The Ethical Quandary of Abortion: Whose Body, Whose Voice?

By: Rebecca Witherspoon, June 19, 2025

The phrase “my body, my choice” has become a defining slogan in the modern debate over abortion. At first glance, it sounds simple and self-evident: a person should have the right to make decisions about their own body. I 100% agree with that principal and advocate for personal bodily autonomy. But … when we apply this principle to the issue of abortion, the situation becomes far more ethically complex—because in every pregnancy, there is not one body involved, but two. And the second body—the unborn child—does not yet have the ability to speak or defend itself.

Personal Bodily Autonomy

Personal bodily autonomy is the principle that every individual has the right to control their own body. It means you have the freedom to make decisions about your physical self—such as whether to undergo medical treatments, what to eat, how to dress, whether to have sex, and whether or not to become pregnant—without coercion or interference from others.

Bodily autonomy is a foundational aspect of human rights and personal freedom. It affirms that your body belongs to you, and you are the ultimate authority over what happens to it.

However, in ethical and legal discussions—especially around issues like abortion—bodily autonomy can come into conflict with other moral considerations. For example, in pregnancy, some argue that another human life is also involved, and that the rights of the unborn child must be weighed alongside the mother’s autonomy.

This tension is at the core of many debates about reproductive rights, medical ethics, and human dignity. It is not simply about autonomy. It is about how we, as a society, define and value human life. Do we owe protection only to those who can speak for themselves, or does our humanity compel us to speak for the voiceless?

The Humanity of the Unborn

One of the most troubling aspects of the abortion discussion is how it often hinges on denying the humanity of the unborn child. Some reduce the baby to mere “tissue” or a “clump of cells,” ignoring the overwhelming scientific evidence about fetal development. Science is not vague on this issue: from the moment of conception, a new, genetically distinct human being begins to exist. By six weeks, the baby’s heart is beating. By ten weeks, they can move, respond to touch, and have identifiable fingers and toes. These are not abstractions—they are biological facts.

Yet, cultural and legal narratives often dismiss this reality. Why? Because acknowledging the humanity of the unborn makes the moral implications of abortion impossible to ignore. If the being in the womb is a living human, then abortion is not merely a medical procedure. It is the intentional ending of a human life.

The Silent Victims

In many moral debates, the strongest arguments are made not for the powerful, but for the powerless. We have laws to protect endangered species, vulnerable adults, and neglected children—precisely because they cannot protect themselves. The unborn are the most defenseless members of our human family. They cannot speak, protest, or run away. They rely entirely on the protection of their mothers and their society.

And yet, in much of our culture, their right to life is considered optional—subject to the will of another person. This selective compassion raises a deeply uncomfortable question: if we allow the life of an unborn child to be contingent on whether they are wanted, what does that say about the consistency of our moral framework? Human rights should never depend on someone else’s feelings about you.

Personal Responsibility Before Pregnancy

The slogan “my body, my choice” emphasizes bodily autonomy, a deeply important principle. However, when applied to abortion, it overlooks a critical ethical dimension: the reality that, in most cases, individuals make a choice before pregnancy occurs—specifically, the choice to engage in behavior that can result in the creation of a new human life. While not all pregnancies are planned or expected, the decision to have sex—particularly without contraception—is a significant moment of choice with known potential consequences. Recognizing this prior choice challenges the notion that abortion is simply an act of reclaiming control over one’s body. Instead, it raises questions about responsibility and the moral obligations that may arise when one person’s choices directly affect the life and future of another, even one not yet born.

The Toll on Women

While the child’s life is the most obvious concern, abortion also carries serious implications for the mother. Rarely discussed in popular discourse are the physical and psychological risks associated with abortion procedures. Complications such as hemorrhage, infection, and even infertility can and do occur. Long-term mental health impacts, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, are well-documented by women who have undergone abortions—particularly those who felt pressured, misinformed, or unsupported.

Tragically, in the name of choice, many women feel they have no real choice at all. Economic pressure, social stigma, lack of support, or coercion from a partner or family member often drive the decision to abort. This points to a failure not of individual morality, but of a society that has too often normalized abortion instead of working to provide real solutions—such as access to prenatal care, adoption support, and resources for mothers in crisis.

Tragedy Within Tragedy: Rape, Incest, and the Innocent Life Conceived

When pregnancy results from rape or incest—acts of profound violence and violation—the ethical questions surrounding abortion become especially painful and complex. Compassion and care for the victims of such trauma must be central in any conversation; no one should minimize the suffering endured by someone who has been assaulted. Yet even in these tragic circumstances, another innocent life—the unborn child—enters the picture, also conceived without consent, also with no voice or choice in the violence that occurred. The baby, like the mother, is a victim. This raises an anguished moral question: should the child, who bears no blame for the crime, be sentenced to death because of the circumstances of their conception? While the trauma of the mother is real and deep, so too is the reality of the developing human life within her. True compassion must seek to support the mother fully while also recognizing the humanity and innocence of the child she carries.

A Crisis of Compassion

Ultimately, the question of abortion forces us to examine the kind of society we want to be. Will we be one that values every human life, even the smallest and most vulnerable? Or will we continue to draw arbitrary lines about who gets to be considered fully human and who does not?

Compassion should not end at birth, nor should it begin only when a child is wanted. A truly compassionate society finds ways to love both the mother and the child—to support women through unplanned pregnancies without resorting to violence or despair. True empowerment comes not from erasing another life, but from rising to meet the challenges of love, sacrifice, and responsibility.

The Way Forward

Abortion is not just a political issue; it is a deeply human and moral one. It demands more from us than slogans and soundbites. It asks us to grapple with difficult questions of autonomy, responsibility, justice, and compassion.

We must speak honestly about the reality of abortion—not just as a matter of personal choice, but as a decision that ends a human life. And we must do better for women, offering them hope, support, and real alternatives that affirm the dignity of both mother and child. While bodily autonomy is vital, we must also recognize that our choices before pregnancy carry moral weight, especially when those choices create new, innocent life.

Even in the most tragic and heartbreaking cases—such as rape or incest—where a woman or young girl has endured unimaginable trauma, we are still faced with the presence of another innocent life who also did not choose to be part of that violence. These situations demand our deepest compassion, not only for the woman but also for the unborn baby. A just and compassionate society must find ways to support both lives—with real care, tangible resources, and moral clarity.

In the end, a just society is not measured by how it treats the strong, but by how it protects the weak. And there is no one weaker or more in need of protection than the unborn child in the womb. True empowerment and justice come not from ending a life, but from embracing the difficult path of love, healing, and protection for the most vulnerable among us—born and unborn alike.

For those who support abortion, especially those who support it without any limitations, then you need to understand exactly what you are supporting. I encourage you to watch the following two videos by former abortionists, explaining in detail exactly what is involved with an abortion.