Carrie Sheffield, a conservative commentator, is the founder of Bold, a digital news network committed to bipartisan dialogue. She is also national editor for Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog organization. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion at CNN.

(CNN) The Alabama pro-life law signed into law Wednesday addresses a human-rights issue: the right to life. The argument that only a woman's body is at stake doesn't work: from conception, a pregnancy involves at least distinct bodies — that of the fertilized egg which contains a distinct and new blend of DNA (from mother and father), all that is needed to become a baby, and that of the mother. It is dangerous when a society ignores the rights of the young and innocent.

Carrie Sheffield

A more useful analogy (though imperfect) to illustrate the distinction in the abortion debate would juxtapose it against an end-of-life conversation for a vulnerable, elderly parent who is on life support. An elderly, sick parent with very limited chance of viability, (as well as death penalty cases) are far removed from cases of a healthy preborn infant with her or his whole life ahead, and yet end-of-life decisions for elderly parents are generally made with great care and deliberation. And death-penalty cases take years to litigate.

But we generally don't see similar caution in the widespread normalization of abortion. The problem with leaders like Bill Clinton and others operating under the mantra of "safe, legal and rare" is that abortion has become anything but rare in America. Yes, conservatives can and should do more to support women's and men's access to birth control for prevention of unwanted pregnancies, but the left must also do more to avoid termination.