Suicide and abortion

by Lavanya Trichinopoly – Krishna

We live in a world of different races, religions, sexualities, tastes and lifestyles, but there are two things we all have in common – we have all been given the chance to live, and we will all die.

These two certainties might explain why debates about abortion and suicide have permeated the public sphere for decades.

With the headlines reporting renowned author Terry Pratchett calling for a means for terminally ill people to legally end their lives, the recent gunning down of an abortion doctor in America, and a patient complaining that confidential NHS information about her abortion was leaked to her grandmother, the debate is still rife.

Should unborn babies have the right to live?

And should we all have the right to die when we want?

Suicide

Suicide is a topic often found in popular culture.

Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police), Everybody Hurts (REM) and Stuck in a Moment (U2) are just a few examples of songs that deal with this subject matter.

But when not handled carefully it can seem glamourised.

Copy-cat suicides are common amongst young people.

Between January 2007 and December 2008, 24 young people commited suicide in Bridgend, Wales, and after further investigation it was found that seven of these had clear links with each other.

Some parents of the deceased blamed media coverage for exacerbating the problem.

Despite it being an attempt for the individual to escape their life, it is often their family that suffers the most.

Religious views

There are various religious and legal views on suicide.

As one area that most major religions agree on, it is widely believed that taking one’s own life is wrong.

For example Christianity considers suicide a grave sin, which will send you to the seventh level of hell, while Hindus believe that the person will wander the earth until their intended time is over then be sent to hell to atone for this sin before being reincarnated.

Although suicide is no longer considered a crime in the UK – owing to the 1961 Suicide Act prior to which those who failed attempts could be prosecuted, as well as the families of those who succeeded – the law does still prosecute those who assist suicide.

Even with today’s medical advances that can prolong the life of a person, there are people who would rather end it early.

Incurable

Suffering from an incurable, and ultimately debilitating disease – Alzheimers – Pratchett believes those with conditions such as his should be allowed to commit suicide with the assistance of another person without that assistant facing legal consequences.

While many people actually agree that assisted suicide should be allowed for those in great physical pain, the law still considers it illegal. 

Although no family member has been prosecuted so far, despite the law stating those who assist can face up to 14 years in prison, many have initially been charged. 

This inconsistency has led to the realisation that the law needs clarifying, instigated by a case brought by multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy, who feared that her husband would be prosecuted if he helped her travel to assisted suicide group Dignitas’s clinic in Switzerland. 

Much of the fear of those who do not want euthanasia legalised in the UK in any form comes from the fact that it may leave some people vulnerable, and make the distinction between assisted suicide and murder cloudy in some cases.

A person who wished to die would be required to be of sound mental health to make that decision, but it is hard to determine this.

Furthermore, were it legalised it would most likely be open only to those suffering physical pain – a measurement that disregards those suffering from severe mental illnesses that are both incurable and diminish the quality of life.

Suffering

Should these people have to carry on suffering?

And if not, then where do we draw the line?

People suffer from all sorts of intolerable pain, including those considered temporary and resolvable types such as bereavement.

Should these people be forced to suffer while others are allowed a means of escape?

Abortion deals with the opposite.

The two main arguments for and against abortion are often referred to as pro-choice and pro-life.

Currently in the UK a woman can have an abortion within 24 weeks of conception and with the approval of 2 doctors, who assess the case on whether having the child will be a risk to the woman’s life, to the woman or child’s physical or mental health, or the health of any current children she has.

But for those debating the topic it is a matter of women's rights versus the rights of the unborn child.

The main question pervading this argument is: when does a foetus become a human?

Pro-choice campaigners claim that a woman should have the right to a termination as it is her body, and will have the most effect on her life.

Not human

They go by the idea that a baby is not human in the early stages of pregnancy.

However, pro-life campaigners claim that a foetus has the right to develop and be born, and that the foetus is human as soon as it is conceived – a view shared by the Catholic church, who consider abortion a grave sin.

Most religions do not approve of abortion, but some do agree that it is necessary in some cases, particularly when the mother is at risk.

Some argue the concept of taking responsibility for one’s actions, which in this case means that if a woman is sexually active she should accept the consequences if she falls pregnant.

Others take their standing on the basis of the sanctity of human life, with some seeing abortion as the equivalent to murder.

Legal rights

There is also the issue of paternal rights which are often disregarded in western countries.

Men are forced to be financially responsible for their children, regardless of whether they wanted a child or not.

But a man who wants to stop their partner or ex-partner from having an abortion doesn’t have any real legal rights here in the UK.

Attempts to do this have failed, while in America a man has no say over whether a woman terminates her baby or not either.

However, some countries have laws requiring the father to permit the abortion, including China who since 2002 have given fathers equal say.

There are many aspects to consider regarding both suicide and abortion, including whether it is fair to bring a child into an unstable family environment, or whether an ill person can be of sound mind when making the decision to die.

Despite provisions available here for terminations and abroad for assisted suicide, both the right to live and right to die debates will remain a morally cloudy area.