When it comes to the debate about abortion everyone is a bit sensitive. Most conservatives are pro-life, and most liberals are pro-choice. Each side has such strong opinions about this topic especially. Since everyone does feel so strongly about abortion, it makes it hard for us to come to an agreement about it. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice we all have a lot more in common than you think. As I have begun to explore this topic in much more depth with individuals of different political parties, it does seem that both sides do actually want the same thing, that being less abortions and more resources. The right side is generally pro-life, or against abortion. They believe that life begins at the moment of conception and to abort the baby is to commit murder. Humans should not have the right to intentionally take the life of another human being. They also think that abortion is abused and being used as a form of birth control. If a woman has unprotected sex and ends up pregnant she should deal with the consequences of her decision. If the woman doesn’t want to keep her baby she should give it up for adoption rather than aborting it. Conservatives would also argue that if a woman has an abortion it can lead to medical complications later in her life. For example, her chances of a miscarriage are much higher, even her ability to get pregnant again could become compromised. They also strongly oppose Planned Parenthood, and think that it is mainly an abortion clinic. Left leaning individuals tend to be pro-choice. Meaning, they believe that a woman’s ability to have control of her body is absolutely a right. Most pro-choicers actually don’t believe in abortion after a certain time during pregnancy. Abortions should take place during the first trimester while the fetus is still very undeveloped. Liberals commonly think that adoption is not an alternative to abortion, as the woman still has to make a choice whether or not to keep her baby. Abortions have less than 0.5 percent risk of serious complications and do not affect a woman’s health or ability to become pregnant again. Liberals tend to support Planned Parenthood and their efforts. In fact the tax dollars contributed to Planned Parenthood are actually not used to fund abortion. The funding is used to help women receive health care and provide birth control, therefore minimizing the amount of abortions performed each year. While each side has opposing opinions about abortion it may seem hard to find common ground. Although, I think we would all agree that we should be more focused on preventing unwanted pregnancies rather than preventing abortion. Unfortunately, either abortion is legal or illegal, and cannot be determined on a case by case basis. If this were the case, both sides really would find common ground. I have found in speaking with various individuals that both sides do ultimately agree that abortion should be permitted in cases where the mother is in grave danger, and largely agree a woman should have the right to choose an abortion when she has been raped or if the pregnancy is a result of incest. The only shared belief that is widely accepted and legally enforced is the limit on the length of the pregnancy in order for an abortion to be performed. Planned Parenthood offers many options for allowing for safe sex to avoid the risk of unwanted pregnancies. They also provide a safe place to have an abortion in the event a woman feels as though it is her only option. It can also provides a wide range of health services for men and women. My personal feelings on this delicate topic have remained the same, even after understanding both sides. I am pro-choice, I believe it is every woman's right to be able to make her own choice about her body. Her decision ultimately ends up affecting her and her life, so who better to make this choice than her. We cannot possibly know what a woman in this position is going through to make her consider this difficult decision. When a woman is going through such a difficult time she needs support and resources to help make the best decision for her particular situation. Like most, I think that if a woman is going to have an abortion it should be done in the first trimester while the fetus is basically just a mass of cells. I support programs like Planned Parenthood, which provide a safe environment for women to receive healthcare, birth control, and yes, abortions. Without these programs, women would seek abortion in unsafe facilities, potentially receiving risky procedures. Plus, the amount of unwanted pregnancies would rise due to limited access of the birth control and sex education that is currently offered. Regardless of all of the other options a woman may have, I firmly believe that abortion should still be one of those options, and should be made available in a safe and caring environment. Whether our opinions are skewed to the left or the right, can we all come together to agree that women need more support in planning their pregnancies. Let’s focus on making sure young women are informed about pregnancy and it’s consequences. Being able to provide sex education and birth control to girls and women in need has helped to decrease the number of abortions performed. Most of these advantages have been provided by Planned Parenthood, which is a nonprofit organization funded by tax. Should we support this program and use our tax dollars to fund it? These services help women to know the consequences of unprotected sex and be prepared for pregnancy, conclusively decreasing the need for abortion.