The Editor, Sir:

This missive is an attempt to cut through the rhetoric on both sides of the abortion debate and discuss the issue from an analytical viewpoint.

The term abortion used here refers only to those abortions that are performed as a conscious effort to exercise one's right to choice. From a personal perspective, abortion is a matter of choice, and as such the church, government or any other self-acclaimed organisation should not make it their role to decide whether a woman should carry a child or not. According to chapter 3, section 13 of the Jamaica Constitution. "every person in Jamaica is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual ... freedom of conscience, of expression and respect for his private and family life."

My aim therefore is to highlight the pros and cons of abortion, thus equipping persons to make informed decisions. There are, of course, many cons, paramount of which is the death of a human being. In general, a woman aborts her foetus because she does not want that child. An unwanted child is a pitiful thing and the attendant social problems do not have easy solutions. Pro-life supporters argue that the foetus is not a human being. This basically comes down to semantics, but there is little doubt that most women that have abortions eventually suffer emotional repercussions.

No fuss, no 'muss'

Legalised abortion gives women control over their reproductive decision. It allows a mistake that could have been avoided in the first place, to simply be wiped away. No fuss, no 'muss'. Anti-abortion laws discriminate against low-income women who are exposed to infection. Rich people can go to countries where abortions are legal and perform an abortion. In the book Freakonomics, economist Steven D. Levitt makes the case that legalisation of abortion beginning in 1973 has a strong statistical correlation and may explain the dramatic drop in crime rates across the world.

While it is undeniably true that many aborted babies would not be born in a situation conducive to a full and productive life, the bottom line is that a society, such as ours, that values life is diminished when life may be terminated so easily. The decision to have an abortion, however, rests solely with the persons affected. We should stay out of it and just give them the necessary information to make informed decisions.

I am, etc.,

NADIA JONES

Carron Hall P.O. St Mary