Dear Mr. President,

I am writing this letter in hope you will consider my view of why abortion should remain legal in the United States. I believe that abortion should be a woman’s personal decision to protect her health when needed and not a criminal action even though there are arguments against abortion. It may be thought of as murder of a living human being, but I feel those laws are intended to protect infants, children, adults and the elderly. Defining the protection of an embryo or fetus is complicated not to mention religious beliefs . When a woman chooses to get an abortion, it can be mentally and/or physically scarring on their life. The process and decision to get an abortion is not easy but sometimes necessary.

The majority of abortions, 89-92%, happen within the first trimester (week 1 to 12) of the pregnancy. At the end of the first trimester the fetus is about the size of a kidney bean. Doctors will recommend that an abortion takes place within the first trimester of the pregnancy. Most of the women who decided to get an abortion during this time frame have a reason that is in the best interest of the fetus and themselves. Some of these reasons for an abortion are failed contraceptive methods, physical or mental conditions that could injure the pregnant woman if the pregnancy continues, inability to provide the expected care and/or support the child needs, and rape or incest. Some abortions that happen in the United States occur in the second and third trimester (week 13 to birth). About 8% of abortions are conducted in this time frame. At this stage in the pregnancy, the fetus is about seven to eight centimeters long. The second and third trimester is considered very late to have an abortion. The main reason the majority of the women have an abortion that late in pregnancy are to prevent the birth of a child with birth defects or severe medical problems that could possible be fatal to the child after birth. The tests that show these types issues can not be accurately conducted until the second trimester (week 13 to 27) of the pregnancy.

Women that chose to have an abortion should not have to feel guilty or ashamed because they have chosen what is best for them and/or their fetus. If abortion clinics and the procedure were not available, these women who still decided to have an abortion will find alternative methods. These methods include but are not limited to: consuming laxatives to upset the stomach, consuming a vitamin C rich diet to heat up the uterus, consuming aspirin in great amounts or even the “coat hanger” abortion method. These alternative ways could be harmful to the woman and the fetus itself if not aborted as intended. Women who decide to go through with these methods could be severely injured or killed in attempt to terminate the fetus.

In 17 states, the use of public funding is used to pay for abortions when the women can not afford the procedure themselves. For citizens who do not support abortion and do not want anything to do with it should not have their state taxes go to a public fund that could possibly support an abortion. If an abortion is a self-made decision, it should be a self-funded procedure unless the abortion is being conducted for medical reasons under the guidance of a medical professional.

I am not saying I am for abortion just because a woman does not want the child, but if the woman has justifiable cause then I believe it is a reasonable decision to have an abortion. I hope this letter brings your attention to a pressing issue that has faced our country for almost a generation now. I hope you found justice and reason within this letter to do something about the problem of abortion that is in the best interest of our country.