Right to Abortion

The issue of abortion has been the bone of contention for many religious, ethical, legal and medical debate. I have often opposed the pro-life groups in US who argue against abortion at any cost. Unlike them, I support abortion, but I also believe abortion is right only under certain conditions. I believe a woman has a right to abort:

1. If the conception is the result of a rape
2. If the conception can potentially harm the health of the mother
3. If the unborn child is detected with some congenital deformity and its parents are not ready to bring up such a child that requires immense patience and investment of resources
4. If a conception occurs due to lack to access to contraceptive measures, lack of proper information (eg teenage pregnancy), restrictions on the woman to use contraceptives due to familial or cultural reasons, and if the woman has no say on her reproductive decisions due to an immensely patriarchal set up.

Apart from these four reasons I do NOT support abortion ethically. Now going by these 4 reasons, I do not support Gauri's decision to abort the child precisely because:
1. Her conception is not a result of rape
2. Her conception is not proven to harm her health
3. Her unborn child is not detected with congenital deformity
4. Her conception did not occur due to lack of access to contraceptive, nor due to lack of proper information, nor due to restrictions on her not to use contraceptives, nor due to a patriarchal decision imposed on her to have a baby in which she has no say.

Instead, she is a fully grown adult who should be responsible for conceiving the child and cannot be excused for not using contraception or being more careful about not conceiving being a doctor herself. People who are very particular about not having a baby at a certain time, like the way Gauri is determined now, should be doubly more careful about taking preventive measures. Gauri has conceived the child out of her own irresponsibility and her own dumbness. She has no right to kill a life just because she was callous and doesn't want the result of her one night of fun. I strongly detest Gauri's decision to abort. I believe, she can ask her family to help with child rearing, get professional help to look after her child and in the worst case scenario even give up the child for adoption (or even to Singh family). There are so many childless couples who want a baby. Killing it is not acceptable in this situation.

However, that's my point of view. I would love to hear yours. What are your views about abortion? Do you find it wrong under any circumstance? Do you support abortion and a woman's right to her body under any circumstances? What do you think?


Edited by woman11 - 12 years ago

How do we know that Jagya and Gauri did not use protection??...You have missed an important point...any protection does not guarantee 100% safety !! what if the condom broke, what if the pills didnt work?? for example the movie Salaam Namaste...where they used protection and even then Preity got pregnant...So how can we jump to conclusions that Jagya and Gauri did not use protection !! and start making fun of them...they might have used it and thats precisely why they were shocked to learn about the pregnancy...that also explains why Gauri was not able to identify that she might be pregnant...cause she never expected it !! So yes she has the right to abort the baby, even otherwise I support the right of a woman to her body and its solely her decision whether she wants the baby or not...Sometimes circumstances change, a woman has to be mentally, physically be prepared for the baby and in such unwanted pregnancy cases, a woman has a right to choose what she wants...again thats solely my personal opinion !!

Originally posted by: gagarulez

How do we know that Jagya and Gauri did not use protection??...You have missed an important point...any protection does not guarantee 100% safety !! what if the condom broke, what if the pills didnt work?? for example the movie Salaam Namaste...where they used protection and even then Preity got pregnant...So how can we jump to conclusions that Jagya and Gauri did not use protection !! and start making fun of them...they might have used it and thats precisely why they were shocked to learn about the pregnancy...that also explains why Gauri was not able to identify that she might be pregnant...cause she never expected it !! So yes she has the right to abort the baby, even otherwise I support the right of a woman to her body and its solely her decision whether she wants the baby or not...Sometimes circumstances change, a woman has to be mentally, physically be prepared for the baby and in such unwanted pregnancy cases, a woman has a right to choose what she wants...again thats solely my personal opinion !!

Lets not discuss the first part of your response, since it is indeed dubious😆 I assumed they did not use protection: 1) because the act was very sudden and at the spur of the moment passion. 2) A doctor should at least know that there are things like postcoital contraceptives Plan B, which can make sure doubly that one doesn't conceive at any cost. If one is so particular about not having a baby, then one takes all preventive precautions possible.

However, lets not talk about that. My main point was whether you support abortion or not and under what circumstances So I like your answer in the second part. Thank you for your honest opinion. I do have a lot of friends who believe in the absolute right of the woman to abort, because it's ultimately her body. So I respect your view and thank you again for sharing. 😛
Edited by woman11 - 12 years ago

I have seen aborted foetus they look like miniature babies...I dont know if they feel pain but killing something who cant even respond or cry is just cruel.
Abortion should be done in extremly rare cases like what women11 has mentioned.
Aborting a baby just coz parents were careless with protection is wrong.I dont support Gauri's decison for abortion she has made a mistake so she should bear the consequences...
Btw lot of woman manage career and kids she can do tht too...she can call her parents to take care of the baby her mother will get something better to do rather than suggesting different rasams and rituals.

Edited by niharika_n - 12 years ago

Another assumption about this pregnancy !! - that Jagya and Gauri had sex only that one night !! well...that was long ago...they might have done it several times after...and might have used protection...but things happen...specially in movies and tv serials 😆😆 if we are talking about assumptions we can assume many things 😉

All good contraceptives are 99% effective. So you are assuming the 1% chance that their contraceptives didn't work, leaving aside the 99% chance that they did not use any. In that case, my assumption wins over yours by the simple mathematics of probability. 😉
Edited by woman11 - 12 years ago

Originally posted by: woman11

The issue of abortion has been the bone of contention for many religious, ethical, legal and medical debate. I have often opposed the pro-life groups in US who argue against abortion at any cost. Unlike them, I support abortion, but I also believe abortion is right only under certain conditions. I believe a woman has a right to abort:

1. If the conception is the result of a rape
2. If the conception can potentially harm the health of the mother
3. If the unborn child is detected with some congenital deformity and its parents are not ready to bring up such a child that requires immense patience and investment of resources
4. If a conception occurs due to lack to access to contraceptive measures, lack of proper information (eg teenage pregnancy), restrictions on the woman to use contraceptives due to familial or cultural reasons, and if the woman has no say on her reproductive decisions due to an immensely patriarchal set up.

Apart from these four reasons I do NOT support abortion ethically. Now going by these 4 reasons, I do not support Gauri's decision to abort the child precisely because:
1. Her conception is not a result of rape
2. Her conception is not proven to harm her health
3. Her unborn child is not detected with congenital deformity
4. Her conception did not occur due to lack of access to contraceptive, nor due to lack of proper information, nor due to restrictions on her not to use contraceptives, nor due to a patriarchal decision imposed on her to have a baby in which she has no say.

Instead, she is a fully grown adult who should be responsible for conceiving the child and cannot be excused for not using contraception or being more careful about not conceiving being a doctor herself. People who are very particular about not having a baby at a certain time, like the way Gauri is determined now, should be doubly more careful about taking preventive measures. Gauri has conceived the child out of her own irresponsibility and her own dumbness. She has no right to kill a life just because she was callous and doesn't want the result of her one night of fun. I strongly detest Gauri's decision to abort. I believe, she can ask her family to help with child rearing, get professional help to look after her child and in the worst case scenario even give up the child for adoption (or even to Singh family). There are so many childless couples who want a baby. Killing it is not acceptable in this situation.

However, that's my point of view. I would love to hear yours. What are your views about abortion? Do you find it wrong under any circumstance? Do you support abortion and a woman's right to her body under any circumstances? What do you think?

Antara I have to agree with you 100%!

I too believe that a women should have right to abort under certain circumstances...and 4 incidents you explained are precisely the same I believe where its okay to abort the baby. May be a 5th one I believe when a women is alone ie financially incapable. I mean there are women whose husbands leave/die before the women gives birth and if there is no family support and/or financial support these women can't take care of themselves or of the child so another instance where I think its okay. Agree they can choose to give their baby for adoption but its fairly tough and not many can do it.

In care of Gauri...no way do I believe its right! And I absolutely agree.. being a educated women she knows how one becomes pregnant 😉 and how not to become pregnant 😆 and being a doctor she should absolutely know what measures she needs to take to not become pregnant. She should know to use more than one type of contraceptive to take highest security/safety but she def. didn't!!! She doesn't have the right to extent her selfishness to the unborn child.

Apart from this, god I think its best if she does abort in the show because how selfish she is and how mentally and financially unstable these two are along with the child being illegitimate just too much trouble for this lil soul to live throughout life. 😕

Originally posted by: gagarulez

Another assumption about this pregnancy !! - that Jagya and Gauri had sex only that one night !! well...that was long ago...they might have done it several times after...and might have used protection...but things happen...specially in movies and tv serials 😆😆 if we are talking about assumptions we can assume many things 😉

Agree we can assume many things but if you remember Gauri's expression when she found out was that not of surprise that "oh my god that thing broke and now I am pregnant" but more of "oh i am pregnant darn it I should of thought that its possible if I don't take care!" 😆

Another very important fact that Gauri should have remembered is that she is ILLEGAL wife of Jagya...doesn't matter how much she loves, doesn't matter how much she believe its real...ITS ILLEGAL and she should at least not want a the tag of "nazayaz aulad" for her child!

Originally posted by: woman11

All good contraceptives are 99% effective. So you are assuming the 1% chance that their contraceptives didn't work, leaving aside the 99% chance that they did not use any. In that case, my assumption wins over yours by the simple mathematics of probability. 😉

Edited by gagarulez - 12 years ago