What if the mother will die?
There are no situations where abortion is medically or psychiatrically justified to save the life of the mother. With the advancement of medical science, today’s doctor is never faced with the dilemma of choosing between the life of the mother and the life of the baby. Opponents often bring up such cases as an ectopic pregnancy or cancerous uterus. However, these are not abortions. When the embryo lodges in the fallopian tube and grows there, the damaged portion of the tube, containing the developing human being, may be surgically removed. Morally, such operations are justified under the principle of double effect, or secondary effect, since the death of the child is the unintended effect of an operation independently justified by the necessity of saving the mother’s life. These operations do not involve the intentional killing of the unborn child for the preservation of the mother’s life. Morally, therefore, such cases as the ectopic pregnancy and the cancerous uterus present no probl
