What really curbs abortion?

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Is it banning the procedure, executing people who terminate a pregnancy, as many Christians propose? Hardly. Women have sought abortions for centuries, for one common and overarching reason: Desperation.

When women have more autonomy over their reproductive life, when they are able to CHOOSE when to become pregnant, there is far less demand for abortion. It's THAT BLOODY SIMPLE. Sure, there are abortions due to medical need (which even some Christians in America and other benighted places in this world would prefer to oppose), but no civilized society would deny that contingency.

I make no reservations in this view. I firmly believe that our society, in seeking to decrease female reproductive autonomy both legally and socially, is moving further and further away from the realm of "civilized." It must stop, this insistence that women not be allowed the freedom to determine when they are READY to bear a child, and the freedom to terminate the pregnancy if they find themselves pregnant when they are not.

[A Person]

What reduces abortions?

• Education about sex and reproduction
• Access to low cost/free contraception
• Access to heath care

What increases abortions?

• 'Abstinence only' indoctrination
• Labeling women who want contraception as 'sluts'
• Shutting down Planned Parenthood
• Allowing religions to force their medieval dogma on the public

Congratulations Republican Party - the party promoting abortions, preferably back-street ones.

[A Person]

There's a reason that US abortion rates are twice that of Western Europe

The wealth of information that comes out of the study provides some striking lessons, the researchers said. In Uganda, where abortion is illegal and sex education programs focus only on abstinence, the estimated abortion rate was 54 per 1,000 women in 2003, more than twice the rate in the United States, 21 per 1,000 in that year. The lowest rate, 12 per 1,000, was in Western Europe, with legal abortion and widely available contraception.

Some countries, like South Africa, have undergone substantial transitions in abortion laws in that time. The procedure was made legal in South Africa in 1996, leading to a 90 percent decrease in mortality among women who had abortions, some studies have found.

Abortion is illegal in most of Africa, though. It is the second-leading cause of death among women admitted to hospitals in Ethiopia, its Health Ministry has said. It is the cause of 13 percent of maternal deaths at hospitals in Nigeria, recent studies have found.

Unfortunately, solving the problem in the USA would require abandoning dogma, accepting facts and making rational, evidence based decisions.

Good luck with that

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Of course the whole education and making contraceptives available to all is part of the business of making sure women have personal autonomy over their bodies. What causes an unplanned pregnancy? A man the won't participate in birth control - or one that commits rape. What PLANNED pregnancies get terminated? Those that threaten the life of the mother.

Now is that REALLY such a difficult problem to handle? No. Shouldn't be. But too many people still think that a man should have the right to do what he wants with "his woman's" body.

Sad.

[Liv]

A morning after dispenser on every street corner like the condom machines in Europe would likely solve it.

Now that's simple.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

I'd have few problems with that. Is it possible to harm someone with an overdose of that stuff?

[Liv]

Drink too much coffee and you'll crap yourself till your dehydrated.

I mean to say, of course, but why is that an issue?

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

For instance, can a woman do any permanent damage to her reproductive health if she takes, say 10 doses in 2 days? I could see someone who is not clear on the concept of Plan B, doing something stupid like that... or perhaps someone who is OCD, or hypochondriac. Just one of the questions that would need to be asked. Quite a difference between that and condom distribution.

[Liv]

I'm taking a stab in the dark, but my guess is TMA works by hormonally preventing attachment of eggs to the lining.

I wouldn't expect it to be all that much different than hormone therapy.

While everything has a risk... I'd say the dangers of screaming child leech that craps on everything and ruins your life is a greater risk.

[A Person]

The morning After Pill is pretty safe - and needs to be readily available without needing a prescription or even having to ask for it.

A scared, young girl who has been raped or pressured into sex doesn't need any discouragement or obstacles. The dangers of TMA are far, far less than even a normal pregnancy

[A Person]

For instance, can a woman do any permanent damage to her reproductive health if she takes, say 10 doses in 2 days? I could see someone who is not clear on the concept of Plan B, doing something stupid like that... or perhaps someone who is OCD, or hypochondriac. Just one of the questions that would need to be asked. Quite a difference between that and condom distribution.

I'm prepared to trust women. Someone can do a lot more harm to themselves with an aspirin overdose than Plan B pills.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

It was just a question from someone ignorant of the possible problems from unlimited access. We give adults unlimited access to alcohol and tobacco... doesn't hurt to be cautious about unlimited hormone treatment.

[Liv]

Government should issue them in the mail in my opinion.

[Bessa1]

This is an issue near and dear to my heart. I believe that access to inexpensive birth control and sex education are the two primary ways to prevent abortions. To be completely serious, 50% of the pregnancies in the US are UNPLANNED. What does this say? It's either a combination of lack of readily available birth control and affordable birth control. Coupled (sorry about the irony of the reference,) a partner who is willing to participate in birth control. We need to teach young men the importance of protecting themselves and the women they are sleeping with birth control and discussion regarding this in the "relationship". The last time I paid the co-pay for a pack of birth control pills was $25 and that was AT LEAST 6 years ago, which equals $300 annually. Way cheaper than the cost of diapers, formula and etc for an unplanned pregnancy. What's cheaper overall? The cost of Medicaid, Foster care and Assistance programs or the ability to have cheap, reliable birth control.
JMHO

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

This is an issue near and dear to my heart.

Hey -- nice to hear from you after OH so long!

I agree with you on all that you said. Being a male human being, I have long had an interest in the reproductive function. And my parents raised me to be responsible and careful when it comes to such matters... so birth control (when it was necessary) was second nature to me, even though it was less than pleasant. If only other parents were as good at teaching THEIR sons about this part of "manliness."