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The argument on abortion is one that has been long fought and difficult to settle. Opposing stances on abortion will likely always exist. Swaying the opinion of a person on the opposite side may prove to be nearly impossible. As someone who stands proudly with the pro-life movement, I’ve heard all sorts of pro-choice arguments over the years. With the right knowledge and facts to back up your statements, having an educated debate about abortion shouldn’t be a problem. Here are some of the most common pro-choice arguments, along with ways to debunk them:

  1. “A fetus is not alive until it is born and therefore does not have its own right to life.”

The sanctity of life begins at conception. Life is defined as “having the capacity for growth, functional activity and continual change preceding death” by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. During prenatal tests, a doctor is able to show you brain waves, a heartbeat, and even body parts of the baby moving on their own. Exactly which signs of life found in the prenatal exams indicate that there actually isn’t life inside of the womb?

  1. “Not everyone has access to contraceptives to practice safe sex.”

Oral contraceptives, such as birth control pills, range from $5 to $50 per month, depending on health plan and type of pill. It is also important to note that they are not the only form of contraceptive. Condoms can be found at drugstores for typically under $10, and at many local health centers and clinics for free.  In addition to these methods, there are other inexpensive methods such as cervical caps and diaphragms. These methods average at about $60 a year.  If for some reason, attaining at least one of these methods is not possible, abstaining from sex until you are ready to possibly bring a child into the world is possible. You may also hear the argument that Planned Parenthood needs government funding in order to provide women with these various forms of birth control. This is untrue. Birth control is available at reasonable prices and in various forms from far more health clinics than Planned Parenthood.

  1. “It’s her body and she can choose to do what she wants with it.”

While it is true that a woman can do whatever she chooses to do with her own body, she cannot do whatever she wants with someone else’s body. The unborn child inside of her body is not her body. Embryology shows us that from the moment of conception on, a completely separate individual exists inside of a woman’s uterus. This individual is genetically distinct and is a separate being growing inside of a woman’s body. In this case, she would be choosing to terminate the life of another human being if she chose to have an abortion. She would be terminating the existence of another body, not her own.

RELATED: 20 Facts About Abortion That Will Make You Pro-Life

  1. “Women who conceived due to rape or incest should not be forced to carry out their pregnancy.”

Women seeking abortions due to instances of rape and/or incest that result in pregnancy account for less than one percent of all abortions in the United States. Terminating pregnancies due to cases of rape and incest will not immediately heal the victim. In addition, it will only insinuate that the value of the baby in these instances is less than that of other human beings. Every living person has the right to life, whether that being in or outside of the womb. Adoption is also a viable option in situations in which the mother of the child decides that the stress of raising the child would be too traumatic for her to do.

Katie R.
Katie is a studying Criminal Justice and Political Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. She loves baseball, dogs, the Dallas Cowboys, Jesus, and the USA.

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