Abortion through the Eyes of a Utilitarian

There are seven states here in the United States which require an ultrasound prior to an
abortion: Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (Rochman).
Though the decision to have an abortion may be already difficult for any woman, this
treacherous demand by these states is now in act. Thats not all, though. The states of Texas
requires that the doctor who will perform the procedure to not only complete an ultrasound but to
explain the anatomy of the embryo in detail.
Carolyn Jones, a 35 year old mother, learned from two different doctors that her child
was disabled. Due to the intensity of the childs illness, she made the decision to have it aborted.
She never thought abortion would be an option in her life but once it was, she definitely didnt
expect that period of her like to be so wicked.
It felt barbaric to have to listen to a description of a baby I had so badly wanted, says Jones, who is
35. I could barely breathe. (Rochman)

As I read the words of this poor woman, put into an unfavorable situation, I am in awe
that laws such as these are established. Most people disagree to abortion because they believe it
is murder, and thats fine, but forcing brutal laws such as these is even worse.
In utilitarianism there are three propositions:
1. Actions are to be judged right or wrong solely by virtue of their consequences;
nothing else matters.
2. In assessing consequences, the only thing that matters is the amount of happiness or
unhappiness that is created, everything else is irrelevant.

3. Each persons happiness counts the same. Thus right actions are those that produce
the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness, with each persons happiness
counted as equally important (Rachels).
In the case of Carolyn Jones, her decision to abortion was made solely on the fact that her
child would be born painfully disabled. If he/she survived once born, his/her life would be spent
in and out of hospitals. The love of a mother outweighed the selfishness of a mother; she was not
going to bring a child into the world where they would spend their life in utter pain and complex
medically related visitations. If Carolyn Jones would have decided to bear and birth that child,
he/she would not live a happy life. Neither would Carolyn Jones, considering she would have
been responsible for the childs pitiful life. In this case, both Carolyn Jones and her unborn child
would be happier with the completion of her abortion. Not only that, but she was made unhappy
during the time previous to her abortion, which only made her want the procedure done and over
with. The happiness of those who are against abortion would be diminished considering the child
would either die once born or continuously have to visit hospitals. In addition, they would still be
terribly upset having to see the child suffer all of their life because of their condition. Their
happiness, in the end, would cease to exist.
I closed my eyes and waited for it to end, as one waits for the car to stop rolling at the end of a
terrible accident. (Rochman)

Lets consider the child was never diagnosed with a disability that would cause
complications in his/her life. Although abortion is legal, there are still certain restrictions
regarding the procedure to secure when it is acceptable or not. Most states have limitations
regarding abortion and they usually depend on how developed the fetus is. Some people would
suggest that abortion is wrong because the fetus would be able to feel pain during the procedure,

but there are restrictions for a reason. The claim that the fetus happiness would not be weighed
the same is inaccurate because, in most cases, the fetus being aborted is approximately the size of
a grain of rice. There are restrictions for abortions for a reason. The happiness of those who are
pro-life and are in favor of making abortion illegal is irrelevant because they would not be the
ones getting abortions. Therefore, an abortion would not affect their life or their happiness.
Utilitarianism all leans back on the idea of consequences after making an ethically ideal
decision. In the case of abortion, many would like to suggest that the woman may experience
stress after the abortion due to feelings of regret, guilt, etc. In contrast, studies show women are
more stressed prior to the abortion, considering they are bearing a child they may be unable to
take care of, is sick, or was conceived against her will. Stating that a woman will experience
feelings of distress post to the abortion is inaccurate. As previously mentioned, Carolyn Jones
felt much distress and difficulty throughout the steps leading to her abortion and she simply
wished for the procedure to be completed.
Jones didnt change her mind. You can imagine that having politicians muscling in on the most
private and devastating personal situation Ive ever been was terrible, says Jones. As devastating as this is, I
feel at peace with the choice I made. (Rochman)

This woman stated she wanted to keep her child, but due to the health factors relating to
the child she decided to go through with the abortion. If Carolyn Jones wanted her child and
didnt regret her abortion, I doubt that women who dont wish to bear the child will.
Another argument towards abortion is that you have the choice of giving the child up for
adopting. This, to me, is incredibly idiotic. Although utilitarianism relates more to the
consequences of the situation, it also speaks about the happiness of the people. A woman bearing
a child she did not wish to bear would make her unhappy. Lets say she does, though. She would

then give her child up for adoption. She held this child in her stomach for 9 months how do
you think she would feel giving this child up? She would have to do so though, because she in
unable to give the child a stable life. Now, if that child grows up and realizes he is adopted,
he/she may feel that he was abandoned or worthless this definitely does not resemble
happiness.
Now, lets consider this woman was raped by a family member. Asking that woman to
bear that child would be inhumane. All throughout the pregnancy she would be unhappy and if
she kept the child, she would have to look at him/her for the rest of her life; reminded of the
tragedy that is her life. It is not her fault she was impregnated and it would be unfair to force her
to bear and birth that child. In this circumstance, I wouldnt be so sure that someone would be
pro-life.
Although abortions are legal, there are some states that have massive restrictions and
rules. Some states make it virtually illegal to have the procedure due to such a low number of
providers (Marcotte). A 17 year old girl in rural Utah, who was exploited by an older man, paid
someone $150 to beat her stomach in hopes of terminating her pregnancy (Marcotte). Due to the
fact there are only 7 providers in the state, all being much too far from her reach, she made an
inappropriate decision. If someone still considers themselves pro-life after hearing this story...
wow. Banning abortions or making it highly difficult to receive the procedure will not, stop
women from finding ways to end their unwanted pregnancies. If we look at the consequence
from both sides (pro-life or pro-choice) we can see clearly who the obvious winner is. Ban
abortions and risk women making careless and unhealthy choices or keep abortion legal with
enough providers in the state and have women terminate their pregnancies by the hands of a
professional in safe circumstances.

Giving women the ability to receive abortions cautiously will make most everyone happy.
Not only will law enforces be happier, considering they dont have to arrest a girl for having
someone beat her stomach, but as will pro-lifers since they wont have to hear about such brutal
situations. The poor girl would be happier as well, since she will be able to finalize her
pregnancy in a humane manner. In conclusion, making sure there are enough providers in the
state for abortions will be much better for anyone who is in the predicament of ending their
pregnancy.
As for the idea of the consequence being the most important aspect of the situation,
receiving a safe abortion, excluding unnecessary procedures, will result in more pro-active
women and families. A 26 year old woman by the name of Sarah shares her story of her abortion:
[] Two years ago I found out I was pregnant during my first week of intense graduate program.
Having been on birth control for months, this was a complete shock. I had been with my partner less than a
year and we were both full time students. I chose to have an abortion and it was undoubtedly the hardest
decision Ive made in my life. [] Since then I have finished school, found a job I love, and am enjoying the
time to figure out my life. []

If this woman would have chosen to keep the fetus, not only would have she been
stressed, so would her partner and the child. Both would have to drop out of school to help care
for the child and then the child would know he/she was responsible for ending their parents
education. She probably wouldnt have found the job she so loves and the child would have to
grow up in a low income family. The list goes on and on. The point is: Her decision to go
through with the abortion not only helped her to complete her education and be employed
somewhere she is happy, but kept the child from living an unhappy and stressful life where both
parents are upset because they werent able to complete their lives as planned.

For those women who have abortions simply because they are not able to take care of the
child in that moment, cannot afford the morning after pill, already have multiple children, or
their birth control was ineffective they should still be given the choice, considering it is their
body and we cannot tell someone else what to do with their body. The best thing to do is keep the
option open for women, with less rules and restrictions, and make sure there are enough
providers in each state to make sure there are safe and responsible abortions.

Works Cited
1. http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/23/requring-ultrasounds-before-abortion-onemothers-personal-tragedy/
2. http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_OAL.pdf
3. http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/womens-voices/womens-stories/womens-storiesabortion.html
4. http://www.alternet.org/story/151268/10_states_where_abortion_is_virtually_illegal_for_
some_women