
life into this world. There are lots of consequences when it comes to unplanned
pregnancy; too big responsibilities to handle in raising a child. Hence,
parenting and adoption should not be the only choices. Give them the chance to
live the lives they want. Let women have the right to have a safe abortion in
medical facilities so that no more Filipina will die in the hands of the hilot because of despair. Abortion is
supposed to be a choice and women should be allowed to undergo it if they want
to. It is about time to decriminalize and legalize abortion in the Philippines.
*An editorial article I wrote for my English for Academic and Professional Purposes class.
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