Abortion Among Women of Reproductive Age Analysis (Article Critique Sample)

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Abortion among women of reproductive age
Introduction
Despite the legalization of abortion across various parts of America, it remains a serious health problem worldwide, especially in third-world countries. Induced abortions globally were seen to decline, especially between 1995 and 2003, but still, approximately one out of five pregnancies is likely to end in abortion (Mote, Easmon and Michelle pg 1). Grimes et al. page 1 further identify that unsafe abortion is on the rise and has become a pressing public health concern that should be addressed. It is a silent pandemic since communities are doing it with people who have no requisite skills, which is threatening women's lives. Even with this information, an in-depth understanding of abortion among women of reproductive age has not been brought out. A better understanding of the concept of abortion can be reached with more in-depth scrutiny into the subject, especially for women of reproductive age.
Aspects of abortion among reproductive-age women
One significant aspect and underlying truth is that reproductive-age women, irrespective of age, status, class, or race, are involved in ending pregnancies across the history of America. In the ancient ages, when there were no laws about abortion, and even after the 19th century, when laws were drafted to restrict the practice, abortion was still ongoing. This truth then redirects us from the myth that it is always a misconception that abortion is only a practice among the wayward, desperate, and pathetic women who exist in society (Thompson par. 1). Historical records show that from the 17th and 18th centuries, abortion was considered legal by common law. Aborting pregnancies that were at the early stages of growth was viewed as a way of birth control. Couples in such eras resorted to abortion of early pregnancies in the quest to size their families. The development and subsequent advertisement of contraceptives and abortion services in the 1820s stimulated other birth control methods other than the major practice of abortion. Thompson paragraph three and four writes that despite the contraceptives, the large unregulation of abortion often has paved the way for its consistent practice. It is, therefore, a matter that is happening nationally and internationally. The advocating of women’s rights to bear children when they are ready and promoting “voluntary motherhood” has promoted abortion. So the practice cannot be ignored that it doesn’t exist. It cannot only be associated to wayward women to all women within the reproductive age.
Another critical aspect that surrounds abortion among women in the reproductive age is the perception and attitude towards the exercise. The legalization of abortion across the United States did not leave the field unregulated. Various states in the region have regulatory policies that govern the freedom of abortion. Some policies aim to restrict access to abortion, especially when there are no valid health reasons to undergo the process. Irrespective of whether it is medical or surgical abortion, the available policies across the various states are clear on the process. A study by the Health & Medicine Week investigators revealed that such policies which exist governing abortion in various states were significant in creating a perception and attitude towards abortion. With the policies in place, approximately 57% believe that access to abortion is difficult. It was evident from the study that the percentage of women who perceive it hard to access abortion further increased in the states which have four or more policies that govern abortion. People living in such states will experience more restrictions to access abortion services, which is justified by their perception of abortion access. This implies that the higher the policies, the reduced the access to abortion, which subsequently means reduced abortions among the public, especially the medical and surgical abortions. It can then be inferred that abortion is a subject that can be effectively regulated with policies.
Abortion among women of the reproductive age is also a silent pandemic that is significantly a global issue. Grimes et al. page 1, research by the World Health Organization, records that around 19 – 20 million abortions are done annually. Worse of it is that such abortions are conducted by people who have no requisite skills or are done in environments that do not meet the minimum medical standards required. This was identified as a significant cause of death among women as approximately 68 thousand women were estimated to die annually, resulting from unsafe abortions across the world. A large percentage of these statistics is from the developing countries that account for approximately 97 percent of the deaths (par. 3). The major causes of death resulting from unsafe abortions are hemorrhages, poisoning, and infections after abortions. With such high rates of unsafe abortions, it can be inferred that access to abortion is less and puts women in the reproductive age at risk. This inference is in line with the Health & Medicine Week investigators in their study of public health and abortion access for reproductive-age women across the US in 2018. The mortality of unsafe abortions gives an awakening of what the address should be to safeguard the people's health. Therefore, it is important that the legalization of abortion, which is in line with promoting women's health, should be made available upon request. Safe and legal abortion access has not been attained and should be a focus to prevent such massive deaths.
Another aspect surrounding abortion is the politics of reproduction and the entanglement between creating and breaking a family with the issues of abortion (Roy and Mary 25). Roy and Mary note that abortion and legalization are based on politics that have not been founded on the family concern. The freedoms for abortion can ruin the same family that the law claim to protect under the American constitution (pg. 28). The political landscape and the ideas around abortion can be a great cause of social problems if they encourage or discourage social good. In this case, abortion access and politicizing it will be of great harm to society. Available reproduction options should be given much focus, and the public made much aware of them in dealing with the social issue of abortion and the politics around it (pg. 35). Therefore, it is evident that abortion can also be affected by the politics of the day. Abortion has been legalized. Other policies governing the process can be politicized to make an advantageous edge for a particular candidate, either good or bad for society. The best way to approach the issue is by putting the political affairs aside and relooking into the issue with the politics of societal good and the resulting impact on family and related social issues.
Respective pregnancies and abortion among women of the reproductive age documents that middle ages are most affected within the reproductive age. According to Kost, Isaac, and Alex on pages 10 and 11, the women most affected in every 1000 individuals are those women within the ages of 15 – 24 years at the national level. These statistics are backed up by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which gives practical figures from surveys. Kost et al. page 24 and 30 document that abortion in reproductive age women between 15 – 19 years is within those who get pregnant when they do not have plans to start a family, and 24% seek abortion to get rid of the unwanted pregnancy. The age bracket of between 15 – 24 years is a sexually active age but constrained in engagements such as education and early stages of work