The harm that is generally caused by abortion are the death of the fetus, and potentially harm to the parent, although that is too situational to consider here. Emotional harm can be done to the parent and others involved in the pregnancy. This can happen when it is done unconsensually most of all, but can also happen during willful abortion.
The healing that is generally caused by abortion are continued life and health in the case of medically dangerous abortions, as well as the relief of emotional distress. Abortion can also prevent worsened poverty, the de-railing of a life, becoming trapped in a dangerous situation, on a somewhat more situational level.
In the case of nonviable fetuses, those are not alive, and therefore abortion does not kill them.
In cases where the fetus is alive, we must know how much the fetus suffers from being aborted. As far as we know, the fetus has no awareness (including pain) before twenty-eight to thirty weeks[1], [2], [3]. The first trimester ends at week fourteen, and the second trimester ends at week twenty-eight. The majority of abortion are performed at or before thirteen weeks[4], which means that they occur before the fetus can sense anything. Abortions performed later are rare and done in desperate situations. The fetus largely does not sense, and does not have a concept of its potential life as a person. It would not be harmed by dying, because its consciousness has not begun to process that it is alive.
Compare this with the pregnant parent. They are fully conscious, can feel pain, and already have a life. Childbirth would radically change this life and cause major stress and pain. An unwilling pregnancy could drive them to suicide, or to take dangerous measures to try and force an abortion. They may be unprepared, unable or unwilling to properly parent a child, which would be cruel to both of them. The parent must experience all of this, fully aware and fully affected.
And, finally, the fetus is alive only because it is attached to the parent. For the fetus to continue living, the parent’s body must be used by another. When the parent is alright with this, there is no problem. But when this goes against the parent’s wishes, this becomes a violation of Sendependiĝi. If someone does not want to have their body used to support another life, it would be overwhelmingly harmful to force them to continue doing so.
Considering all of this, willfull abortion is generally plenumas. Forced pregnancy and forced abortion are both mankas.
Tagged as: #ethics