Abortion is a deliberate medical or surgical procedure that terminates a pregnancy. The 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion by allowing women to terminate pregnancies within the first trimester, mobilizing supporters on both sides of the issue. Since then, abortion has aroused conflicting opinions and has divided society into different opinions and sides. People argue that women have a constitutional right to decide what to do with their own bodies. Others say that a life is a life, no matter how small. In the United States, abortion is a controversial issue because it is a broad and complex topic that touches on ethical, social, and legal issues. Although others believe that a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body, abortion should not be legal because there is no consensus on whether a fetus is a human being and other alternatives to abortion exist. Many people try to justify their actions for abortions by insisting that it is in the best interests of the child. The reasons why women miscarry are not simple and can be difficult to understand; they can cover a wide range of rape, deformity, inability to provide for the child, in another relationship or unplanned pregnancy. Some women say, “I may not be able to provide her with a good life” or “It's been a bad time and I can't support a child right now.” In the case of rape it is not the child's fault, instead of punishing the criminal the final sentence, the capital punishment, is given to the child. “The circumstances of the creation of an unborn child should not alter, much less deny, its right to life. In other words, the unborn child has the right to life regardless of the circumstances in which it finds itself... in the midst of society... of paper, but people should not make decisions that can drastically and unfairly violate other human beings . The fetus is in fact a human being and its rights must be respected. Maybe it is the mother's body, but as soon as she conceives it is no longer her body. Although others believe that a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body, the child she carries is still human and has the right to be protected. Works Cited "Abortion". Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Network. February 4, 2014. Brown, Judie, and Robert P. Evangelisto. “All abortions must be illegal.” Is the right to abortion threatened? Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. In question. Rpt. from "The Moral and Logical Arguments Against Abortion." vol. 5. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Network. February 4. 2014.