Whether the government should have control over women’s bodies has been an ethical debate for more than a century. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the issue has become more controversial and politically significant. The ruling affects all women across America, and supporters on both sides argue that lives and fundamental rights are at stake.
The debate is commonly divided between people who identify as “pro-life” and those who identify as “pro-choice.” Pro-life advocates argue that abortion should be illegal, drawing on religious beliefs, moral values, and ethical frameworks. Pro-choice advocates argue that women have a right to make their own medical decisions, emphasizing bodily autonomy.
Religion often is central to pro-life arguments. Many debate whether the blurring of the line between church and state is appropriate in this instance.
Some look to constitutional interpretations for answers. The idea that the Constitution doesn’t protect abortion rights is reinforced by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In the 2022 ruling, the court stated, “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
Socioeconomic factors are also important to consider. Access to abortion services and the ability to travel to states where the procedure is legal are not available to all individuals.
According to the National Library of Medicine, “Women of lower socioeconomic status and women of color in the United States have higher rates of abortion than women of higher socioeconomic status and White women.”
With new voters every year, these policies may change. Younger generations express strong views about abortion, mainly supporting abortion rights.
According to Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, “Young people are the age group most likely to support abortion being legal in all or most cases.”
Students at Communications High School largely reflect this trend, such as junior Charlotte Mathias of Long Branch.
“I think abortion in general is something that is used medically to help people who cannot raise a child or are not in the position to raise a child, because people need to realize that when you bring a life into this world and you raise a child into this world, you have to be financially emotionally, socially able to raise someone,” Mathias said.
While Charlotte believes the woman has the right to make their own decisions, some students feel differently. Students for Life of America (SFLA) has found that 37% of young adults consider themselves prolife. SFLA is an organization of students from middle school to college, focusing on banning abortion.
Those who consider themselves pro-life often value life from conception and feel as though even the unborn have the right to be protected under the law.
“There’s something comparable between abortion and slavery, and that while the people who obviously suffer the most are those subjected to it, I think it has this morally distorting effect on the entire society,” U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with an anti-abortion radio show.
Pro-life also argues that a life in foster care is better than no life at all.
“It is not necessary for a woman to have an abortion, as she can always decide whether she wants the child or not,” freshman Jay Castellanos of Asbury Park said.
Currently, there are 328,947 children in foster care, with adoption rates going lower and lower each year. According to the National Council for Adoption, “In 2024, 46,935 children were adopted from foster care—a decrease of over 6% from the previous year, and over a 26% decrease since 2019.”
Another point to consider when debating between adoption and abortion is the financial factors. Putting up a child for adoption doesn’t cost anything, while an abortion can range from a couple of hundred dollars to multiple thousands.
Pro-life and pro-choice perspectives are divided between what people believe to be morally right and law-abiding. Abortion remains a subject of ongoing public and political debate, with significant legal and social implications for women and children all across the country on the line.
