Laws against reproductive choice maim and kill millions of women around the world

[theHandpuppet]

Let's get this straight, shall we? There is no religious mandate, no law, no effort to shame that will eliminate the need for reproductive choice, which includes contraception and abortion. The lack of legal support, health care services and contraception will, however, maim and kill millions of women around the globe. Repressive laws hurt poor women most of all. Denying them their basic autonomy and reproductive choice will certainly do nothing towards lifting these women out of poverty.
Want a need for fewer abortions? Okay, support sex education and free contraception for all. But you cannot foolishly imagine that the need for abortion will disappear because the medical procedure is outlawed or sex education is not taught, or if women's health clinics are closed and laws passed that force them to give birth.
Women are worth more than their value as incubators. Want to stop the maiming and death of millions of women and girls? Want to help prevent unintended pregnancies?

Amnesty International
Women’s silent killer – rights missing from sexual and reproductive health policies worldwide http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/women-s-silent-killer-sexual-health-policies-found-lacking-worldwide-2013-02-13

WHO
World Health Organization
Note: the link below is to a pdf
Unsafe abortion: the preventable pandemic
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/general/lancet_4.pdf

Please don't make me come to DU, of all places, to defend a woman's right to choose, nor tell me why I should not condemn any leader, religious or political, who seeks to oppress women by denying them not only equality as human beings but autonomy over their own bodies. Millions of lives are at stake. Women's lives.

[shenmue]

1. Amen

[PeaceNikki]

2. K&R

[Bluenorthwest]

3. It's sad that you'd even have to post this here

nt

[theHandpuppet]

4. I never thought it would be necessary. Not here.

But I will not back down.

[sheshe2]

5. K&R for the truth!

[theHandpuppet]

6. A short excerpt from the WHO document

Unsafe abortion endangers health in the developing world, and merits the same dispassionate, scientific approach to solutions as do other threats to public health. Although the remedies are available and inexpensive, governments in developing nations often do not have the political will to do what is right and necessary. The beneficiaries of access to safe, legal abortion on request include not only women but also their children, families, and society—for present and future generations.
Women have always had abortions and will always continue to do so, irrespective of prevailing laws, religious proscriptions, or social norms. Although the ethical debate over abortion will continue, the public-health record is clear and incontrovertible: access to safe, legal abortion on request improves health. As noted by Mahmoud Fathalla, “Pregnancy-related deaths … are often the ultimate tragic outcome of the cumulative denial of women’s human rights. Women are not dying because of untreatable diseases. They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.” Simply put, they die because they do not count.

[lapislzi]

7. Tell it, handpuppet!

[RainDog]

8. k&r n/t

[get the red out]

9. I agree

You are right about all of it.

[PatrynXX]

10. thats one really good/bad number

ie the main argument anti choice people have is that Abortion kills 1 million babies a year so any number under that is better to them than a million babies die a year. Now if that lower number goes over 1 million babies killed a year they sure have some explaining to do.. ie to them it's worth it to kill 800,000 people just to save 1 million babies. in the USA only. China oh go ahead we are best buddies hows that Hobby Lobby 99 % made in China going..

I could add this is why children killed at Sandy Hook do not count. compared to 1 million blah. I grew up in this BS. how does it make it right?

[cinnabonbon]

11. k and r

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. the very FIRST thing PBO did when he took office in his first term

Was to abolish the Global Gag Rule that boosh had signed into law.

The rule prevented health clinics from caring for reproductive by emanding they never ever even mention abortion. Not up for even just discussion--otherwise their US aid $$$ would be yanked. That left clinics in other nations helpless---and women (and girls...like how girls are often married off to elderly husbands in impoverished nations) suffered horrible physical harm including fistulas and death.

Women are not dying because of untreatable diseases. They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.” Simply put, they die because they do not count.

[tosh]

13. K&R.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Nicely stated.

Thank you for raising this.

[theHandpuppet]

15. It's the least I can do.

I appreciate your support and that of the other DUers who have responded to/recommended this thread.

[theHandpuppet]

16. Kicking

Because the global war on women must stop.