Abortion in the United States, Research Paper Example

Using five books, three scholarly journal articles, two websites, and one interview, this research investigates the history, polarizing nature, and educational opportunities associated with abortion in the United States. Learning from diverse examples and experiences, regardless of ideology, is the recurring and driving theme contained within. Inspiration to continue future research on this topic has been gained.

An excellent overview of abortion in the United States is provided by emedicinehealth’s website, addressing widespread practices before the landmark 1973 legislation Roe v Wade, and subsequent impacts including surgical and medical forms. As there was no legal federal president established prior to 1973, a brief look at the early 1800s is in order. Connecticut and New York are the states where we see the first formal enactments taking place to prevent the practice, and to punish all parties involved, from practitioner to the woman who had the procedure. Furthermore, the late 1800s is the time where the first federal response comes into play. The Comstock Law (emedicinehealth, Before Abortion was Legal, section, para. 1-3) showcased how issues of sexuality, in general, were generally taboo in the public sphere. The law forbade US postal workers to handle items pertaining to reproduction and what was perceived as vulgar content. Subsequently from the early to middle 1900s, the focus of abortion practices inside the nation centered on the safety factor, as mounting numbers of botched procedures and negative outcomes ensued.

The issue of safety played out historically, but is also relevant in today’s time. The manner in which abortion procedures, and the drugs used to carry them out, are not as regulated as one might imagine. Wake Forrest University associate professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology Mary Lou Moore’s abstract, makes the case well noting the following:

Misoprostol (Cytotec) is a synthetic prostaglandin El analogue that was designed for the prevention and treatment of peptic ulcer associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In obstetrics, misoprostol has been administered for induction of first and second trimester abortion, for induction of labor in the third trimester, and to control postpartum hemorrhage. None of these uses has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Nevertheless, misoprostol is widely used in the United States and throughout the world. Advantages are cited as reduced rate of cesareans, shorter time from induction to birth and, particularly in developing countries, lower cost, oral, vaginal or rectal administration, and stability without refrigeration. Disadvantages are uterine hyperstimulation and, in rare instances, uterine rupture and death. Mothers should he informed of both the risks and the possible benefits of misoprostol. Further research with large samples is necessary to determine whether the risks outweigh any possible benefits (Moore, p. 43).

A consistent theme that may be applied is the educational component, and its function of affording thought-through alternatives, and informed actions.

Issues surrounding the practice of abortion in the United States have been significant historically. Regardless of where one stands on the topic, there can be know doubt that the topic is relevant and divisive. On the first contention, consider data reported by Right to Life:

The Consequences of Roe v. Wade: 49, 551, 703 total Abortions since 1973…Downward Trend Continues: After reaching a high of over 1.6 million in 1990, the number of abortions annually performed in the U.S. has dropped back to levels not seen since the late 1970s. Two independent sources confirm this decline: the government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), Planned Parenthood’s special research affiliate monitoring trends in the abortion industry. The CDC ordinarily develops its annual report on the basis of data received from 52 central health agencies (50 states plus New York City and the District of Columbia). AGI gets its numbers from direct surveys of abortionists (Statistics & Trends, section, para. 1-2).

Indeed the numbers are staggering, but the undeniable impact and the legal ramifications surrounding issues associated with abortion are significant. So significant are the legal ramifications, one attorney has spent much of her professional life defending reproductive rights. In a 2005 interview with Frontline, Attorney Kathryn Kolbert addresses the complexity of the subject, and more holistic ways of approaching it.

“ ‘I agree with the anti-abortion movement in the sense that I think there are too many abortions in the United States,’ Kolbert says. “… “I think what we need to do as a culture is to really go back to the drawing board and say: How can we reduce the level of  unintended pregnancy?’ ” (Kolbert, para. 1). As an advocate of pro-choice philosophy, Kolbert’s significance rest in her infamous role in the 1986 Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v Casey case, wherein the context of Roe v Wade, and its subsequent precedence, was re-articulated by the Supreme Court. Moreover, it serves as one of the more pivotal examples in support of broadening the discussion beyond mere 100% pro-life, or 100% anti-abortion perspectives. The aforementioned perspectives  have been understood differently, but the claim that “ ‘Pro-life’ or ‘Anti-choice’ views about the abortion issue are primarily ideologically driven” (Baird & Rosenbaum, p. 10) ring loudly.

Along with ideology, or ones socio-cultural-political perspective, comes passion, and heart-felt commitment to one’s position. Recordings of such emotions throughout the years between Roe v. Wade, 1973, and Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, 1989, are chronicled in Cynthia Gorney’s Articles of Faith. As a former Washington Post staff writer, Gorney painted a picture of scenes playing themselves out on a local stage, with national, and international, implications. The magnitude of this scene could not be lost. In her introduction she notes:

The story that takes place in these pages begins and ends in the state of Missouri, where for a certain period at the close of the 1980s reporters and photographers converged from many parts of the United States—there were some form countries, too, from Australia and Germany and Japan—with urgent, important questions about induced abortion and the protections guaranteed under law (Gorney, p. 7).

To help assess the correlation between legislation and public sentiment surrounding abortion, exploration into youth activity has been recorded by many scholars. One such analysis looks into specific ways in which Supreme Court cases determined, or partially determined, individuals aged 18 to 25 on their choice from 1977 to 1993. The findings provide valuable information. “Six attitude items in the GSS formed the abortion scale and measured the respondents’ attitudes. Eighteen year-olds were the most pro-choice and 21 -year-olds the least. Males were pro-choice more than females. The frequency of attending religious services emerged as the strongest predictor in the regression model are discussed” (Misra and Hohman, p. 85), state the authors. Here again we see the significance of perception, and how one relates to the topic under review. Of greater significance, however, is the target audience of this scholarly article, namely health providers, educators, young adult’s parents, and continued ways in which knowledgeable decision making is beneficial to all parties involved. As Kathryn Kolbert declared earlier, a cultural transformation is perhaps the best approach to take, allowing anyone engaged in the practice, for whatever reasons, to “know” what they are doing. Notwithstanding, interpretation of this data also raises counter perspectives, such as race and class indicators, raised by Kolbert as well.

“The gender distribution of respondents was 45.4% male and 54.6% female participants. The majority of the respondents were Caucasian (81.2%), born in the US (94%), raised as

Protestants (60%), and belonged to the working/middle class,” (Misra & Hohman, p. 85), according to data. The analysis is still valuable, but one must wonder about the other 18.8 % whose representation is far more than this in terms of national representation. What of the poor and non-working lower classes. Such concerns are addressed by Attorney Kolbert’s attack on the federal government for restricting government assistance disbursement. Her attack specifically addresses how Medicaid, by definition, serves the historically underserved minority and poor populations, and as a result, had an adverse impact on the poor. She states:

What members of Congress did is they said if we are contributing federal funds to a state, and they accept those monies, you can use those federal funds for all medically necessary health purposes, except abortion. What that did is a couple of things. The first thing it did is it meant that poor women would not be able to have an abortion, or if they did have an abortion, they’d have to work hard to collect the money, and they would in many ways have to wait a longer period of time (Kolbert, para. 5-6).

This fits within the context of our theme of benefits associated with informed consent, and how knowledge of pros and cons impacts many engaged in the practice of abortion.

Similarly, Dr. Linda Prine finds pro-choice the best philosophy. She serves primarily uninsured and Medicaid recipients, and, like Kolbert, places an emphasis on education-based initiatives. Through planned-parenthood teaching, and in-service residencies in New York City, Prine finds that her best asset is to listen and inform. Despite threats of intense violence and pressures that come with being perceived as an abortion clinic, Dr. Prine and her colleagues feel they have an obligation to assist in providing educated options, regardless of one’s circumstances. In establishing such a position, however, a process of cultural transformation unfolded.

At first, the staff had mixed reactions to these discussions. Some staff members were incredibly supportive, especially a 58-year-old clerical assistant, who, when she was a teenager, had seen a friend die form an illegal abortion. To my surprise, she was open to talking at length to everyone about what she had lived through and the importance of keeping abortion safe, legal and accessible. Others were afraid we would become targets of violent anti-choice protestors. Some had moral objections. We held staff meetings, ‘values clarifications workshops,’ and just talked a lot (Prine and Cauley, p.3).

Again we see here how issues of race, class, and religious perspective are significant indicators in assessing abortion in the United States, and how the entire subject is more complex than it may appear at face value.

A reference material that helps breakdown the complexities of the abortion issue in the United States, in lay-person friendly language is Hal Marcovitz’ Abortion. In addition to being a clear and concise read, it also helps make the connection associated with public opinion and history. The book’s introduction is written by Alec Gallup, chairmen of the Gallup Poll, the nation’s most recognized poll taking source, dating back to the post-depression middle 1930s. As many polls are significant, perhaps no other view strikes as much of a chord as that of abortion. Gallup states:

Or, taking another particularly divisive issue treated in this series, what did Americans think about abortion during the many decades the procedure was generally illegal? How has public opinion changed since the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision? How many Americans now favor overturning Roe? By understanding where we as a society have been, we can better understand where we are—and, sometimes, where we are going (Marcovitz, p. 6).

This fits well with the previously addressed sources by way of promoting education, not politics. Although the politics of the situation are here, and have been covered in the other sources, the recurring emphasis is on learning all aspects of this divisive topic.

Learning is exactly what took place by Don Sloan in his over thirty years of carrying out abortions, from the 1960s era of illegal work to the present time. Sloan, along with his co-writer Paula Hartz, provides yet another valuable educational source in the study of abortion in the United States. Review of the chapter contents reveals much that has already been stated regarding politics surrounding the practice, but it goes further in exploring one man’s inner feelings when performing the procedure, the technical procedure itself, the mentality of service-oriented perception, and the lucrative business of women’s centers. From experiences lessons can be learned, according to Sloan, ever mindful of the tendencies of polarization in the abortion debate. To this point, Sloan affirms “If we can learn to see the abortion issue clearly—not religion but science, not ethics but rights, not sexism but equality for women—we can begin to work on the dilemma” (Sloan & Hartz. p. 249). The described work comes from analyzing all perspectives, vantage points, and ways of knowing the topic, and applying the lessons towards better decision making.

The last source for review, Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes, once again highlights the degree to which abortion in the United States has and continues to be divisive. Such divisiveness, inline with themes addressed throughout this paper, is the true hindrance negatively holding back many immersed in ideological quicksand, according to Laurence H. Tribe. Consider his following assessment:

So it is that a close look at the clash of absolutes may in the end reveal a silver of light in a world of shadow. For if, in a moment of honesty with ourselves, we recognize—on either side of the question—that what is at stake is not really the absolute in whose name the battle has been fought, then we may get beyond our once intractable dispute about the question of abortion (Tribe, p. 242).

At play are appeals to history and contemporary applications. The ‘silver of light’ is an optimistic plea for middle ground and negotiations. Similar to articulations of Kathryn Kolbert presented earlier in the paper, Tribe acknowledges complexities of social position regarding pro-choice and pro-life advocates.

In summary, this exploration into the history and impact of abortion in the United States has proven both informative and inspirational. Whereas history, sociology, and politics all must be taken into account, the clearest and most recurring theme from all sources explored through this research is the need for further education on the topic. The degree to which race, class, religious affiliation, and/or medical condition impacts one’s view is significant in understanding the topic, but the emphasis on learning from diverse examples and experiences, regardless of ideology, is what I will retain the most. This research has inspired me to investigate even further into such a divisive topic impacting so many here in the United States.

References

Baird, Robert M. & Rosenbaum, Stuart E. (Eds.). (1989). The ethics of abortion: Pro-life pro-choice! Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books. emedicinehealth. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/abortion/article_em.htm

Gorney, Cynthia. (1998). Articles of faith: A frontline history of the Abortion Wars. New York, NY: Touchstone.

Kolbert, Kathryn (Interviewee). (2005). Public Broadcast Service [Interview transcript].

Retrieved from PBS’ Frontline: the last abortion clinic website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/clinic/interviews/kolbert.html

Marcovitz, Hal. (2007). Abortion. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers.

Misra, Ranjita and Steven Hohman. (2000). Trends in abortion attitude among young adults: 1977-1993. American Journal of Health Studies, 16 (2), 85-99.

Moore, Mary Lou. (2002). Misoprostol—Is more research needed? [Abstract]. Journal of  Perinatal Education, 11 (3), 43-47.

National Right to Life. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.nrlc.org/ABORTION/facts/abortionstats.html

Prine, Linda W. and Cauley, Katherine. (2002). Choosing. Families, Systems & Health:  The Journal of Collaborative Family Health Care, 20 (4), 431-438.

Sloan, Don and Hartz, Paula. (1992). Abortion: A doctor’s perspective/A woman’s  dilemma. New York, NY: Donald I. Fine, Inc.

Tribe, Laurence H. (1992). Abortion: The clash of absolutes. New York, NY: W.W. Norton Company, Inc.