Can Pro-choice People Please Clarify something?

Question

This is a matter of personal opinion, and this is what I am interested to know...

As a pro choice person, do you regret than anyone should ever be faced with the need to choose whether to have an abortion in the first place?

Do you wish that contraception was more widely available to stop unwanted pregnancies before they are even started?

Would you support good counseling services (ones focused on the womans wellbeing, not agenda driven) to assist especially young women in making such a hard and often traumatic decision?

Lastly, do you sometimes feel, as I sometimes feel - that elements of the pro life lobby feel that - because we are pro choice, we somehow relish in the idea that women should be pushed towards abortion? For me this could not be further from the truth. I believe a woman has the right to choose what happens to her body, and knowing several women who have been had by having abortions, I want as to see as much support given to such women as possible.

Please read last sentence as - have had abortions, didn't edit a deletion properly, and no, not a Freudian slip.

Answer 1

I agree with you. It is more than regrettable - I find it tragic that any women ever has to face the decision of whether to have an abortion.

Contraceptives are widely available (for anyone old enough to drive) , but every option has it's pros and cons. Many women have unpleasant and even dangerous side effects from hormonal methods, and barrier methods are less effective. Much, much more education is needed to inform women of their options, and at the same time, some different socialization for men is called for, to reduce or eliminate attitudes that promote violence or coercion in sexual situations.
If a more varied and balanced approach were taken toward sex education of our youth, the abortion rate could be dramatically reduced. Young people need to know how their bodies and emotions function - as well as how the opposite sex functions. Only when they understand themselves can they learn self control and begin to practice healthy sexual behavior without risking pregnancy. ALL artificial methods of preventing pregnancy have their limitations. Everyone who is sexually active needs to know that.
The education process MUST begin BEFORE puberty, and preferably in the home. The problem here is that too many parents are uncomfortable discussing responsible sexual behavior with their children, It is hard to accept that one's offspring is becoming a sexually active, but pretending it isn't happening is one of the contributing factors to the high numbers of unplanned pregnancies.

Providing more support for women is a wonderful goal, and it will help to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and subsequent abortions. But if we only educate and support women, the problem will not go away. We MUST address the men's involvement in the process and seek to eliminate rape, incest, any and all forms of sexual violence. We must work to shift the attitudes of men away from seeing sex as an entitlement in relationship - when this is accomplished, the occurence of unplanned pregnancies will be reduced.

Answer 2

"As a pro choice person, do you regret than anyone should ever be faced with the need to choose whether to have an abortion in the first place?"
-OF COURSE. I wish abortions didn't have to happen; I wish all pregnancies were planned and wanted.. I wish that pregnancy from rape never happened. Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world.

"Do you wish that contraception was more widely available to stop unwanted pregnancies before they are even started?"
-Yes of course.. Which is why I want schools and parents to actually start teaching sex ed.. And that DOESN'T include shoving abstinence down your throat.

"Would you support good counseling services (ones focused on the womans wellbeing, not agenda driven) to assist especially young women in making such a hard and often traumatic decision?"
-Once again, of course. If this counseling isn't PRESSURING her to do something, then it's great.

"Lastly, do you sometimes feel, as I sometimes feel - that elements of the pro life lobby feel that - because we are pro choice, we somehow relish in the idea that women should be pushed towards abortion?"
-Once again.. Yes. There's a difference between pro-choice and pro-abortion, though.

Answer 3

I think that the availability of abortion has sadly pushed our society into thinking that children themselves are somewhat "disposable". I am, and will always be, pro-choice however. Not only am I not morally supereior to the women faced with the decision, (and therefore, the only person around who can make the "right" choice on their behalf), but I have seen what happens when it is illegal - the rich do just fine, the poor risk their lives and their future fertility with back alley abortions.

I support efforts to *make available* counseling services to the woman. Blackmailing her into it is offensive and unethical. Showing videos of the procedure makes as much sense as forcing a similar "educational" video on someone about to have open-heart surgery. It is coercive and manipulative. She has likely made up her mind within ten minutes of the positive pregnancy test. Offering free counseling - real counseling - is a good idea, however.

If contraception were free and easily available, I would be thrilled. Again, however, I think an unfortunate side effect is that the whole act is cheapened. Sex loses its magic and it's spirtuality when it degrades into two animals rutting, and contraception naturally leads to this. However, it is certainly still worth it. I think particularly methods with few side effects, such as condoms or spermicides, should be made cheaper and easier to get.

Answer 4

I am also pro-choice, and I think it should always be the woman who has the final say over her own body. Chosing to have an abortion or not is not an easy decision to make, but it should be a decision the woman makes. However, I also feel that abortions should not be done after a month of pregnancy. Pro-choice does not mean pro-death. Counseling should remain optional, not required. I know several women who have had abortions and although it wasn't easy for them to go through, it would have been much harder for them in different ways if they didn't have the abortion. My sister was using birth control but still got pregnant right after she gave birth. Her body could not handle pregnancy so soon, so she discussed it with her husband and she had an abortion. While my sister was in the clinic on the table, she overheard some of the staff talking about her. They were saying, "Isn't that awful? She just had a daughter and she's already pregnant again." My sister felt bad enough and that just made her feel worse to hear them talking about her in shame. My sister's birth controls had failed, but there she was being gossiped about in the hospital like a whore. That's not anyone's business and I went there and told them off. Sadly, I see that even out here on Yahoo Answers, there are people who assume that abortions are had by careless people who didn't use protection.

Answer 5

It is sad to me, when some think that others would WANT to have abortions.
I am pro-choice, yet have not had nor ever want to have an abortion, not only for emotional reasons, but also spiritual (not to be confused with religious), so protection is vital to me.
There are natural and effective methods women can use, besides the pill, which are less damaging to their reproductive systems, it's all a matter of looking into alternative options, not only the mainstream... it can be difficult to find, which is another reason why this information should be readily available.
In my case, I am fortunate that my uncle is a naturopathic doctor.

The government spends too much money on programs that do little to improve these situations, rather than strongly emphasising on sex education, counseling services for people considering becoming sexually active/the already active who may appreciate further information, of course, women/men's well-being, etc., and they should also freely provide means of information and protection/prevention, as well as, alternative methods, as there are people in certain financial conditions whom cannot afford to always protect themselves nor approve for certain services.

Yes, we are all responsible for ourselves, but can only do with what we have, the government must do its' part as well, to put an end to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and the rising number of children without families.

Answer 6

I absolutely agree that women need more support and counselling about contraception, family planning and especially about abortion if and when they are faced with having to make that choice. The thing is that however pro-choice a person may be, the reality of abortion is difficult and traumatic,as you say yourself, and one which very few women go through with out being emotionally scarred or suffering from guilt.
For a person or group to urge any women into abortion simply because they claim to be pro-choice..and I know that it happens..is a disgraceful abuse of influence and a total rejection of their supposed ideals.
I find that I am both pro-choice and anti-abortion..i think that a lot of us are without being entirely aware of it because we find ourselves urged to be one or the other...A woman's body is her own property, of course it is, but abortion is a bad thing or we would not have to keep telling ourselves that a foetus is not yet..at least not until this or that stage..and so on.Nothing that requires so many defences can be other than morally suspect but the thing is, there are times in life when a person is faced with having to to do one wrong thing or another, where there is no " right" choice for her even if other people think there is,and when she has made her decision then it for her to live with, not for others to comment upon. I would never blame a woman for having an abortion but neither would I ever encourage her to do so.. if she was my friend then I hope she would go on being my friend and I hers...and I would certainly want her to be counselled about what she was considering having done from the point of view of her own well-being.
One thing that doe worry me very much about pro-choice is the tendency for people, including doctors, to assume that if there is anything at all wrong with the foetus, the mother will have an abortion she will often be given information about abortion at the same time as she is told something is or may be wrong and in the distress of first reactions to such news, may very well do what she is expected to without giving herself the time to think it through adequately. I have even heard people talk quite seriously about the advances modern medicine has made against inherited conditions when the only advance is that the doctors are able to find out if the condition has been inherited and put an end to the pregnancy!
When it comes to better information and greater availability of contraception for young people...I agree with you entirely.

Answer 7

Yes to all. And not just that contraception be available - it already is, and at a reasonable price - but that sex education be more widespread. You'd be surprised how many girls on Y!A don't think that using condoms is worth a little minor inconvenience, that the "withdrawl method" is virtually foolproof, and that STDs just "can't happen to me."

I know a number of women who are pro-choice. Some don't believe that abortion is ever the right thing to do, but they also believe that it is their choice, and not necessarily the choice of all women. Others believe that it is an option, but only in rare circumstances (e.g. rape victims). But at least none of them try to inflict their version of "morality" on others!

This is being truely "pro-choice" - not necessarily for or against, but each person is afforded the ability to make their own personal choices. The only reason the pro-life lobby likes to imply that we "somehow relish in the idea that women should be pushed towards abortion" is because this sort of sensationalism makes good slogans and good copy - it gets it on the TV and in the papers. And people who don't bother to research the validity of these claims are often easily swayed by this gross distortion of the truth.

Answer 8

I agree with everything you're saying. I don't know why the Pro-Life people assume that Pro-Choice people sit around celebrating every abortion. That is simply not true.

I'm old enough to remember when it wasn't legal. I personally knew girl who literally tried the coat hanger, self-abortion because she was so afraid to tell her very 'Christian' parents. Her father was a deacon in the church and he was the father of her baby. She died from that abortion. I do not want to see us return to those times when safe and legal abortions are not an option---a very well thought-out option that should (and in most cases) is a heart wrenching decision.

What Pro-Life people don't seem to be able to grasp is that the decision to have an abortion---or not---is not a black and white choice. For some women becoming a single mother or adopting the baby out works. Would it have worked for the girl I knew? I doubt it. Her father would have been the first to haul her off to a back street abortionist so his dirty little secret was kept a secret. Planned Parenthood is there for girls like her now.

Planned Parenthood is also there for the anyone who needs reproductive education to keep from getting pregnant or from impregnating someone. Yet the Pro-Life people will not be happy until they drive them out of business and drive girls back to the days when abortions were not safe. Nothing is going to stop all abortions. They've been in our history since humans have been on the earth. But the Pro-Life movement can't even agree that keeping them safe, legal and rare is a reasonable compromise. Their simplistic, black and white thinking boggles my mind.

Answer 9

Yes, I wish that only people that wanted and were able to care for children would get pregnant.

I do not feel there is a problem accessing forms of birth control (hormonal or various physical kinds such as condoms). I feel the problem lies within people being irresponsible by not accessing these forms of protection. Granted, there are very responsible people who take the precautions and some how it is ineffective, but I believe most unwanted pregnancies are caused by lack of responsibility.

I would support those types of counseling services, but I find it hard to believe that the counselors would not have a professional or personal agenda.

Not at all. I am pro-choice, but I am personally pro-life. I honestly could not have an abortion, regardless of my situation. Even if I was raped I would have a hard time making a decision about what to do....but that is my "choice". I feel others should be allowed to have theirs.

Answer 10

There is very few cases of women being "faced with the need to choose whether to have an abortion". Almost every abortion performed in the US over the past 30 years was a choice not to be held responsible for the results of their actions.

I don't know how contraception could be more available unless handed out like flyers at the supermarket. Women have many choices of contraceptives yet they still fail to properly utilize them. Giving them increased options is simply adding more irresponsibility into an already irresponsible situation.

Women don't need support any more than men. They need to be treated like mature adults instead of coddled like immature and selfish children.