Interesting facts on abortion
Oct 16th, 2007 by Amanda
I found this article today on a doc blog, that lays out some general findings of a recent study.
In a landmark paper published this week in Lancet, researchers at the Alan Guttmacher Institute reported that abortion rates are down worldwide, due in large part to increasing use of effective contraception. The decline in developed countries was most marked in Eastern Europe, an area that until recently did not have widely available contraception.
She goes on to say:
Another important finding from the study was that abortion rates were the same regardless of abortion laws. Again, I am not surprised. Abortion is not like drinking or gambling, a viceful pleasure that needs to be regulated by the state. It is a woman’s desperate response to an unplanned pregnancy, and desperate women do desperate things, regardless of the laws. But give these same women easy acccess to effective contraception, and the need for abortion disappears.
I think she clearly articulates something that I’ve felt for awhile - focus on the problem and find a good solution for it rather than spending all of your time focusing on abortion. Which is ironic, coming from me, since I’ve posted a lot on abortion recently. But the fact of the matter is that if we work on preventing unwanted pregnancies, we wouldn’t have to work to prevent abortion.
I’m not saying that those of us who are pro-life shouldn’t be pro-life. My opinion on that hasn’t changed. But it’s better to focus your energy on finding a solution to the problem than ostracizing people for the consequence that they’ve chosen.
But the fact of the matter is that if we work on preventing unwanted pregnancies, we wouldn’t have to work to prevent abortion.
I totally rescind my presumptious statement about your feelings on this in the angry atheist thead.
Right on Amanda! That is how we communicate and get the results both religious and atheists want.
Its also interesting that on the same page the study is presented they also present this study
http://www.guttmacher.org/media/nr/2007/09/20/index.html
where US policy toward foreign aid used for HIV prevention are only to be used in an abstinence only form, thereby undermining the sex education programs, the programs that actually slow the spread of aids and reduce abortion.
Either give the money in a way that is effective, or don’t give the money.
The problem though, is that the christians don’t want abortion OR contraception. Take a look at the catholic church’s stance, as one instance. The sooner we realize that’s it is an “either-or” paradigm instead of a “neither”, the better off we’ll be.
Here I go opening another can of worms…
The Catholic stance and the Christian stance aren’t the same.
Catholics call themselves Christians, but Protestant Christians do not consider Catholicism to be Christianity. Just as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints consider themselves Christian and the rest of Christendom doesn’t.
Catholics have issue with contraception. I don’t really know of another “denomination” if you will who does. Even my fundie church growing up didn’t have issue with it.
I disagree. The fundamentalist christians are very opposed to contraception.
I can’t completely disagree with you, because I only have my own experiences to speak from. But in my fundamentalist upbringing - BC was never an issue. Perhaps it was frowned upon, just never taught on. I don’t know. What I do know is that I have never been taught by other Christians that birth control is wrong. In my experience, I’ve only known that to be a Catholic issue.
I wish more pro-lifers would take your stance!
I think abortion is very wrong. I think that everyone should have a chance to live out life. I also think it is very sad when someone gets an abortion, because the baby that was living in the mothers stomach dies and never comes into the earth for a chance to speak its mind. What if you were inside that stomach wouldn’t you want a chance to live??