The recent publication of the ruling of the constitutional court confirming the modification of the abortion law introduced by Irene Montero in the sense of not making parental authorization necessary for minors over 16 years of age to have an abortion, deepens deep injustices that this law threatens the life, health and dignity of people. In this regard, we present in 10 points the reasons that make this an unjust law.
- Induced abortion consists of deliberately ending the life of an innocent human being in its early stages of development. Today there is no doubt that the embryo is an individual of the human species from its zygote stage. There is also no doubt that intentionally causing the death of a human being is killing.
- Abortion not only cuts the life of the embryo but also affects the woman who aborts, many related studies show. Mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, alcoholism, use of narcotic substances, are some of them. Continuing pregnancy in adolescents is a protective factor that reduces the risk of suicide by 50% and death from other causes by 40%. In women who have undergone an induced abortion, the risk of mortality is 170% higher compared to those who have given birth to a live child. In addition, they have twice the risk of death in the year after the induced abortion compared to those who have suffered a spontaneous abortion.
- Abortion does not contribute to sexual or reproductive health: it is harmful to everyone involved. Talking about abortion as a health promoter ignores scientific evidence and constitutes manipulation of language that aims to confuse. Therefore, it violates the freedom of the woman who must make a decision.
- Hiding or not providing available information related to the side effects of abortion also violates the freedom of women, who are prevented from making duly informed autonomous decisions. The suppression of the reflection period and the non-obligation to provide information on alternatives to abortion that allow her to continue with her pregnancy also constitute attacks on her free decision-making capacity.
- Abortion is not a right. Yes, it is the right to life, which it is opposed to.
- There are no circumstances that legitimize an abortion: killing is always killing. Not even the worst of crimes against a woman, such as rape, justify causing the death of an innocent person.
- Abortion is harmful to the society that promotes it: it contributes to the serious birth rate deficit that affects developed societies, which are heading towards a demographic winter.
- Abortion is an indicator of decadence in the civilizations that support it: “The quality of a civilization is measured by the way it treats its weakest members” (J. Lejeune)
- The figures published on the number of abortions do not reflect the true magnitude of the problem: many of the chemical abortions that are carried out in increasing numbers are not declared or counted. Assisted reproduction techniques cause more deaths of human embryos due to discarding than induced abortion itself.
- Facilitating access to abortion for women who experience an unwanted pregnancy without other alternatives is depriving them of the help that would allow them to continue with their pregnancy. Not providing resources to help these women continue with their pregnancy constitutes an attack on their rights, dignity and freedom.
Julio Tudela – Life Sciences Institute – Bioethics Observatory – Catholic University of Valencia
