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Abortion

Perhaps the most basic issue involved in the abortion debate has to do with the question as to when life begins. Many people argue that life begins when a sperm penetrates an egg and causes fertilization. The fertilized egg, they say, has all the potential needed to grow into an embryo, a fetus, and eventually a baby. Destroying the fertilized egg at the very beginning of its existence or at any point in its development is the same as killing a human. It is an act of murder. Since the fertilized egg, the embryo, or the fetus cannot speak or act for itself, humans who oppose abortion must speak and act for it.

Other individuals feel that life does not begin until some later point in the development of a fertilized egg. That point may be designated as implantation, formation of certain organs within the fetus, spontaneous movement of the embryo (quickening), the ability of the fetus to live on its own outside the mother's body (viability), or some other point. Those who favor access to abortion may do so unconditionally, recommending that women alone should be able to decide at what stage an abortion should occur. Others who favor abortion believe that, except in the case of a medical emergency, the procedure should not be allowed after some given point, such as the moment of viability. In this debate, some will argue, the "rights" of two individuals may conceivably be involved, those of the mother and those of the fetus. In such a case, they suggest, the rights of the mother should prevail.

The Evolving Debate over Abortion

In the three decades since Roe v. Wade, abortion has become far more than a medical question involving a woman, her doctor, and perhaps her mate. It has become a political issue at the local, state, and national levels. It has become politically divisive within both parties, but more so within the Republican Party, where a Right to Life contingent has sought to make its views on abortion a "litmus test" for all party candidates. In the 1996 presidential political campaign, for example, the Christian Coalition suggested withholding financial contributions to Republican candidates who refused to oppose certain abortion proce- . dures. That proposal was not adopted by the Republican Party, however.

The debate over abortion continues to change and evolve over time. One reason for this is the intensity of feelings by those on both sides of the issues. Efforts by one person or one group to change minds by reasoned argument tend to be rare. By contrast, violent behavior that includes the murder of abortion providers and the bombing of abortion clinics tends to be more common.

Another factor in the evolution of the abortion debate has been progress in medical technology. Since 1973, a number of new techniques have become available that make abortion safer and easier at earlier stages of pregnancy. The distinctions between very early abortions and very late contraceptive measures have become more uncertain, with a consequent blurring of the debate over abortion itself.

Attitudes and Practices in the United States

Perhaps the two most important trends in abortion statistics are those concerning public attitudes and practices. With regard to the former, the division among those who support access to abortion and those who oppose such access has changed remarkably little since Roe v. Wade. In 1975, for example, 21 percent of all Americans interviewed in one survey agreed that abortion should be legal "under any circumstances." In 1997, the number who agreed with that position was 22 percent. In 1975, the number who felt that abortion should be legal under at least some circumstances was 54 percent. By 1997, that number had risen to 61 percent...