Thirty-Six Years After Roe v. Wade, America Must Put Prevention First

Today marks the thirty-sixth anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which affirmed a woman's right to choose. Since being handed down, it has remained the subject of contentious debate, both sides with fierce opinions and moral convictions. I will always be a steadfast supporter of a woman's right to choose, and there might always be those who disagree. But we can find common ground by putting prevention first.

Last week, I introduced the Prevention First Act, a common sense approach to reducing unintended pregnancies, abortions, and promote public health. I am proud to have introduced this legislation along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO).

For decades, Americans of differing viewpoints have fought in the courts over access to legal abortions. Prevention First, however, offers a uniting approach that will reduce unintended pregnancies and promote public health.

The best way to reduce unintended pregnancies and thus the number of abortions is to prevent them in the first place. The best way to prevent them is to improve education and increase access to contraception. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and on both sides of this issue, support the Prevention First bill because it is a comprehensive approach to preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the number of abortions.

The anniversary of Roe v. Wade highlights the important goal of this legislation: to provide medically accurate, science-based information to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and therefore, reduce the need for abortions.

Consider this: The United States has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancies among industrialized nations. Each year 3 million pregnancies-- 50 percent of all pregnancies--in the United States are unintended with half of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion.

Or this: A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the nation's teen birth rate has increased for the first time in 15 years. One in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20, and 80 percent of these pregnancies are unintended.

Or this: Each year, publicly funded family planning services help women to prevent an estimated 1.3 million unplanned pregnancies and 630,000 abortions. And yet these programs are struggling to meet the growing demand for subsidized family planning services without corresponding increases in funding.

If we want to reduce the number of abortions in this country, the methodology is clear: Empower women to prevent unintended pregnancies through education and access to contraception. I encourage all Americans to come together to meet our shared goal of reducing unintended pregnancies and abortion by putting prevention first.

Comments

[rixter1965]

Furthermore, it's terminology and usage that bothers you... by "non-emotional" I assume you mean euphemistic and obfuscatory.

Why should anti-abortion activists use the term PRO-LIFE unless they embrace a "consistent ethic of life" or consider life a "seamless garment" beginning to end (to quote a Protestant and Catholic). That may be true of you, but unless you reject the death penalty, etc., you are not PRO-LIFE.

Vessel in quotes ("vessel") was meant to convey the idea that a woman would be mandated by law to carry a human-bein­g-who-is-n­ot-yet-via­ble-outsid­e-the womb to full term by government mandate -- that she is left out of the equation.

STRAW-MAN ARGUMENT, by the way, indicates setting up something false to distract from the basic argument. If you can cite statistics -- and most anti-abortion activists do -- regarding abortion rates during particular Democratic and Republic administrations that contradict what I wrote, then I will happily stand corrected. But if one of your arguments is that X number of human-bein­gs-who-are­-not-yet-v­iable-outs­ide-the womb differ, then a more comprehensive approach to preventing unexpected pregnancy must be in order.

[FZliveson]

Hear hear!
Your article embodies a spirit which will bring back anticipation and responsibility to a culture, which has slipped into reactive behavior. Thank you. Keep yelling...It will take a while, if we are lucky.

[avotredroite]

how can one have a "moral conviction" to abort (kill) a living human being?

[SonofLiberty1]

Possibly it's time to try to find common ground...

If both camps agree that abortion is something that women should not have to do maybe we can work toward that goal of making them as rare as possible.

Education is a key, so is family.

In the final analysis, the end of abortion will come as men and women change their hearts, and that usually takes a lot of time.

With God, all things are possible.

[FZliveson]

Avotredroite: I do not propose that one can have a "moral conviction" to abort...You said that. If there is no conception, there is no abortion....That's the entire point. Intiende?

[texanna]

Your thesis is spot on. It has been shown repeatedly that when a society educates and empowers its women that society improves, birthrates recede as do abortions. Until the knee-jerk, right wing block of this country accepts the concept of fully empowering the women of this country I will continue to consider them as this country's version of the Talibani.

[militarymomforobama]

The women of the congress need to put this on the top of their agenda. As women, we need to be REAL feminists and provide information and education. Yesterday, on the View, a couple with something like 18 or 19 children were obviously pushing an anti-birth control message. She stated that she had been on the pill and it CAUSED her to miscarry a child. This is an obvious attempt to dissuade women from using a very safe form of contraception.

Prevention--more than anything--will put an end to so much suffering.

[TJCole]

Congresswoman Slaughter first please know that I favored and pushed for you and or my Congressman Hinchey or Congressman Nadler to become our new Senator from the State of NY...

Now as far as "Roe" and or abortion rights I am one of those who favors a national referendum up or down whether to allow abortion within whatever guidelines, and be done with this divisive issue once and for all..as a political football which does not do service to it's emotional and seriousness for all involved...

Please note that in Italy which the Catholic Church seldom makes reference they held a national referendum and by over 70% the Italians voted to allow abortion...and choice..over 70%...and all of their politicians are allowed to receive communion how about dem apples...no threats of being denied union with our lord or ex communication etc...

I am personally morally against abortion, personally but I cannot force my religious beliefs upon another..well I could, but we don't do that any more and it's a good thing...

Remember Jesus said: "Let the dead bury the dead your time will come..!" What that means is that His church is a church of the living to care for and guide the living not the dead...

We're a democracy are we not then let's vote on it and let the majority of Americans decide as they did in Italy itself...

[NWGuy]

After 8 years of a policy that kept our young people ignorant ('abstinence only' education programs - repeatedly shown not to work), reduced options to deal with an unintended or forced (rape, incest) pregnancy and then blaming women for becoming unwed mothers and being a burden on society, it's about time that common sense and reality came back into American policy. It has never made sense to me that those that scream about how horrible abortion is, also tend to be those that work to keep knowledge about how to prevent pregnancy away from those that need that information the most.

[Coloradem]

Rep. Slaughter, I for one, wish that you would have gottent the Senate appointment from Governor Patterson. This country is better because of your service!

[eeVas]

Please post the necessary specifics so that we can write our representatives and help with a grassroots effort with this.

[eeVas]

Thank you!!!

[NAPinMtPSC]

Thank you Rep Slaughter!!!

At last a return to sanity. A small group of us here in Charleston, South Carolina worked diligently over the last few years to open a Planned Parenthood clinic. The need for sex education and contraception is so great here it is heartbreaking. The statistics on teen pregnancy and STDs are horrific for this state. I'm happy to say our mission was a success. However, in an effort to reduce conflict with right wing religious groups the clinic will not be providing abortions, just reproductive health services for both women and men in the community. And yet the opponents of a woman's right to choose still stand out there and protest every Saturday morning.

I really hope the tide is turning and both sides can somehow come together to stop unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease.

[boulddenwyldde]

That is a central part of the problem. The best way to reduce abortion is to give teenagers better access to contraception, but that is unthinkable to the anti-sex right wingers. The opponents of sexual freedom demand abstinence, and most of the rest of us unthinkingly accept the assumption that this would be the best approach, if only it were possible. But you see, teenagers haven’t changed, while the society around them has changed drastically. A century ago, when most people lived in small, rural communities, a 16-year-old who got pregnant was likely already married – or soon would be. Today, that same kid is often facing most of a decade of additional schooling, so marriage is out of the question. Best wishes on that legislation.

[000Jade000]

Way to go, Louise!

I'm about to start attending a church where condoms are available in the bathrooms, and kids learn some intermittent age-appropriate sex ed during their lessons. Seriously. (Unitarian Universalism is a logical faith devoid of insane creeds.)

It would be nice if folks could get off the abortion wedge issue, stop pretending that kids don't have sex, give them some information, and stick to the facts re: how to BEST prevent unintended pregnancies.

[lewes17266]

"The United States has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancies among industrialized nations. Each year 3 million pregnancies-- 50 percent of all pregnancies--in the United States are unintended with half of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion. One in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20, and 80 percent of these pregnancies are unintended."

This is disgraceful. I had no idea. Why then would anyone oppose public health improvements in education? Why then would anyone oppose easier access to contraception? Sarah Palin herself had a seventeen-year-old pregnant daughter yet opposes such legislation. It does not make sense.

The immoral, powermongering, irresponsible Religious Right has done great harm to this country. I am praying their days of meddling are over for good.

[Sparhawk]

"..The immoral, powermongering, irresponsible Religious Right has done great harm to this country. I am praying their days of meddling are over for good..."

But the "..One in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20.." bear no responsibility?

Same tagline different day. Obama is calling for personal responsibility. it starts with YOU to acknowledge it quit enabling others that are not held accountable for THEIR actions.

[lewes17266]

Something is very amiss when one in three girls in America becomes pregnant before the age of 20. Sparhawk, I cannot disagree with you that those girls are ultimately responsible. I just want to be sure our nation's children are receiving information and education, that's all. Pregnancy can so easily be prevented and suffering can be avoided and unborn deaths can be reduced.
Regardless, Sparhawk, it is comforting to know women in leadership are addressing this very divisive, difficult and emotional issue in practical and tangible ways as opposed to pointing fingers and crying out in the streets.

[iwantpie]

Agreed. This is what I believe as someone who is pro-life, but support a women right to choice. Prevention and contraception.

[-0013]

Do you have room on that fence for me?

[bannorhill]

I agree more should be done for prevention than is being done now. As a firm right to lifer I have to agree with you on that.

More education is needed on:

Birth control as well as self control.
Sexuality as well as responsibility.
If men play they should be prepared to pay. Both with time and money.
Does he really love you or is he just "horney". Also known as "will you still love me tomorrow".
Parenting 101 it's a 168 hour a week job.

Ideally (yes I know this will not happen) we should team every 13 year old up with a NEW single parent for a week. No breaks...no time off. 168 hours straight. The parent needs the help and the teens need the education. It would help both.

[Sparhawk]

Agree. There is some common ground here and some common sense.

[militarymomforobama]

There is always common ground.

[buckbuck11]

Speak it, Louise!! Upstate is so proud of you! I'm in a neighboring district (26th, unfortunately) but you're absolutely correct. Hopefully with the new administration and a Democratic majority facts and science will again count for something in determining public policy.

Thank you for your faithful service to Upstate communities, Rep. Slaughter!