Why do abortion laws need to be reformed?

[Iris]

I am, of course, referring to the 325+ thread that is sitting in General Discussion, but if I ask there, no one will notice.

Are there really that many abortions in this country? The way people go on about this issue, you'd think that there are more abortions than live births in this country. You'd think the number of third trimester abortions is equal to the number of live births.

I just don't get it. Why not leave well enough alone and focus our energy on developing better contraceptives, educating people about taking responsibility in their sexual lives, and maybe even creating a society where the needs of all human beings are taken into consideration so that we can have policies that help families with children rather than leave parents and children on their own to flounder about in a society that just doesn't give a shit where a child goes between the hours of school closing and the time a parent gets home from work (the time a lot of unplanned teenage pregnancies are thought to occur) just as long as no one has to pay any extra taxes up front?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2187148&mesg_id=2187148

[tandot]

1. these threads are just going nowhere

I don't see a need for reform. However, there is no sense in arguing because most people are so dead set in their beliefs that any reasonable argument will be attacked.

It is legal, should stay legal, and it is a personal choice. That is how I see it.

[Iris]

2. I agree.

Normally, I don't even open the threads, much less create one of my own, but this question just really bothers me. I know some women who've had abortions, but I still don't believe that there are so many abortions in this country that there needs to be "reform."

There are plenty of things in this society that need a lot more reform than abortion laws (which, in my opinion, are reasonable.)

[tandot]

4. Here are some links with statistics:

This is a short fact sheet from the Center of Disease Control:

http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/surv_abort00.htm

and this is the longer report with nice graphs and tables:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5103a1.htm

[Iris]

8. Here's another link to unplanned pregnancy statistics

http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/prams_factsheet.htm

"According to the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 49% of pregnancies in the United States (excluding miscarriages) and 31% of pregnancies resulting in a live birth are unintended.1 An unintended pregnancy is either mistimed (the woman wanted to be pregnant later) or unwanted (she did not want to ever be pregnant).2,3 "

[tandot]

9. Well, that is what happens if you don't have good sex education

and you talk to your children only about God, the Bible, and Sin, but forget to make sure that they have enough knowledge to protect themselves.

Those Bible-thumpers don't want their and other children to know how to prevent pregnancy and STDs, including HIV/AIDS, and then they complain about abortion rates.

[Iris]

10. I liked that there was a goal to get this number down to 30%,

but it's been 49% for a long, long time.

[tandot]

13. I'd like that, too. But I don't know how to achieve it.

To many obstacles from the religious right.

It would be nice to have girls and boys educated early enough to make the right choices.

Women don't have abortions just for the heck of it. This must be a really terrible experience for them, too. It is probably already hard enough to make that decision.

Well, it seems that there is quite a bit of work to do. But we won't achieve anything with Bush and the religious fundamentalists in control. Education is a must and it seems they even oppose that.

[serryjw]

11. 2 Governor Bushit's should be ashamed of themselves!

:P :P :P..............quote
In 1998, as in previous years, most legal induced abortions were performed in New York City, Florida, and Texas
end quote....

[tigereye]

5. my brain is full after reading/skimming the thread

I don't know what the answer is... obviously. I don't know that anyone does. I think that there will always be people who are disturbed by abortion, but many of them do not seem to offer viable ( no pun intended) options. I do think some dialogue is possible.. but it is hard to have a dialouge without actual facts brought out by those who want more limits placed on abortion. And while men obviously have a part in bringing "life", they are not carrying it in their bodies. And I think they cannot totally understand what it means to carry a child to term or to have to make a choice not to. My views are slightly different in this matter than they were before I had a child, now it seems even more complex than it did when I was a pro-choice escort, before I had a kid.

[Cleita]

12. These threads are started for one purpose to

drive a wedge issue in just before an election. Before the 2002 elections DU was crowded with these long threads to the point that every thread on other issues sunk into the archives faster than you can say poof. Then right after the election they all but disappeared until now.

[sangh0]

3. Abortion is a wedge issue

and some "progressives" hate to see us united

[cally]

6. No reason to disallow choice

If you're against abortion then educate women and offer better job opportunities. If you're against abortion then offer contraceptives and education. If you're against abortion then enforce statutory rape laws and disparage men who impregnate teen girls. All of these help reduce unwanted pregnancies. My opinion is that focusing attention on creating laws to make women carry fetuses to term will not decrease abortions much but will sure change society and hinder women. I can understand and support those who oppose abortion but I in no way support their focus on wanting choice taken away.

[Cheswick2.0]

7. They don't, Pro-choice is the only reasonable compromise

It is the moderate/conservative position. Don't tell me I can't have an abortion anytime for whatever reason I chose and I wont ever support legislation to force women to have abortions when I think they should.
There are many instances when I think women should have abortions for the good of their family and community. But I am pro-choice. Even stupid women with ten kids can have more if that is what they decide.