Family Matters

Obviously this is a very touchy issue - I think you are very brave to even write about it on your blog - good for you!

I am not religious so the concept of murder is not an issue for me.

I'm into science. And I have seen the ultrasound of a fetus at 10 -12 weeks (ie - the timeframe for legal abortion) and there is nothing but a tiny blob of cells.

I often get angry when I see billboards by anti-abortionist groups that show a fully formed fetus after 1 month. I am angry, not because of what they believe in, but because their picture is grossly incorrect and misleading.

I think that the right to have an abortion for a female is a very important and valuable right. But, just like any other rights we exercise, the right should not be abused.

Many women fall pregnant accidentally, even after taking the appropriate precautions and in this situation it is great for them to be able to exercise this right.

We all make mistakes. If a woman falls pregnant she should be able to decide whether or not to have a child as the child will ultimately have a huge impact on her life - one she might not want.

However, I don't believe that abortion should be used as an alternative to contraception. And there are good reasons for this. The procedure is not a pleasant one, nor is it a 100% safe one either. There is risk involved in the form of damage to the uterus etc, and the drastic hormone changes are not considered something to be desirable.

So why put your body through such an ordeal unnecessarily when there are alternative methods of contraception?

However, If exercised appropriately, abortion is a very valuable right in that it gives women direct control over their bodies and the direction of their lives.

Although her comment is from some time ago, I really do agree with Tina. I've never had an abortion and hope never to have one in my life but I really think if an unwanted baby were to be born, he or she would suffer a great deal if they ever find out they were an 'accident' or their parents were considering getting rid of them. Keeping an unwanted baby, as Tina said, has enormous effect on the partners involved, emotionally, financially and also if they let it, it could ruin their lives, because (for example) they are too young to even take care of themselves. A young couple that both live with their parents, or a couple who's house is being seized or are too drunk or drugged to tell the difference between their child and the footy. It should definitely not be taken lightly, but should be an option that is available for those who are serious about it.

Tina, maybe you should take a closer look what a fetus looks like at 10 weeks.

http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-10-weeks

cut and paste this link. I'm not sure what blob you were looking at, this one looks like its got hands and feet, head, face etc, and this "blob" has a heart beat.