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.
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Why should anti-abort
Vessel in quotes ("vessel") was meant to convey the idea that a woman would be mandated by law to carry a human-bein
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-abort
Your article embodies a spirit which will bring back anticipati
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.
Prevention
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
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..
I am personally morally against abortion, personally but I cannot force my religious beliefs upon another..w
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...
At last a return to sanity. A small group of us here in Charleston
I really hope the tide is turning and both sides can somehow come together to stop unintended pregnancie
I'm about to start attending a church where condoms are available in the bathrooms, and kids learn some intermitte
It would be nice if folks could get off the abortion wedge issue, stop pretending that kids don't have sex, give them some informatio
More education is needed on:
Birth control as well as self control.
Sexuality as well as responsibi
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...n
Thank you for your faithful service to Upstate communitie
Finally some common sense (I hope) to this debate. PREVENTION is key but due to Bush policies sex education and reproducti
Too many rightwinge
The CHOICE arguement must now focus on which type of birth control.