Abortion

[Cavedragon49990]

An abortion is definitely not the act of a "wuss". Neither is suicide. I'm not going into the aspect of suicide here since that's not the point of this thread, but with an abortion, you tend to have to deal with several factors to do it:

-Getting through swarms of protesters outside clinics where they do abortions and have people tell you off for being a "murderer" (which is complete crap, it's not even alive yet)

-Your family's beliefs, and your partner's beliefs

-For those who worry a lot, the constant nagging worry that something will go wrong

-In the places where abortion deadlines are cut off extremely early to basically outlaw abortions, actually finding out about the pregnancy in time and aborting it within the time

-Possibility of guilt

 

There is probably a bunch more that I'm missing but that's what I could think of.

 

Speaking for myself later on in life, I don't want to get pregnant before I feel I am ready, and don't want more than one child. However, I'm attracted to girls, and therefore, I wouldn't be able to get pregnant before I am ready, so a pregnancy before I'm ready would occur from sex I didn't want. And I don't care who disagrees with that. If I were to get raped and got pregnant as a result, I am going to abort that child. If the woman said no or did not give her consent to sex, she does not have an obligation to carry the child to full term, especially the child of a rapist or a child she's not ready for.

 

If you're using birth control and it fails for some reason, then an abortion is by all means okay. You were using birth control. It didn't work (maybe a condom ripped or something). If you aren't ready to raise that child, then it's perfectly okay to abort it. Maybe you don't feel old enough, or don't have the proper financial state for the child, or you just don't want children. I have a friend who doesn't want children, and if she needed an abortion for whatever reason, people should respect that. It's the woman's decision.

 

That being said, I don't believe abortion should be used as a method of birth control. If you are having unprotected sex and get pregnant, then you were fully aware of the risks of the unprotected sex and yet you did it anyway. I still believe you should be allowed to have an abortion in those cases, but an abortion does not equal birth control, and should not be treated as such. An abortion is terminating a pregnancy. If you don't want to have a baby with your partner, use birth control, not constant abortions.

 

To bring up an argument that I saw on Tumblr once, let's say someone in your family got into a car crash and you were the only person on Earth that could give blood to them via a blood transfusion, and this was vital for them to stay alive. But if you do not give your explicit consent for the doctors to take blood from you, they are not legally allowed to take the blood from you.

Similar concept with organ donation. If you don't check the box on your driver's license, when you die, the doctors are not legally allowed to remove your organs and distribute them to other patients. If they don't have your consent, they cannot take them. But if you deny a woman an abortion, you're not letting her give her consent to terminate a pregnancy, so you are literally giving her less rights than a dead body.

 

That's my stance on abortion. It should be allowed no matter the circumstance.

[lilacamy931]

I also wonder to those set against this firmly what their thoughts are about unwanted pregnancies where it was not the women's choice? With this I mean the choice of the act is taken out of it and the woman has been forced..

 

My husband's father works in the police force with these victims to help catch such awful people that did this to them. He had a situation that the person's religion meant she kept the baby and later committed suicide because she could not live with what she had gone through or even look at the child she gave birth to.. An extreme case I know but let's not pretend abortion occurs through accidental contraception blips only, majority yes but not all. (Either way it is an individuals choice regardless of what is going on).

 

There are so many scenarios and situations and it is a decision I do not think is ever made lightly and you honestly can not know until you are in it (very much like the example of suicide that comes up). Life isn't candy and rainbows, if it has been for you so far you have been exceedingly lucky.

[KageSora]

I also wonder to those set against this firmly what their thoughts are about unwanted pregnancies where it was not the women's choice? With this I mean the choice of the act is taken out of it and the woman has been forced..

It varies--some of them seem to think "All abortion is evil, except if it's a rape baby" (though why that somehow makes it okay to "murder" the "innocent child" but any other reason--sometimes up to and including risking the life of the mother--are not okay I will never understand). Others feel like it doesn't matter, that baby is a blessing either way and how dare you try to kill you murderer.

 

Which, of course, is even more stress and trauma for an already hurt and traumatized person to have to deal with when trying to sort out their feelings and if an abortion is best for them or not.

[Rosedamai]

If you asked me, I think it's more of a wuss that we neglect actual care for services that desperately need to be provided and just wave it aside with a mundane "life gets better" but you know, that's just me. Personally I find the words "it gets better" very irresponsible. It's why we lack social support for single mothers and those looking for an abortion at the same time. Oh you had a baby? Life will get better good luck. Oh you don't want to have one? Just have one life will get better good luck.

Edited June 23, 2014 by ylangylang

[Brite]

An extreme case I know but let's not pretend abortion occurs through accidental contraception blips only, majority yes but not all. (Either way it is an individuals choice regardless of what is going on).

I think the majority happens from women that think they were too old along with women that have completed their families and don't want anymore children.

[KageSora]

I think the majority happens from women that think they were too old along with women that have completed their families and don't want anymore children.

Just to mention, though, that being too old/having completed your family can very well fall under the "contraception failure" category.

[Brite]

Just to mention, though, that being too old/having completed your family can very well fall under the "contraception failure" category.

Well when a lot people hear "contraception failure" they usually picture younger "irresponsible" couples with breaking condoms. A 90% of people I told this to didn't realize that most of them ARE indeed older and thought they couldn't get pregnant or had been "sterilized" and that fails.

[Fuzzbucket]

Well when a lot people hear "contraception failure" they usually picture younger "irresponsible" couples with breaking condoms. A 90% of people I told this to didn't realize that most of them ARE indeed older and thought they couldn't get pregnant or had been "sterilized" and that fails.

OH yes. I forgot about that - a couple I know with two daughters in college were in the process of downsizing their house - she was in her early 50s and on the pill - and HIGHLY intelligent - and to their rather considerable surprise...

[Brite]

OH yes. I forgot about that - a couple I know with two daughters in college were in the process of downsizing their house - she was in her early 50s and on the pill - and HIGHLY intelligent - and to their rather considerable surprise...

Did they get an abortion?

[Fuzzbucket]

Did they get an abortion?

Actually no - though they did consider it - but I was only pointing out that contraceptive failure is not restricted to young idiots !

[edwardelricfreak]

When I saw "contraception failure" earlier, I just took it to mean any kind. I do think that it's actually older couples using the contraceptives more and are thus more likely to have the "blips", as it were. I feel like, due to misinformation and even lack of information, teens are less likely to be the ones getting an abortion due to contraception failure, and more the ones who didn't use it in the first place.

 

I sort of consider misusing contraceptives different from contraception failure, though. Misusing leads to that, yes, but I personally took contraception failure to mean properly-used contraceptives that just had that small percentage of failure rate unfortunately happen.

[Brite]

When I saw "contraception failure" earlier, I just took it to mean any kind. I do think that it's actually older couples using the contraceptives more and are thus more likely to have the "blips", as it were. I feel like, due to misinformation and even lack of information, teens are less likely to be the ones getting an abortion due to contraception failure, and more the ones who didn't use it in the first place.

 

I sort of consider misusing contraceptives different from contraception failure, though. Misusing leads to that, yes, but I personally took contraception failure to mean properly-used contraceptives that just had that small percentage of failure rate unfortunately happen.

It doesn't help that a LOT of pro birth and life people think that only 1% are rape victims and the rest are wh-res that should've used condoms or kept their legs closed, no matter what the case, even if they are married couples, they're still seen as one, which doesn't make sense to me..

[pony459]

i saw a commercial for a morning after pill that is sold on the shelves and does not require and id to buy. I think this is great and hopefully if this becomes more common abortions will not be as necessary.

[edwardelricfreak]

i saw a commercial for a morning after pill that is sold on the shelves and does not require and id to buy. I think this is great and hopefully if this becomes more common abortions will not be as necessary.

Yeah, there are some things like that, but they're still kind of expensive. And they don't always work, especially if it's been more than 3 days as most morning after pills I know of only work effectively for up to 72 hours. That's the reason we're bringing up contraception failure- there are people who got an abortion because even the morning after pill failed.

 

Even a combination of condom, bc pill, and morning-after pill can still fail, even when properly used, just because all of them still have failure rates and those can line up. It's not like their percentages just add up to 100%. Probability involves multiplication, so even though it gets less likely there will be a failure, there's still always a 1/blah chance of it happening.

Edited June 24, 2014 by edwardelricfreak

[pony459]

Yeah, there are some things like that, but they're still kind of expensive. And they don't always work, especially if it's been more than 3 days as most morning after pills I know of only work effectively for up to 72 hours. That's the reason we're bringing up contraception failure- there are people who got an abortion because even the morning after pill failed.

 

Even a combination of condom, bc pill, and morning-after pill can still fail, even when properly used, just because all of them still have failure rates and those can line up. It's not like their percentages just add up to 100%. Probability involves multiplication, so even though it gets less likely there will be a failure, there's still always a 1/blah chance of it happening.

very true, and i do believe in pro choice, and even if the chances of failure are very slim it can still happen, but im just happy contraception devices are becoming more attainable then they were a few years ago.

[StormBirdRising]

I'm one of those people that think that abortion is the woman's choice, and that she can do whatever she wants, but that won't stop me from thinking it's the wuss' way out, kinda like suicide, it's the way out for wusses, but that's just my opinion, don't let it get to you or anything

This is one of the most provocative statements I have ever heard regarding abortion, comparing it to suicide. I've already had several discussions regarding it and it just takes off like wildfire.

 

While I've never considered abortion or suicide to be a noble thing, I had never considered them to be acts of cowardice either, but I am really examining that issue. Is it the coward's way out? It is something to consider.

 

In any event, abortion and suicide are the most permanent solutions. There is just no way back from either one.

[StormBirdRising]

i saw a commercial for a morning after pill that is sold on the shelves and does not require and id to buy. I think this is great and hopefully if this becomes more common abortions will not be as necessary.

In my opinion, the morning after pill is the best remedy to the unwanted pregnancy issue for the following reasons:

 

1. It preserves the woman's anonymity, she or someone else, can pick it up without a prescription,

without any questions.

 

2. The woman never knows if she was actually pregnant or not, which can be important since Planned Parenthood has released studies that some women have guilt and mourn the loss even though it was their choice. It can be used the morning after as a precautionary measure.

 

3. It's always easier to just take a pill than have a surgical procedure.

[Brite]

In my opinion, the morning after pill is the best remedy to the unwanted pregnancy issue for the following reasons:

 

1. It preserves the woman's anonymity, she or someone else, can pick it up without a prescription,

without any questions.

 

2. The woman never knows if she was actually pregnant or not, which can be important since Planned Parenthood has released studies that some women have guilt and mourn the loss even though it was their choice. It can be used the morning after as a precautionary measure.

 

3. It's always easier to just take a pill than have a surgical procedure.

The morning after pill does not work if she's already pregnant. And most guilt cases, the woman usually didn't want to get one in the first place or was harassed and hammered with guilt later on..

[StormBirdRising]

""Pregnancy doesn't happen right after sex. That's why it's possible to prevent pregnancy even after the fact. It can take up to six days for the sperm and egg to meet after having sex. Emergency contraception pills work by keeping a woman's ovary from releasing an egg for longer than usual. Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm.

 

You might have also heard that the morning-after pill causes an abortion. But that's not true. The morning-after pill is not the abortion pill. Emergency contraception is birth control, not abortion.""

 

From the manufacturer of the most available morning after pill in the U.S.

 

[HeatherMarie]

Really, the whole wuss/coward thing SHOULDN'T even be a consideration at all, because who the heck cares? In a more perfect world, it would be absolutely fine to consider abortion or suicide "cowardice", because *you* are not the one doing those things but *you* are entitled to your opinion. And that's all it is. An opinion. And it should be nothing more.

 

Now, if that *opinion* starts infringing on other's rights because 'oh, don't allow her an abortion, it's the easy way out!", that's when things get ugly.

 

But really, it's no one's freaking business why I get an abortion or want to commit suicide.

[hydrargyrum]

OK, first of all, I know everyone else has already said it, but I agree: abortion isn't the "easy way out". People who get one shouldn't be judged as "weak" or a "wuss" for it. Yeah, it might be easier for that person to get an abortion than to go through pregnancy, but isn't that kind of how life works? You choose things that are easier, unless you want the benefits of doing the hard thing? We don't call people a wuss for other "easy" choices (like driving instead of walking/biking if the distance is pretty great). It's their body, and if they don't want to put it through the stress of pregnancy then there's nothing wrong with that.

 

As for the plan-b pill: not only is it not always effective, some people may not always know when they're about to become pregnant. People who aren't properly educated about how birth control works, or when birth control fails may not realize that they're about to become pregnant until it's too late and the egg is already fertilized.

 

Also, saying that abortion is the "most permanent solution" is kind of ridiculous. Like, yeah, you can't undo it, but you also can't undo going through pregnancy and giving birth. Either way, you're making a final decision.

[StormBirdRising]

 

As for the plan-b pill: not only is it not always effective, some people may not always know when they're about to become pregnant. People who aren't properly educated about how birth control works, or when birth control fails may not realize that they're about to become pregnant until it's too late and the egg is already fertilized.

There are 2 pills effective against an unplanned pregnancy:

 

1. The Morning After Pill formulated for and to be used to prevent pregnancy up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, no prescription or ID needed to purchase.

 

2. The Abortion Pill, mifepristone, used to terminate a pregnancy up to 9 weeks after the last day of a woman's last period, available by prescription, and from Planned Parenthood, one of their doctors will administer it.

 

No medication can be deemed 100% effective.

 

 

[Obscure_Trash]

In my opinion, the morning after pill is the best remedy to the unwanted pregnancy issue for the following reasons:

 

1. It preserves the woman's anonymity, she or someone else, can pick it up without a prescription,

without any questions.

 

2. The woman never knows if she was actually pregnant or not, which can be important since Planned Parenthood has released studies that some women have guilt and mourn the loss even though it was their choice. It can be used the morning after as a precautionary measure.

 

3. It's always easier to just take a pill than have a surgical procedure.

Was this a best case scenario of what you want to see or a description of how the pill is now and how people should use it?

 

Because while I agree on the usefulness of the pill, it can be pretty expensive, so it is not always accessible to everyone financially (as an alternative to abortion, cheaper, yes - although I find the wording odd because it's not exactly an alternative since you take/get them at different times - but if you have to take it after every time you have sex, not so much). As well, many pharmacists will refuse to give it to you based on "moral high ground/religious beliefs". There are several horror stories of people being guilted after asking for the pill. As well, and I'm going to color this because there are many who do not know this important piece of information, the pill does not work for people who are heavier, in this case heaver meaning over 176 lbs/79 kg. D: (Unclear if this pertains to mifepristone, though.)

 

~

 

And I'm just seeing this a lot again, so I'm giving a gentle reminder that not everybody who can get pregnant is a woman. <3

[Pixxelation]

Can I just say that the morning after pill being called mifepristone is kind of ironic, since it looks like it says "my life" in its name? That's just perfect! After all, the woman is taking control of her life and choosing not to let two microscopic cells combine and change her life.

Edited June 26, 2014 by PieMaster

[DragonGirl10188]

To be honest, I think the woman has a choice, it's her body, her baby. I'll only feel sick if it's for a bad reason, I mean, you shouldn't go around having sex without pills or whatnot. Obviously you'll get pregnant.

However, if the baby has some defects that will probably put it in pain for the rest of it's life, or will be born brain dead, I think an abortion is neccessary, that way the poor child doesn't have to be put through that and the mother doesn't have a chance of dying.

 

I'm not an expert, though, so I can't give a huge twenty paragraph long opinion.