So-Called Pro-Lifers Should Stop Promoting Abortion

While the level of teenage sexual activity across developed countries is nearly identical, the teenage pregnancy rate is 14.1 per 1,000 teens in Belgium, 20.2 per 1,000 teens in France, 12.0 per 1,000 teens in Italy and 12.3 per 1,000 teens in Spain. Stop right here and ask yourself before reading on: what is the teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S. per 1,000 teens? Have that number in mind? If you said anything less than 83.6 per 1,000 U.S. teens, you were wrong.

U.S. teenagers have higher pregnancy rates, birthrates and abortion rates than adolescents in other developed countries. The primary reason is that those nations don't allow political extremists to dictate reproductive health policy. In countries with the lowest abortion rates, women's health and well being do not take a back seat to politics.

The consequences of right-wing reproductive health policies are devastating not only to women, but also to children and families. If you rate every country in the world starting with whether each provides full access to family planning, emergency contraceptives, pays for abortions and provides comprehensive sex education, and compare those to rates for countries where these policies are opposed, you will see that those who provide full access to EC, abortion, family planning and sex education have the LOWEST abortion rates, lowest STD rates, lowest infant mortality rates, lowest teen pregnancy rates, lowest maternal death rates as well as the best indicators for EVERY measurement of women's health.

On the other side of the spectrum where abortion and family planning are illegal, the worst indicators for women's health are found including the highest (and most dangerous) abortion rates in the world. Right now, today, as you are reading this, ½ the hospital beds in every large city hospital in Central and South America are taken by women suffering from illegal abortion attempts. And all these countries have the highest abortion rates in the world.

We know how to immediately decrease the abortion and teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S and Illinois. If you have any doubts, get on an airplane and meet with the leaders in France, Spain, or Italy and ask for some pointers. Or save yourself the time and fully fund family planning, pay for ALL emergency contraceptives, fund all abortions and comprehensive sex education -- all dramatically cheaper than the financial and social consequences of not doing so.

The big question here is why do those who claim to be "pro-life" and are so adamantly against abortion provide the greatest opposition to those very policies that would bring down the abortion rate? Because they are not really "pro-life." They have a different agenda. What they are really against is you, dear reader, using birth control and, very importantly, against your engaging in sexual expression within your marriage to enhance intimacy. They believe you should never have sex with your wife or husband except for the purpose of procreation. That is the white elephant (or donkey if you are an anti-choice Democrat) sitting under the Capitol dome.

The use of contraception reduces the probability of having an abortion by 85%. In states which allowed emergency contraceptives without a prescription prior to the FDA's move earlier this year, the abortion rate dropped by over 1/3. Some 70% or 42 million American women today of reproductive age are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant. Only 5% of women aged 15-44 in the U.S. use no contraception during sex and they account for 50% of the nation's abortions. In light of this overwhelming evidence that unfettered access to contraception causes the abortion rate to plunge, it is stunning that NOT A SINGLE anti-abortion group in the United States supports the use of birth control. The best a few do is say nothing about birth control, but many so-called pro-life organizations lobby vigorously against it. The nation's largest anti-abortion group, American Life League says "A.L.L. denies the moral acceptability of artificial birth control." These are the very groups that say abortion shouldn't be used as a form of birth control yet they oppose every type of birth control that would prevent unintended pregnancy.

Now the anti-abortion crowd has decided to "medicalize" their narrow views about birth control with false information that has been widely discredited in the medical community. They have taken to calling the most common forms of contraceptives "abortifacients," despite the pesky little detail that in order for an abortion to take place, conception needs to occur. Barrier methods and oral contraceptives work by preventing conception. American Life League says "damn the facts." They are not alone. All over right-wing websites and from the pulpits throughout the nation, birth control is now portrayed as abortion and, of course, murder, and, well, you know the rest! In the make-sure-they-are-born-but-don't-feed-them-department, the 113 members of Congress who had the lowest Children's Defense Fund ratings were all "pro-life" on abortion.

Parenthood is sacred, and perhaps the greatest responsibility, which is why forcing someone to be a parent against her will and better judgment should be the first definition of insanity in the dictionary. The second definition should be opposing comprehensive sex education because it will entice young people to have sex. Does installing smoke detectors encourage teens to burn the house down? Does insisting they wear seatbelts encourage them to drive 100 mph up the driveway? Numerous studies of abstinence only education find a higher pregnancy rate among teens whose only sex education was abstinence only.

The policies promoted by the pro-choice movement dramatically reduce the abortion rate here in Illinois, across the U.S. and around the world. The policies promoted by those who call themselves "pro-life" or anti-abortion drive up the abortion rate everywhere. The results are devastating to the women, children and families of our great state. Those who are against abortion for whatever reason shouldn't have one which is why Planned Parenthood has The Cradle adoption agency at its Chicago medical facility. Personal PAC helps elect candidates who believe giving women and families all their choices is good public policy. In our great democracy, personally held religious views should be cherished by all and kept out of our policy making. If you don't believe, re-read the first paragraph and make that plane reservation.

Comments

[LeftRight]

I get so tired about hearing this issue.

First, look at the people who are anti-choice. Most of them are men. Why do men have a right to say what a woman can do with her own body and her own life.

Second, the facts have been out for decades that the more you teach kids about sex, the less likely they are to get pregnant, or sick. Furthermore, the evidence has been around for decades that the more you teach kids about sex, the LESS likely they are to have it early!

Third, why are we fighting about contraception? THIS WILL REDUCE ABORTIONS, BY REDUCING UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES!!!

[eddiestardust]

LeftRight,

Gee, and I thought that women got pregnant all by themselves????

I always wonder why women just let some guys off the hook?

Seems to me that if you decide not to let guys off the hook, perhaps we would have fewer unwed and unwanted pregnancies and fewer abortions.

[maddogbitesback]

Well what is the point. Making a fifteen year old boy responsible will simply destroy him too. Also, since he doesn't have to go through the nausea and the labor and the damage and the hormone imbalances - how on earth are you going to make men feel the pain. Talk to a few women and you will find that they all agree if men got pregnant the birthrate would drop immediately.

[ihavenobias]

This implie what, that women enjoy and even *encourage* men to leave them after they get pregnant?

Do you think "deadbeat dads" are a myth?

[kellygrrrl]

New Rule:

You can't call yourself Pro-Life if you do not vote to ensure that every living American child receives food and health care and shelter

[desertdweller]

The outlawing of abortion will not end abortions, particularly for those discrete country-club republicans and wealthy christian conservatives who can afford to fly their wives, daughters, and mistresses to the Carribean for a week-long "spa treatment."

[eddiestardust]

So what?

It's personal responsibility here.

Last time I checked, The Constitution says nothing about abortion, it should return to the states where the people can decide.

If a person wants an abortion..it's their decision and they are responsible.

[ZHarris]

No, but the Constitution implies the right to privacy and the 9th Amendment states:

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

The Court has determined that women have the fundamental right to abortion within certain limits. It is not up to Congress or the States to infringe any further.

Would you have the states decide how far free speech goes?

[ihavenobias]

Personal responsibility?

It should be a personal decision, but *forcing* people to have kids they are financially and emotionally unprepared to care for ends up being an enormous societal program.

Ironically enough, if some conservatives had their way and they could magically STOP abortion, they'd end up spending their new found time rallying against the dramatic need for increased "entitlement programs" and other social safety nets.

Enough of this BS, people need to put their money where their mouth is.

If you're pro-life, insist that you pay a Pro-Life Tax to go towards improving adoption and foster care services (along with pre and post natal care and education funds).

The self-righteous satisfcation you get from holding up signs and harrasing people at clinics does NOT make you a better person, it just makes *you* feel better about yourself and allows your pro-life friends to pat you on the back.

PS---Forcing parents to have kids they can't care for (in the context of few people looking to adopt minority children and a horrible foster care system) doesn't teach anyone to be more "responsible".

People won't magically stop having sex, right or wrong, and the kids always end up on the wrong side of that "lesson" you want to teach the parents.

theyoungturks.com

[kellygrrrl]

Terry - Thank You.

I say this all the time
How can anyone call themselves Pro-Life and sit by while
Children are dying or starvation
Children are dying because they cannot get basic health care.
Young people are dying in a NO-WIN nonsensical war
Foster Care System gets NO funding

[OhgReaTone]

The offensive logic of the religious right on abortion is appalling. They are so contradictory that they defy logic - they leave the rest of us scratching our heads in bewilderment and they think that they have scored a victory.
Ohg
http://thefireside.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/abortion-conflicting-messages/

[PashaM]

HE HE and that surprises you in some way does it? Faith or more to the point blind faith by it's very nature contradicts reason. To this very day I can vividly recall every time that some "Christian" looked down the end of their nose at me as if they automatically have the moral high ground. As if being delusional and a schizophrenic and in many cases a cold hearted biggot somehow entitles you to my everlasting adoration, servility, and respect. The road to hell is usually paved with good intentions(or the pretense there of), let me give you an example.

Preserving the sanctity of womanhood = preserving the servility of women

Judeo-Christian sexual morality = pervasive institutionalized system of control

bringing salvation to the unbelievers = murder, rape, pillage, slavery

It's the greatest racket in the world and the public at large still hasn’t caught on, this is not about sex, or abortion, or contraception, this is about power and control pure and simple. What possible use could these people have for reason when blind faith in imaginary boogeymen has kept them in power for thousands of years>

[darcy]

PashaM, very well said.

[OckhamsElectricRazor]

The banning of birth control will be looked back on as comparable to burning witches.

[crowepps]

The ProLife forces have been trying to ban contraception ever since it was invented, first as 'obscene', then as 'against God's plan', then as 'encouraging promiscuity' and even as 'allowing women to escape the control of men'.

They have lied about how contraception works, lied about why women use it, and blurred the line between contraception and abortion. Their favorite slur against even barrier methods as being 'equivalent to abortion because they preclude the possibility of life', taken to its extreme, means that any women who turns down a sexual advance from a stranger is 'refusing the option of life' because she is 'selfishly resisting her fertility'.

They openly reveal the motivation behind their fanatism: "Most people in the pro-life movement have a certain morality and believe sex is not for fun and games. I think contraception is disgusting, people using each other for pleasure." Joseph Scheidler - Pro-Life Action League.

The next time your spouse puts a loving arm around you and gives you a little squeeze, think about Scheidler's disgust with the two of you and your 'fun and games', 'using each other for pleasure' and decide whether you want someone with that kind of sewer for a mind making YOUR moral decisions?

[lisakaz]

Nice overview. It IS insanity. Never do you see the connection that countries that have better control over reproductive rights have less health problems and less teenaged pregnancy. The anti-abortionists do no care. After all, it happens to someone else's kids (usually lower class or another race). Their own kids apparently do not have sex and if "trouble" ensues, the issue will be so hush hush as to practically not have happened. (Didn't Reagan arrange for abortions for actresses pre-Nancy?)

It's oh so hypocritical and about controlling women, not about common sense or money. It's also about institutionalizing a penalty for sex (of course, only on other people's children and only against women, if they can help it; DNA evidence has not changed their thinking yet).

And if the penalty winds up being a child who cannot get healthcare and such, ever more "sweet" the penalty, I suppose. Hobbes would be proud.

[lucycountessofbedford]

A woman's right to choose was the first political issue that moved me to action -- almost thirty years ago. How sad that we're not only having to continue this discussion but that, as you point out, we're having to broaden it to include access to contraception.

The so-called "pro-life" movement has little interest in anything having to do with life outside of the uterus.

[eddiestardust]

Not true Lucy not true at all.
But there you go again posting lies!

[CountryBeforeParty]

The typical conservative response to an argument, when they have no facts to back it up. It must be a lie.

[eddiestardust]

In one of Jimmy Carter's recent books, he wrote that 2/3 of abortions happen because the woman doesn't know how she will be able to take care of the child.

Now who is getting away with it huh?

Women don't get pregnant alone...it always takes a guy...one way or another.

[lisakaz]

That is a realistic assessment, given the "village" in America would say "tough shit" if a woman opted to continue such a pregnancy.

Given my circumstances, I cannot raise a child by myself nor can I raise someone else's. I spend much of my money on medical costs.

I don't have a concern with pregnancy right now but I could understand others who do. I've been there.

[joebaggadonuts]

I guess you never heard of artificial insemination? They have made that option for pregnancy available at least sice the early 1950's. But you wouldn't know that eddie, because that might contaminate your mind with facts.

And while we are talking facts, are you happy that they have so far stopped the SCHIP bill? The lives of children who are born alive... what's that worth to you? I don't see any so called "Pro-Lifers" supporting that bill publicly. Instead here you are, all hot about banning contraception.

Nice.

[CountryBeforeParty]

Thank you for citing President Carter's book, and making the case for why abortion should remain legal.