The whole debate between pro-life and pro-choice has been going on for years and it seems like the arguments will never end. Whether it is politicians fighting over laws or people fighting in Facebook comments, it seems there is no true middle ground for the two ideals. For me, I find myself in this void of compromise between the two.

We all make our own choices.

We choose whether or not we have sex, how we have sex, who we have sex with, what protections and contraceptives we do or do not use. We choose to do all of these things knowing that there is no such thing as a 100% effective method in preventing pregnancy when participating in female-male sex. We should make these decisions considering where we are in life and what we would do if our actions resulted in pregnancy BEFORE participating in the act.

There are lives at stake.

I am a firm believer that a baby is "alive" when its heart can beat, which is usually before or around the time someone finds out they are pregnant, meaning they would be getting an abortion of something that has a beating heart. That being said, there are also women's lives at stake. What if there is a complication in where the mother and/or the fetus could die? What if the mother is a young girl who has no sense of self? What if the fetus was a result of rape? What if the mother is planning to put the child in foster care? These things can absolutely ruin someone's health as well as their mental health and possibly even childhood.

Rape and dangers in delivery/pregnancy must be an exception.

To all the states making these crazy abortion laws – rape and complications in pregnancy and delivery should be the exception, no doubt. Regardless of whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, I think many people can agree that rape and possible death are two very reasonable causes to terminate a pregnancy. Having both sides agree to this is the first step in finding a compromise.

Men do play a role in this.

Most of the women I know believe that it is 100% their body and that the father should have no say in what happens to the baby. "He is not the one carrying the child for 9 months!" many would say. Here is my problem with that: in cases of romantic/consensual sex, that man and woman are consenting to one another to share this experience, and thus share the consequences. The fetus is 50% the father and 50% the mother, not 100% of the mother. I personally would recommend talking to any sexual partner before having sex about the possibility of pregnancy and what each would prefer in a case of it happening. That way, you are on the same page to take the same course of action with one another.

The baby is a living organism.

Whether we like it or not, that "thing" inside of a pregnant woman is alive. Those who are pro-choice agree that terminating the life of a living being is justifiable in any case. Those who are pro-life agree that there is no justifiable way to terminate the life of a living being.

Where I stand in this void is confusing me.

At the end of the day, we all make choices and we are all accountable for the outcomes. What we do and how we manage that accountability is up to us. As of right now, I would encourage people to keep their child who are physically able to. I would encourage people to open up conversations with potential sexual partners before having sex. I, however, cannot control people's personal decisions. I can only encourage people to make the choices I would make and support them as they make their own. So, I am not hardcore pro-choice, I am not hardcore pro-life: I just want to encourage pro-people mindsets.