Back Alley

Back alley abortions will definitely increase if abortion is made illegal in the United States. Women without any legal alternatives will turn to risky procedures to terminate a pregnancy. Legal or not, abortions are being done all over the world and will continue to take place as long as unwanted pregnancies continue to occur. According to a recent study done by the World Health Organization and Guttmacher Institute, "Globally, abortion accounts for 13 percent of women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth" (Rosenthal par. 2). The statistics also indicate that "about 20 million abortions that would be considered unsafe are performed each year and that 67,000 women die as a result of complications from those abortions, most in countries where abortion is illegal" (par. 10). Clearly, women who only have illegal means to have an abortion are putting themselves at a much higher risk of death than women who have legal and medically regulated abortions. Pro-life groups are not only looking to keep late term abortions banned, they are looking to have all abortions outlawed regardless of the circumstances (including rape, incest, and severe birth deformities).

Works Cited

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. "Legal or not, Abortion Rates Compare." New York Times 12 Oct. 2007, Late Edition: 8a. Lexis Nexis. Century College Library, White Bear Lake, MN. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.