Do Bodily Rights Justify All Possible Abortions?

The response may very well be “yes.” In this case, try asking your conversation partner whether he or she thinks it’s okay for a pregnant woman to take thalidomide. Thalidomide is a drug that was used in the late 1950s to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. Unfortunately, as it turns out, treating pregnant women with thalidomide causes severe deformities in their children. Many thousands of people alive today are still suffering the effects of thalidomide. Most people agree that pregnant women should not be allowed to take thalidomide if they plan to give birth. This demonstrates that some ethical principles still apply even when someone is inside someone else’s body.

On the other hand, many pro-choice people agree that abortion is wrong in at least some cases. For example, some pro-choice people agree that late-term abortion is wrong, and some pro-choice people agree that sex-selective abortion is wrong.

Check out this related blog post by the Equal Rights Institute.