Rhetorical Situation: Ultrasounds Prior to Abortion

The issue under discussion is a necessity to mandate ultrasounds prior to abortions. This problem is urgent as a rate of abortions in the world increases every year. More and more women have abortions without thinking about the consequences of their actions. The number of young girls who make a decision to have abortions increases as well. 33 states have legal acts which control the procedure of abortions. To make the procedure legal, the “informed consent” should be implemented. The main idea of this issue is to mandate ultrasounds prior to abortions, show the screen to women, and describe the elements of the fetus before the operation. The problem is timely as the number of abortions increases and it affects the general health condition of the population. The implementation of the “informed consent” can be the first step to the reduction of the abortions rate as some women can refuse from operation after seeing their child and getting to know more about the procedure and its consequences. The issue which is going to be addressed is as follows, should it be mandated to require ultrasounds, then given information and descriptions of all specific procedures of an abortion?

The issue should be directed at two audiences involved in the process, women with the intentions to have abortions and special healthcare establishments and staff which deal with such operations. Women with the intention to have abortions are chosen as one of the audiences because they are affected directly. These women will be screened, they will be explained the procedure of the abortion and its consequences. Women in maternity welfares should be informed about the issue and be familiarized with the document under discussion. Medical staff should also be mailed this paper as their participation in the process is inevitable. These two audiences should get familiarized with the paper, however, there is a possibility that many people will disagree with our intentions and will try to protest.

Some women who are going to have abortions are the first in the row of those who may protest the decision to mandate ultrasounds prior to abortions. One of the main reasons they can represent is that it is difficult to make a decisions to have an abortion, and the intention to show a screen is cruel. Most of those who have abortions do not want to do it, but they have no another way out. The “informed consent” may change nothing in their decisions, but the pain because of the informing may increase along with the cases of post abortion depressions. Living in the democratic country, people can choose what they want to hear. The adoption of the issue can violate their rights and make women listen to the information they are not interested in.

Medical staff can also disagree with the intention to implement such laws as they will have to make unnecessary actions. Much time is going to be spent in vain. Modern world is highly informed, therefore it is unprofessional to think that women who have abortions know nothing about the procedure and its consequences. If a women has come to the hospital to have an abortion, neither a lecture about its consequences nor the screening can make her change her mind.