Feeling Torn? Abortion: Pros and Cons

Abortion: Pros and Cons

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Arguments For and Against Abortion

📝 Take the evaluation: Pros and Cons — My Personal List

  • The arguments for and against abortion differ with each woman, according to her unique perspective. They derive from her values.
  • Some women find it helpful to weigh their reasons by putting them on paper and grading their importance since the deciding factor is not only the number of arguments but also their value.
  • We have compiled some of the most common pros and cons based on arguments frequently discussed during our counseling sessions.

Abortion Pros & Cons — Your Self-Evaluation

Wondering what to do? Answer three multiple-choice questions regarding your present situation. Within seconds your results will arrive on your screen.

The 4 Most Common Pros and Cons of Abortion

Based on our counseling experience, these are the most frequently mentioned arguments for abortion and their counterarguments. However, many women raising these questions feel torn about how to respond. As you read these lines, you may be facing a similar situation. In that case, you may find it helpful to consider each argument and recognize which ones you resonate with the most.

⏰ Argument: Timing

Pro Abortion: This is not the right time to have a baby. Maybe in a few months or years — but now?

Con Abortion: Will the timing ever be absolutely perfect? What would be so drastically different a few months or years from now? Am I even certain that my circumstances will have changed that much?

💔 Argument: The Relationship

Pro Abortion: The relationship is still very fresh or going through a rough patch. We are not even together. His initial reaction to the pregnancy was negative. He does not want the baby.

Con Abortion: How would an abortion affect the relationship? We might break up or be burdened heavily by the fact that we did not step up to this challenge.

It is common for men to need time to come to terms with the pregnancy. In most cases, they become loving fathers who take on the responsibility of parenting.

📋 Argument: My Aspirations

Pro Abortion: I had completely different plans for my life. There is so much I had wanted to do… I don’t want to give that up.

Con Abortion: The best things in life cannot be planned — they just happen: falling in love, a close friendship, or a baby. All of these call for spontaneity. Also, would I really have to surrender my plans — or could they be realized later? How could I arrange things so that a baby would still allow for other activities?

😰 Argument: Overwhelmed

Pro Abortion: Physically or mentally, I have reached my breaking point. I could not handle a(nother) baby. That would be too much for me.

Con Abortion: Could this situation be an opportunity to reorient my life? All the areas which have been overwhelming for a while could be reprioritized and reorganized. How would an abortion affect me? Is it possible that an abortion would make me feel worse? Would the additional burden of a traumatic experience weigh me down even further?

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Making a list of pros and cons can help you organize your thoughts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Making a Pros and Cons List

Making a list of abortion pros and cons can help analyze all the rational aspects of a decision. In doing so, you will be able to take stock of your worries and concerns — as well as any pleasant thoughts — and realize which ones are most meaningful to you.

While this list is a perfect place to start, it need not be the be-all and end-all. This decision is multifaceted and involves more than meets the eye. As well as limiting the decision-making process to the rational, focusing on a list can also encourage brooding. This would obscure one’s view rather than lead to increased clarity.

Guard yourself against this by laying your list aside once in a while. Take a walk or do something else which allows you to distance yourself from overpowering thoughts. Your heart also needs a voice in the matter. But your deepest desires only become audible when everything else quiets down.

Our tip: When you create your list of abortion pros and cons, introduce a point system. How would you rate the importance of each of the arguments? You could use a scale from 1-10. This would give you a better sense of your inclinations rather than going by the sheer number of arguments. How will you take your strongest points into account? What will need to be reconsidered to allow room for your priorities?

It may be helpful to use colors or symbols to create categories as you ask yourself: Which aspect is about to change? Which issue could be easily tackled and taken care of? Which argument would change if I received support? Which point is most important to me, placing all others in the shade?

I Have Made My List of Pros and Cons — Now What?

You may have already compiled your list of pros and cons. Or perhaps you took the multiple-choice evaluation, choosing the arguments that are most meaningful to you. Either way, you are actively pursuing answers by considering all sides of the issue! This is an essential step toward reaching a decision that matches who you are and leaves no room for regrets.

Our goal is to provide you with the support you desire so that you can overcome any obstacle that threatens to block your path. You are not alone! Allow us to walk alongside you by providing you with a judgment-free environment in which you can find the path that matches your desires and convictions:

FAQs

  • Thoughts leading up to an abortion are unique to each woman. Many women name bad timing, relational concerns, feeling overwhelmed, or having different plans for their lives. A list of pros and cons can help clarify your priorities.

  • Inasmuch as every lived experience is unique, everyone's reason for or against abortion is different. Apart from the outward circumstances, subjective motivations can play a huge role. You may ask yourself, "Is there really such a thing as perfect timing?" or "Could this pregnancy, despite being unintended, pose an opportunity?" These kinds of thoughts can also be represented in your list of pros and cons.

  • Every woman facing an abortion decision will have different pros and cons. Making a list can help you gain more clarity, but it can also lead to overthinking. Rather than merely counting the arguments, pay attention to the value you attribute to each one.

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Authors & Sources

Author

Maria Nagele
Social Worker

Translation:
Kerstin Dörbecker 

Source

* All data from our own statistics (2021)

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