Women Left to Pick up the Pieces: Doctor’s Perspective on Legalised Abortion
Dr. Miller has stated that legal abortion has noticeably affected women, not men, and argues that in most cases, ending a baby’s life is unethical. Dr. Calum Miller, a medical doctor, philosopher, and abortion researcher shared on NTD’s “British Thought Leaders” program that liberalized abortion laws have led to more responsibility, trauma, and poverty for women, and have not reduced deaths from unsafe abortions. He also believes that most abortions are unethical as it is essentially ending a human life.
He points out that rather than freeing women from sexual consequences, abortion has solely liberated men and left women to cope with the aftermath of abortions or raise children. Dr. Miller mentioned that evidence shows an increase in single motherhood and associated poverty rates. Additionally, he believes this contributes to increased mental health problems, as well as crime.
Regarding the argument that legal abortion would prevent unsafe backstreet abortions, Dr. Miller suggested that research doesn’t support this, citing countries such as Malta and Poland, which have low maternal mortality despite outlawing most abortions. He even suggested that in countries where abortion is legal, unsafe abortions are still a problem. He believes this raises a moral question as it would be unusual to allow other human rights violations simply because they are unsafe.
Dr. Miller highlighted that most abortions in the UK are performed for mental health reasons, but also noted that abortion does not address mental health issues and is often exploited under the current law. He also mentioned the high abortion rates in England and Wales and the specific reasons for each procedure. In Scotland, nearly all abortions were performed due to mental health reasons, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports.
Dr. Miller argued that if all lives are valued equally, abortion should only be allowed when a woman’s life is at risk, likening it to killing in self-defense. He also presented the case of Nik Hoot, who was born with various physical disabilities due to a failed abortion. Dr. Miller concluded that the issue of abortion entails the rights of two bodies, not just one.
On the matter of when life begins, Dr. Miller stated that the science indicates life begins at fertilization, prompting the question of when that life begins to matter and be granted rights.
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