Iris' Dilemma

Iris is a 19 year-old Junior at a large midwestern university. She and her boyfriend, Tom, have been together for just over a year now. They are sexually active but monogamous. Iris and Tom have even talked about marriage after they graduate. For now they are both very busy with their studies. Iris is pre-law and Tom is in the mechanical engineering program. Although it is rare, whenever they do have the opportunity for sexual relations they are very careful to take contraceptive measures. Iris is not on the pill, so either she uses a diaphram or Tom uses a condom. Whatever the case, they are very careful to be sure that Iris does not get pregnant.

Iris' parents are extremely conservative. The very idea of her having sex outside of marriage would horrify them. They have every confidence that she is still a virgin, and Iris does nothing to disabuse them of this notion. Her parents are firm supporters of republican politicians who stress the need for a return to so-called family values. They think that the problems in American today are due in large measure to rampant promiscuity and such atrocities--as they would say--as single parent households.

Tom's parents are more liberal. They assume quite correctly that he lost his virginity some time ago. On the other hand, they are midwesterners. They simply don't talk about sex lives at all. They certainly would never talk about their son's sex life.

Tom's parents are very fond of Iris. Iris' parents are less enthusiastic about Tom. They're not so sure about his "intentions" towards their daughter. She is, after all, extremely attractive and boys don't, as far as they're concerned, have much self-control. There were some initial fights between Iris and her parents over her dating Tom, but since then Iris' parents have just decided to be quiet and hope that Iris will decide to do better for herself.

Engineers may have the reputation for being studious geeks who would be lost without their pocket-protectors, but in fact they are famous at this university for throwing the best parties. Usually they only have the parties a few times a year, but when they do the serious inebriation of several thousand students is the end result. The university tolerates these parties in large measure because the party-goers are normally very well-behaved. They see it as just a bunch of hard-working students blowing off steam.

At one such party, the "Find the Higgs-Boson" party, Iris and Tom take part in the festivities. They each have a bit too much to drink and, finding themselves back at his dorm room, end up having unprotected sex.

Iris is nervous the next day, but Tom reassures her that the chances of her getting pregnant from a single instance of unprotected sex are slight. Iris decides not to worry about it. But then she misses her next period. She is terrified when the pregnancy test shows positive. Tom is crushed when she tells him that evening. His girlfriend is pregnant and scared, and he has a calc-2 midterm in a week! There are tears from both of them. Even so, they are level-headed about it. They talk about all their options. Tom is careful not to pressure Iris in any one direction, although he makes it clear that he thinks the best thing for both of them would be for her to get an abortion.

After an agonizing week of trying to decide and talking with Tom and her best friend Susan, Iris decides to get an abortion. The thought of talking to her parents occurs to Iris, but she quickly decides that that would be the wrong thing to do. They would do everything in their power to stop Iris from getting the abortion. She's heard them call physicians who perform abortions "baby-killers" before. But she knows that she's got too much ahead of her in her career to be thinking about having a baby. If she had the baby she knows she couldn't bring herself to adopt out.

Susan takes Iris to the clinic, since Tom has to get ready for his test. Once there they are met by a group of eight or so activists on the sidewalk. They hold signs which read "Baby-Killers will suffer in hell!" and "Don't kill your baby". Susan tries to shield Iris from the activists, but two women rush up and shove pamphlets in Iris' face. They yell at her, telling her that she couldn't live with herself later knowing that she had slaughtered her own baby. A security guard comes out and helps Iris past the activists into the clinic.

The attending physician is very reassuring and takes pains to explain all of her options to her. Iris, of course, has been over it all before. But it's good to hear again. The physician then tells her that, since it is still very early in the pregnancy, she thinks that Iris ought to go home and think about it. If she decides to get an abortion she can make an appointment for the following week. Iris agrees and she and Susan are escorted to her car.

Question: Is it morally right for Iris to get an abortion?