There I said it and I'm not ashamed. I will admit that, while it's a hot topic in the current agenda, I have been avoiding covering this topic. I am a woman with a religious background and, in my life, have found myself on both sides of this issue. It is an extremely emotional topic with lots on complicating factors and often blurs the lines between religion and science, personal and societal boundaries, and health concerns vs. legislative issue. Already in the current Congressional session a multitude of bills have been put forth making various arguments on this subject. Just a partial list includes the following:
HR 7, 36, 217, 354, 490, 524, 586, 644, 656, 681, 718, 853, 1192, 1201, and 1203
S 184, 231, 241
These bills in the House and Senate cover everything from Federal funding of abortions and insurance that provides abortions to a finding that life begins at conception. Most provide exceptions for rape, incest, and for medical emergencies to save the life of the mother but some don't. One House bill in particular attempts a more scientific approach in attempting to show that pain can be felt at 20 weeks of gestation and therefore abortion should not be allowed beyond that point though there is no conclusive science on this fact.
By current US law abortion is legal in the general sense however individual states have put limitations on when an abortion can be done which range from 6 weeks gestation up to no documented restrictions. (See here- Note* article is out of date from 2013 but provides excellent visuals on various laws). Many of the laws enacted at the state level have been overturned Federally such that it is generally legal to have an abortion up to 20 weeks of gestation after which a fetus may be considered viable and abortion will only be permitted in extreme cases. However, even in states where abortion is legal it can sometimes be extremely difficult to procure one due to availability of clinics, waiting periods, pre-abortion counseling requirements, etc.
If you're curious about the laws in your state see here.
Anyone who imagines the ideal circumstances under which they would have children probably imagine a time when they are married or in a committed, loving relationship. The ideal environment probably includes neither parent in the process of schooling and the couple settled into their career(s) and in a stable financial situation. The plan also includes perfect health, physical and mental, for the woman as she carries the child and that there will be no major medical concerns for the growing fetus.
Now for the reality check.
The above image is almost never the case and when it is there is almost always access to contraceptives which ensure (as much as possible) that the couple is able to wait until they are ready before beginning on the path to parenthood. On the contrary, misfortune, misadventure, and too commonly misinformation can lead a woman(girl) to need to make that decision on whether to have an abortion or carry a pregnancy she's not ready for to term. This is not an easy decision, nor should it be, but the making of that decision should be left in the hands of the one person who can appropriately calculate how this pregnancy will go on to affect the rest of their life, and that person is the woman who is pregnant. How/why she got pregnant and sought an abortion is a personal matter that can stem from a whole host of reasons. Just a few of which I've listed below.
Reasons unwanted pregnancies exist:
1) Rape
2) Inadequate education about the reproductive process
a) Failure of parents to inform their children about sex and how to prevent pregnancy
b) Failure of schools to provide comprehensive sex ed including use of contraceptives
c) Failure of doctors to provide information about different forms of contraceptives, how to use them, and their rates of effectiveness
3) Inadequate access to contraceptives
a) No access for teens without parental approval
b) Too expensive
c) Not covered by insurance or only certain types are covered by insurance
4) Contraceptive failure
5) Diminished capacity (many but not all of these instances will also fall under the Rape category)
a) Drug/alcohol use
b) Mental illness
c) Intellectual disability
Reasons an abortion may be sought:
1) Too young
2) Financial
3) Relationship status/stability
4) School/career status
5) Medical reasons- mother or child
6) Not the right time
To properly illustrate this point I am going to break down the fictional life of Jane Doe and cover just some of the many factors that can tip the scales for a woman deciding for or against having an abortion. For each scenario I have given and best and worst outcome but not what Jane's final decision is since, despite the facts given here, there are still many more personal factors that go into the final decision making. The best outcomes should be considered a culmination of all points below it while the worst may be some or all of the factors I have listed. Each scenario should be considered separately on it's own merits and not as cumulative.
A) Jane is 13 and her parents haven't talked to her about sex yet. Her school doesn't start sex ed until 8th grade but she has already started having unprotected sex with a boy at her school. Jane gets pregnant. What could happen:
1) The best:
a) Jane tells her parents who are disappointed in her poor choices but use the opportunity to make up for the lack of information she had previously on the subject
b) The boy and his family are informed of the situation and acknowledge the boy's role in the current situation
c) All parties have a productive dialogue about the situation and what their options are going forward
d) Jane is presented with the choice of following through with the pregnancy knowing that it will probably affect her school work and that she may suffer from stigmatization at school because of it or having an abortion
e) At the end of all of the discussion Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
f) Jane receives support from her family and friends to help her deal with the mental and physical after affects of pregnancy and/or the abortion process
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells her parents who beat her severely for her poor choices
b) The boy and/or his family either refuse to acknowledge the pregnancy or harass Jane in an effort to get her to make the decision they want concerning her pregnancy
c) Jane is ostracized and bullied at school, possibly being forced to drop out, because of her condition
d) Jane spends the next several years suffering from anxiety and low self esteem and is never able to fully catch up to her peers. She is at an increased risk of getting involved in drugs and alcohol and other risky behaviors.
B) Jane is 17 and has been with her boyfriend for 2 years. She has been through sex ed and understands the basics of contraceptive. The only birth control available to her is condoms and she and her boyfriend do not always have regular access to those. They try to be careful but Jane still winds up pregnant. What could happen:
1) The best:
a) Jane tells her parents who are disappointed in her poor choices but are supportive of her making the best choice she can
b) The boy and his family are informed of the situation and acknowledge the boy's role in the current situation
c) All parties have a productive dialogue about the situation and what their options are going forward
d) Jane is presented with the choice of following through with the pregnancy knowing that it will prevent her from starting college in the fall with the rest of her classmates or having an abortion
e) At the end of all of the discussion Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells her parents who disown her and kick her out of the house to fend for herself
b) The boy and/or his family either refuse to acknowledge the pregnancy or harass Jane in an effort to get her to make the decision they want concerning her pregnancy
c) Due to the pregnancy and lack of familial support Jane is unable to attend college
d) Jane spends the next several years suffering from anxiety and low self esteem. She struggles to support herself financially and be a fully productive member of society.
C) Jane is 21 and in college. She gets drunk at a party and winds up having sex with a man she likes but doesn't know well. She winds up pregnant. What could happen:
1) The best:
a) Jane tells the man who expresses his opinion on the matter but respects her right to make the final decision concerning her body
b) Jane weighs her options since she is close to graduation and a pregnancy will mean putting her degree and career on hold for an indeterminate period of time which will effect the status of her student loans and her future financial security
c) At the end of all of the discussion Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells the man who becomes physically violent or emotionally abusive and insists on forcing his will on her with regards to the pregnancy
b) Jane is unable to graduate but must still pay back her student loans putting herself in financial distress
c) She struggles for years to support herself financially and be a fully productive member of society.
D) Jane is 24 and in an apprenticeship program that requires strict attendance. She is in a committed relationship and possibly married but, while they have talked about children, they are not yet ready to start a family. They use contraceptives consistently but she still becomes pregnant. What could happen:
1) The best:
a) Jane tells her partner and they engage in an open dialogue about how this may affect their lives and how they wish to proceed
b) Jane weighs her options since continuing the pregnancy will mean ending her apprenticeship and putting her career on hold for an undetermined amount of time. She also weighs the financial affects that not only a baby but her being unable to advance her career will have on her future prospects
c) At the end of all of the discussion and contemplation Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells her partner who becomes physically violent or emotionally abusive and insists on forcing his will on her with regards to the pregnancy
b) Jane is unable to complete her apprenticeship and must put her career on hold or possibly lose the opportunity altogether
c) Her financial stability is lessened and it puts additional strains of her relationship
E) Jane is 30, married, with 2 small children. She has just recently gone back to work and while they live comfortably they do not have much financial flexibility. She and her husband are devoted to their children and each other but are strained by the stresses of maintaining their family home and life. Jane uses contraceptive consistently but still becomes pregnant. What could happen:
1) The best:
a) Jane and her husband engage in an open dialogue about how this may affect their lives and how they wish to proceed
b) Jane weighs her options since continuing the pregnancy will affect her ability to continue working and she does not want to jeopardize giving the 2 children she already has the best life possible. She is concerned that they will not be able to mentally or financially support 3 kids when it is already a struggle to raise 2
c) At the end of all of the discussion and contemplation Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells her partner who refuses to discuss the situation and demands that she follow his decision about the pregnancy
b) Jane must quit her job and can no longer afford to put her children in activities that they love
c) The added stress causes a breakdown in the relationship and eventual divorce from her husband
F) Jane is 35 and pregnant. At her 19 week ultrasound it is discovered that the fetus has multiple genetic anomalies resulting in severe physical deformities. After several follow ups, tests, and visits with specialists Jane is told that the best prognosis is that the baby will live outside of the womb for a few days to weeks, will need a respirator and feeding tube, and will most likely be in pain the entire time. Jane is now 28 weeks pregnant and makes the difficult decision to terminate her pregnancy rather than put her baby through so much pain. She is emotionally devastated but feels that this is the best option available to her.
The scenarios can go on and on. Unwanted pregnancies don't just affect unwed women in their 20s who don't want to give up their young, fun lifestyle. They can affect ANY woman at ANY time. If your religion believes life begins at conception that's fine, but last I checked our country still had a separation between church and state and the vast majority of the medical community would disagree with you. Last I checked no one is forcing you to have an abortion so if you don't want one, don't have one. There are really only two questions about abortion that I can understand legislating:
1. Is it safe?
2. Is it humane?
The first is clearly yes when performed by a professional in a proper sterile environment. The second question may start raising some doubts again about how and when an abortion is performed until you consider this country's methods of executing prisoners which is considered by many to be a humane end. Compared to that modern abortion practices are extremely humane for the fetus although the treatment of women can still sometimes leave much to be desired.
"But think of the men" (read fathers) some might claim, but until medical technology has advanced to such a point that a fetus can be transplanted into a man's body to complete gestation such that the woman does not need to go through months of extreme physical and emotional discomfort and in many cases have their body permanently altered by the process men have a much smaller stake in pregnancy. So many people are quick to judge saying "think of the consequences before you have sex." Well, pregnancy is a consequence but by extension abortion is one of those consequences as well so maybe men should think more on that before they go spreading their seed around. As they say, "it takes 2 to tango" but only one of these partners is in imminent risk of having their entire life altered by pregnancy.
At the end of the day this is not a legislative issue it is a medical one. Every woman has the right to make their own choices about their body both in choosing to have sex and then choosing to abort if that is what they feel is the appropriate course of action.
a) Jane and her husband engage in an open dialogue about how this may affect their lives and how they wish to proceed
b) Jane weighs her options since continuing the pregnancy will affect her ability to continue working and she does not want to jeopardize giving the 2 children she already has the best life possible. She is concerned that they will not be able to mentally or financially support 3 kids when it is already a struggle to raise 2
c) At the end of all of the discussion and contemplation Jane makes the best decision she can given all of the information and options presented to her
2) The worst:
a) Jane tells her partner who refuses to discuss the situation and demands that she follow his decision about the pregnancy
b) Jane must quit her job and can no longer afford to put her children in activities that they love
c) The added stress causes a breakdown in the relationship and eventual divorce from her husband
F) Jane is 35 and pregnant. At her 19 week ultrasound it is discovered that the fetus has multiple genetic anomalies resulting in severe physical deformities. After several follow ups, tests, and visits with specialists Jane is told that the best prognosis is that the baby will live outside of the womb for a few days to weeks, will need a respirator and feeding tube, and will most likely be in pain the entire time. Jane is now 28 weeks pregnant and makes the difficult decision to terminate her pregnancy rather than put her baby through so much pain. She is emotionally devastated but feels that this is the best option available to her.
The scenarios can go on and on. Unwanted pregnancies don't just affect unwed women in their 20s who don't want to give up their young, fun lifestyle. They can affect ANY woman at ANY time. If your religion believes life begins at conception that's fine, but last I checked our country still had a separation between church and state and the vast majority of the medical community would disagree with you. Last I checked no one is forcing you to have an abortion so if you don't want one, don't have one. There are really only two questions about abortion that I can understand legislating:
1. Is it safe?
2. Is it humane?
The first is clearly yes when performed by a professional in a proper sterile environment. The second question may start raising some doubts again about how and when an abortion is performed until you consider this country's methods of executing prisoners which is considered by many to be a humane end. Compared to that modern abortion practices are extremely humane for the fetus although the treatment of women can still sometimes leave much to be desired.
"But think of the men" (read fathers) some might claim, but until medical technology has advanced to such a point that a fetus can be transplanted into a man's body to complete gestation such that the woman does not need to go through months of extreme physical and emotional discomfort and in many cases have their body permanently altered by the process men have a much smaller stake in pregnancy. So many people are quick to judge saying "think of the consequences before you have sex." Well, pregnancy is a consequence but by extension abortion is one of those consequences as well so maybe men should think more on that before they go spreading their seed around. As they say, "it takes 2 to tango" but only one of these partners is in imminent risk of having their entire life altered by pregnancy.
At the end of the day this is not a legislative issue it is a medical one. Every woman has the right to make their own choices about their body both in choosing to have sex and then choosing to abort if that is what they feel is the appropriate course of action.
No comments:
Post a Comment