Would universal health care lower the number of abortions in America?

Question

Since a fair amount of unexpected pregnancies end in abortion due to financial reasons, which includes the mothers inability to provide health to her child (assuming the mother is young, has little education, etc...), would universal health care help young expecting mothers who can't normally provide for their children decide to keep their child? Or would it have little-to-no relevance.

Opinions are great (and that's all I really expect), but if you have any studies, statistics, etc... that show any correlation with health care and abortions, then please feel free to post them.

Answer 1

it certainly would, because people would get better preventative health care and health education. and education of women is the number one thing related to lower abortion rates. put simply, women would get birth control, so they wouldn't use abortion for it.

Answer 2

any connection would be coincidental.

what will impact the amount of unwanted pregnancies is education and easy availability of contraceptives.

when people can get and know how to use birth control, the unwanted pregnancies will be greatly reduced, whether we have universal healthcare or not.

any who oppose a woman's right to chose abortion AND making education and birth control easily available are simply trying to force their beliefs onto other people.

any who want a smaller govt that is less involved in the lives of it's people should support the idea of converting unwanted pregnancies into well informed decisions by making education and availability of birth control

if you think about it, you just might get a little angry that all of the elected officials who seem to care about this issue so deeply have actually taken no tangible steps to reduced unwanted pregnancies.

Answer 3

No it would not.

Women who make over $30k a year get half of all abortions:

http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

So, assuming that 100% of the remaining abortions are done for financial reasons (which is a VERY big assumption, I would assume most are for convenience), you would cut the rate down by 50%. But you would probably be closer to cutting it down by about 10%.

How can we cut it down even more? How about only allowing women who were raped or who may have health problems get an abortion? Those women only account for 7% of all abortions.

Answer 4

I believe that if one examines history, one would find abortions to be a constant, much like prostitution. i/e a vice that regardless of law, never seems to go away.
What does change however is the death rate among women which decreases as laws become more relaxed.
I think these facts may be evident under universal health care..

Answer 5

How would giving poor people free health care stop abortions? Universal Health Care would probably cover abortions, and then every poor person that got knocked up could kill their baby for free, especially if Hillary gets to determine the terms of Universal Health Care.

How about this method for less abortions? QUIT HAVING PREMARITAL SEX!! Anybody ever think about that?

Answer 6

That's a very interesting thought. Hadn't thought about that at all, but it does make some sense. Though on the other hand, I would think that being in a position that prevents you from having health care might also prevent you from having the money for day care, and the myriad other expenses of having a child. I suspect that since one usually goes with the other, that having health care alone wouldn't change their mind.

Answer 7

I don't know about that directly affecting abortion rates in America... but it would certainly drop poverty rates in America and increase the quality of life (as it has in Canada and other democracies).

Usually a decrease in poverty causes a decrease in abortions. That would just make sense. Aperson who will seek healthcare and has the ability to afford healthcare is most likely a more informed consumer. Universal healthcare would educate a lot of people to the means of prevention.

Answer 8

I would say your point is good, but I think allowing them to afford more effective birth control because it is used with physician oversight, would be what actually prevented more abortions.

but to answer your question, yes, I do believe it would reduce the number of abortions and infant mortality problems.

Answer 9

Yes, it would... because women WOULD HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL!!!!

Birth control pills should be less than $10. It costs even LESS than that to manufacture it, but women have to plan to make the purchase since HMOs no longer cover it.

Sickens me that I have to cough up $175 for GENERIC Seasonale to try to keep my endometriosis, a medical condition, in check, while you dogs get Viagra for FREE for a bullshit condition.

Answer 10

There's no connection. Most abortions are performed for the convenience of the mother, not for financial reasons.