Stop Abortion Vote Healthcare!
March 12, 2008 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
Some fascinating statistics about abortion were released by the Guttmacher Institute late last year. The Guttmacher Institute, both pro-choicer and pro-lifer agree, is the most reliable source of statistical information regarding abortion.
I found the most interesting facts to be these two:
- * The abortion rate is the lowest its been since Roe v. Wade in 1973, with 1.21 million in 2005.
* About 60% of abortions are obtained by women who have one or more children.
Unlike teenagers who only sought 17% of abortions, these women fully understand the responsibility and the cost of parenthood and family-life.
- Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals;
- Three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents;
- Half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
The key to preventing unwanted pregnancy and therefore preventing abortion is access to healthcare.
- Contraceptive non-use is greatest among those who are young, poor, black, Hispanic or less educated women.
- About half of unintended pregnancies occur among the 11% of women who are at risk for unintended pregnancy but are not using contraceptives.
That’s exactly the same demographic that currently has the least access to healthcare in America.
Compared with men, women are less likely to have employer-sponsored health care coverage because they are more likely to work part-time, on contract, or freelance and to take time out of the workforce to care for their children and their family members. They are also more likely to be covered as dependents on their spouses’ employer-sponsored health plans. As a result, women are more vulnerable to losing their coverage if they are widowed or divorced.
There are 21.5 million uninsured women and these are the same women who are most likely to seek an abortion because they have no access to healthcare. This statistic doesn’t even include women who carry only catastrophic insurance and therefore have to pay for all healthcare expenses on top of their high premiums. These women frequently can’t afford basic OB/GYN care, including contraception.
No one likes abortion. If the goal is to reduce the number of abortions in the United States then pro-lifers should jump on the opportunity to drastically reduce the number of lives lost by providing equal and affordable access to healthcare for women.
People who rate abortion as the most important issue in America, should consider the flip side. Let’s say you win. Roe v. Wade is overturned. The number of abortions won’t be zero. What about all the women who will inevitably seek an abortion illegally? Now we’re back to back-alley butchering of women.
The result is not only the death of babies, but the needless death of women and babies. We now know these women are mothers of other children and therefore the inevitable outcome is the death of women, the death of their fetuses and the orphaning of existing children. As a fellow Christian – I can’t see how that is better.
What’s changed about the pro-life vs. pr-choice debate? Access to healthcare for these disenfranchised women has never been on the table before. (This could also drastically reduce the cost of adoption for middle-class couples.)
If you truly want to prevent the nasty business of abortion – you should vote for healthcare. Not because you’re turning your back on your principles – but because it’s the most effective way to prevent abortion.
I am truly against abortions. I dont believe that a woman should kill a baby who did not have a chance to experience life, But if its best for her and her child than maybe she should. I think that abortions should become illegal but than again I think they should just reduce the amount of abortions each year. Society needs to make a difference for the new years that follow
Let me begin by saying that I am most definitely PRO-LIFE, though I agree that making abortions illegal is not the complete solution simply because you are always going to have someone who will perform illegally plus you will have women trying to do it themselves. There does need to be better education, and our healthcare situation is not ideal by far. I see alot of abuse of healthcare, for example the use of emergency services when they are not necessary, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. This is driving up the cost of healthcare for everyone. I am not trying to cast stones here, but I know of people living off the government, whether on SSI or assistance, who quite frankly could work. Not every person on assistance is abusing but,there are alot that do. They need to do a better job of checking up on these people. It really is such a big mess. I know I’m getting off the subject here, but it is all sort of interconnected, until they take the bull by the horns, nothing is going to get much better. I work in healthcare and I can not see how someone who calls themselves a healthcare provider can slaughter babies, that is what they are doing. Yes an unplanned pregnancy is very difficult to deal with, emotionally and financially, but abortion is not the answer.
I would like to start off by stating that I am Pro-Life. It was mentioned way up the list that condoms are expensive. This is true, but people seeking protection, (as my wife and I did) could go to their local free clinic. It’ll be in the phone book. They usually keep a large bowl of condoms there which are free to anyone who asks. I too believe that women are cast in an evil light too often. There are stories out there also of women who believe getting an abortion is nothing. These women are the ones alot of people look to as the “norm” of those who get abortions. A little research will prove that this isn’t true. There are some truly some heart-wrenching stories out there about women who regret what they’ve done for the rest of their lives. There are also alot of women who are pushed into it by so-called “loved ones”. Husbands, boyfriends, etc. Another big factor for alot of abortion is the truth. Who to trust and who not to. Planned Parenthood should not be trusted 100%. Anyone seeking an abortion should look not only on the pro-choice websites, but on the pro-life ones as well. If I may, http://www.abortiontv.com is a good site. It has alot of letters written by women who have had abortions as well as letters from abortionists themselves. In closing, I will admit that I believe that we would all be better off if abortion were abolished. I also believe that alot of the statistics out there about illegal abortions that would happen if Roe were overturned, are exagerated.