Abortion: Ethics, Science, and Legal Perspectives

Abortion: A Complex Ethical and Scientific Issue

One of the greatest controversies of recent years has been the subject of abortion. According to Wikipedia, abortion is the "premature interruption of pregnancy resulting in fetal death." It is widely agreed that abortion removes a potential new individual life. The Catholic Church, along with many other religions, is completely opposed to it, stating that abortion is only permissible when there is no life yet, meaning before the sperm has fertilized the egg. However, many scientists support abortion, particularly when the woman's life is not in danger.

The Dilemma of Fetal Malformations

A significant challenge arises with abortions performed due to fetal malformations. There's a distinction between aborting an unwanted pregnancy and aborting a pregnancy based on the fetus's characteristics. For instance, if prenatal testing reveals a child will have Down syndrome, is abortion for this reason justifiable?

Personal Opinion and Legal Considerations

My opinion on the subject is in favor of abortion, provided the woman's life is protected. Nobody should be forced to have a child from a non-consensual encounter, for example, or a child who may face significant challenges throughout life, potentially leading to social exclusion or limited opportunities. I believe that the law and governments should progress on this topic and provide clear guidelines. This is a research area where there is limited significant advancement across different countries, which is detrimental because legal restrictions hinder research involving fetuses or embryos.

I also believe that religious institutions should deeply reflect on their opposition, considering the 21st-century context and the potential benefits that research could bring. However, I also advocate for limits. It shouldn't be possible to, in a way, *choose* your child's characteristics. That would currently be going too far. If there were a law banning cloning, it would prevent the selection of traits like eye or hair color, height, etc. As mentioned earlier, a segment of society opposes this, and I believe it would lead to numerous problems and discussions.

The Need for Parliamentary Discussion and Embryo Research

Ultimately, I would like this issue to be discussed openly in Parliament, leading to legislation that supports progress. Someday, allowing embryo research in Spanish laboratories could bring positive news and open new doors in the treatment of diseases, especially hereditary or genetic ones.