ETHC 445 Week 5 Course Project Milestone: Annotated Bibliography

Student Name

Chamberlain University

ETHC-445 Principles of Ethics

Prof. Name

Date

Introduction

Abortion is widely defined as the medical or surgical termination of an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. It remains one of the most debated ethical, legal, and social issues across societies. Supporters of abortion rights emphasize reproductive freedom and a woman’s autonomy over her own body, whereas opponents argue from a moral and religious standpoint, often organizing protests outside clinics such as Planned Parenthood. A pivotal moment in this debate was the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared that a fetus does not hold constitutional rights, thereby affirming a woman’s right to seek an abortion (Ruggiero, 1992).

In recent years, abortion laws have become increasingly restrictive in several U.S. states. Some legislatures have enacted total bans or criminalized the procedure, including extreme measures where women could face penalties even after miscarriages. This tightening of laws has led to a rise in unsafe abortion practices, contributing to preventable health risks, physical complications, and even maternal deaths.

An alarming aspect of this debate is that many of the legislative restrictions are being pushed by male lawmakers, individuals without reproductive capacity. In some states, exceptions for cases of rape or incest have been removed, forcing women to carry pregnancies under traumatic circumstances. These policies highlight the broader issue of bodily autonomy and gender equality, raising questions about who has the right to control reproductive decisions. As Ruggiero (1992) observed, “On the other hand, abortion used to be moral but now it is immoral.” This shift illustrates how societal and political changes alter perceptions of morality. Yet, if an act was once deemed ethically permissible, its moral acceptability should not change unless there is clear evidence of inherent harm.

Thesis

This paper seeks to examine the paradoxical nature of abortion debates, underscoring why abortion should remain a legal and safe option for women. It argues that men should not dictate decisions about women’s reproductive rights and highlights the harmful consequences—both medical and social—of criminalizing abortion.

Annotations

Below is a summary of scholarly sources and organizational reports relevant to abortion ethics and laws:

References

Amnesty International. (2019, June 11). 10 things you need to know about abortion laws in the US. Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/06/abortion-laws-in-the-us10-things-you-need-to-know/

Crossley, M. (2015, August 1). Normalizing disability in families. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 43(3), 674–680. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/jlme.12236

Manninen, B. A. (2015). The replaceable fetus: A reflection on abortion and disability. Disability Studies Quarterly, 35(2). http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3239/3831

McKinney, C. (2016). Selective abortion as moral failure? Revaluation of the feminist case for reproductive rights in a disability context. Disability Studies Quarterly, 36(1). http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3885/4213

ETHC 445 Week 5 Course Project Milestone: Annotated Bibliography

Nuccetelli, S. (2017, March 28). Abortion for fetal defects: Two current arguments. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 20(4), 447–457. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11019-017-9765-2

Ruggiero, V. (1992). Roe v. Wade: A review of the legal implications. Journal of Health Law, 25(2), 345–360.