archer wrote: I would like to see abortion become less and less common....it certainly shouldn't be a common form of birth control, but a last resort. Certainly some conditions make it a viable choice.....rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother are the most obvious. Many many abortions could be avoided with education of women......and free, yes free, birthcontrol for anyone who wants it. If we want women to make responsible choices then we must give them the means to do so, ......so far we seem to concentrate on the result of an abortion and not the why. And you are right, men need to be a part of the solution....many walk away from their pregnant girlfriends and leave her with few economic choices.....from the point of view of a woman in poverty, abortion is probably a less expensive alternative to raising a child for life.....and for very young pregnant girls, 9 months seems like a lifetime to wait before getting back to their normal life if they choose to have the baby and go the adoption route. And for those who cannot afford prenatal care......abortion seems like an easier way out than going thru the adoption process.
Bottom line....I think those who are pro life should put their considerable energies and influence into education programs for young women, into clinics that offer free or low cost prenatal care and birth control. Making abortions illegal again won't change much, but education and funding just might.
Ummmm, you do know that half of all abortions are performed on women 25 years of age and over, right? That 83% of women who choose abortion are not married at the time they have their abortion? That, to me at least, doesn't indicate education or economic standing nearly as much as it does this nation's proclivity for engaging in sexual activity as a regular part of any dating experience. Free/reduced cost birth control and free/reduced cost prenatal care isn't going to change much of anything in a society where 90+% of abortions are performed as post conception birth control. Condoms really aren't that expensive and sexual activities that have no chance of resulting in a pregnancy are free of any cost at all while still providing for a very satisfactory sexual experience.
