Ethics Questions Abortion

From MyMCAT

The Scenario

A pregnant female in her third trimester decides that she does not wish to have another male child (as she already has two) and wishes to have an abortion so that she may try again for a girl.

Introduction

Ethical dilemma's like this one, or variants are a common subject for debate. Is it right to abort because it was not a girl? How late into pregnancy is too late for an abortion? Is the choice solely hers or should the husband, or even government be involved?

Main Threads for Concern

The question while seemingly complex, can be actually be seen in two very direct concerns.

1. Whether abortion is a moral decision for a woman, given her specific situation. This might include consideration of her religious beliefs, age, marital status, health, economic status, available support systems, genetic makeup, etc.
2. If, after the decision to seek an abortion has been made, whether the husband or government should be able to veto her decision.

1. Abortion a Moral Decision

Against (Prolife)

The fundamental argument by most against abortion is that all persons are entitled to fundamental human rights, specifically the most basic right: to be allowed to live. Surely a child should be allowed this right, thus a fetus, or even an embryo, should have these rights as it will soon become a child.

Some of arguments that follow from this however are:

At what stage is something truly considered alive?
If the embryo is known to harbor a genetic disorder or physical retardation which will limit their life is an abortion ok? If so, how major does the problem have to be for an abortion?

For (Prochoice)

Prochoicers believe that a woman should be allowed to have an abortion if it is done before her embryo or fetus attains personhood regardless of any other moralities.