Abortion is oft treated like a dirty secret, and not surprisingly, receives step motherly treatment. Especially from politicians. 

Nevertheless, the topic seems to have gained some momentum in the midst of approval being sought by the Cabinet to legalise abortion for instances of rape and incest, underage (below 16 years of age) pregnancies and serious foetal impairment. This is quite a significant change, considering the fact that as of now, abortions are only legal where the mental and physical well being of the woman is affected. 

Meanwhile, women and pro choice supporters in the US face the opposite conundrum. Earlier this week, US President Trump signed an executive order that prohibits funding to international organisations that promote or perform abortion. 

Without a doubt, abortion is a volatile topic exacerbated by ethical implications. On that note, Life Online proffered supporters of pro choice and pro life camps an opportunity to defend their stance. 

Pro Choice 

Ashani 

Pro choice. Not because I necessarily would personally have an abortion, but I truly believe that every woman has the right to make decisions for their own body, and no one has the right to dictate that for them.  Also, abortion should be allowed as a choice because of cases where the child would be born into a situation that is unfavorable for proper upbringing of a child, where there is high risk of disabilities or life threatening diseases, or if the mother has been raped and is unwilling to go to term. 

Overall, going through with a pregnancy is the choice of that individual, and not something that any other woman or man can decide for her. 

Navam 

Pro Choice - It ultimately comes down a woman's right to make a decision concerning her own body. While the pro-life movement is noble in its intentions, it completely disregards important factors such as the mother-to-be's access to proper pre-natal and post-natal/postpartum care, availability of a safe and stable environment, and the finances to support a child. 

Passing anti-abortion laws won't stop underage/teen pregnancies, or promote safer sex - it just promotes more dangerous solutions for something that could be solved much more safely. 

Natalie 

Let me start off with this comment made by Sister Joan Chittister. She said “I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed… Because you don't want your tax money to go there. That's not pro life. That's pro birth.” I think these pro lifers are a big bunch of hypocrites rallying around archaic, restrictive and misogynistic laws. Once the child is born they do nothing to ensure the wellbeing of that child. Neither do they care when these kids are dumped in orphanages and grow up under horrific conditions, often subjected to abuse, rape and other atrocities. Where are these pro lifers then? 

David 

If she's gonna be a single mother and unable to take care of the kid, why have a kid? Especially, in our society that kid would anyway have more trouble in the future, as our society doesn't accept single moms. 

If pro life, then the man MUST share the burden as well. But in many instances, it wouldn't be the case. Even if you go to courts and file a case, it would drag really long and mom will have to suffer even more; with the kid and then with the court case. Therefore, looking at the issue on a practical viewpoint, I think I am pro choice. 

NM 

Pro choice. Because no one piece of legislation should decide on what a woman does with her body and her life. 

Talitha 

I'm  all pro choice. Because I believe that abortions have much more to do with health and wellbeing of the expectant mother. Pro life or pro choice there's going to be people who need them. Better a medically or surgically administered abortion than a self administered high risk abortion (in most desperate  cases the use of a metal hanger). At the end of the day a lot of people can walk away from raising a child but a mother bound by love will always have to provide for the child. There's an old African proverb which says "It takes a village to raise a child". Even though there are single parents in Sri Lanka (in a society where it's unsafe for a young girl to walk alone on the street after dusk) there will always be a struggle for a single mother in Sri Lanka to accommodate to the needs of a child. I mean no offence to the hard working single mothers. But most of them know the struggle specially due to simply just the economic situation in the country. 

Premarital sex is a big no no in Sri Lanka. Culturally  deemed inappropriate, having a child out of wedlock would mean humiliation in most social circumstances. The list goes on. But at the end of the day I believe  that we have no right to predetermine and make the choices for someone else's body and wellbeing.Not just of the mothers but also of the child to be born. 

Pro Life 

Mariam 

Pro Life. Read the words pro choice and pro life and imagine for a second that you don't know what it means.. Why would you not choose life? 

My view is that life is not something that any woman or man should have control over... life is its own decision. Life is beautiful and I feel that if governing bodies unite to provide the necessary facilities for a pro choice mother to give birth or store away the fertilized embryo and give it to someone who wants a child that's the best way to go rather than terminate a potential life. 

Due to the lack of support for pro choice mothers and research conducted in this area we cannot afford to take this liberty away from them for the time being. 

Chama 

First of all this is my personal perspective and opinion regarding this. I'm not saying it to start an argument or anything like that. We're all entitled to our own opinion and regardless of how little popular my view seem to be these days, I hope people can respect it for they are valid reasons for me. I have heard and seen most of the arguments made by many of my American pro-choice friends but I can't seem to shake off my stance on this. I cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that abortion involves causing pain and suffering to another living being despite the cultural & popular opinion supporting it. I understand and fully support the view that women should be given support - especially in the case of low economic households/single mothers/rape victims etc ~ those women should not be abandoned to raising their own children by their own power. My opinion is that rather than funding abortions, we should fund orphanages and develop a good system that will support mothers who find it difficult to raise their own children without stigmatizing them. I believe that every life has a purpose on earth and it is not up to us to play God by taking matters to our own hands by deciding or choosing to end one. I do not see a difference between taking the life of an unborn child through abortion and killing a grown man. If one is illegal and considered morally wrong, so should the other. Even if the child inside a mother's womb is not born, that child still has a beating heart and nerves that causes pain when abortion is carried out. Abortion involves excruciating pain to the unborn child. You're talking about killing the child by tearing one limb at a time. If that was done to a child outside the womb, the outcry against it will be great- but why would we accept it when it is done inside a mother's womb? Is it because we can't see the horror of it? So we harden our hearts, convince ourselves its ok - its not a life. We call the unborn child "it" - fetus - try to dehumanize so that we don't have to deal with the idea that we're supporting murder. However, I don't see a difference. I really believe that by abortion, the world will miss out on some potential world changers. I have a friend whose mother considered abortion as he was fathered by an abusive man who left her in a dire economic state, to raise the child alone.  However, due to a change of heart in the last minute, the woman decided to not abort the child. He grew up in extreme hardship - but he was given the chance to live and change his life. That's the chance we're taking away from a child when we abort them before they are born! The chance to LIVE and make a change! My friend went on to become an amazing photographer and he's producing films in Japan at the moment. He has turned his  and his mother's life around because his mother gave him the chance to live even though at the time he was conceived and born - life was extremely difficult for her. So I really believe rather than supporting abortion, we should support helping these women who need the support to raise their children in difficult circumstances, develop our orphanages or connect them with the many out there who are willing to adopt! 

AJ 

Well as you would think, it wouldn't really matter. But it does. Imagine that your Mom was making a choice to have you. Of course you would want to be brought into this amazing world. Even if your mom was raped. Just have the baby. And what if there are other parents that cannot have a baby? You could give that baby to them, making a big difference in their lives. All you amazing people out there please make the right choice. Look into deep consideration and put yourself into your baby's shoes. Who knows, maybe your baby will be a great military hero. Or stop nuclear warfare. Your kid could save the world. Everything is done for a reason. Just think about that.