Navigating Conversations About Abortion and Choice
I hope Roe v. Wade is overturned so there won’t be any abortions.
Even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe and turns the decision of abortion legality over to states, abortion will not magically go away. Abortions were happening long before Roe was decided in 1973. (A history lesson: the first recorded evidence of induced abortion is from the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus in 1550 BC.) And they will continue to happen regardless of whether or not they're legal. Abortion can be outlawed - as it has been in the past - but it will only create unsafe abortions. And, even though clandestine abortions are much safer than they used to be thanks to advancements in medicine, people without access to abortion pills or other safe methods can still risk their lives.
Abortion is a very dangerous procedure.
In the United States, abortion is actually safer than childbirth. The most recent United States maternal mortality ratio was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2018 - the most recent year in which data was reviewed - two people were identified to have died as a result of complications from legal induced abortion. For reference, there were 619,591 abortions in 2018. Thus, it is safer to have an abortion in the U.S. than it is to give birth. Both in-clinic and medication abortions occur every day and issues and complications are very rare. What IS unsafe are situations in which abortion becomes inaccessible and people are left with no safe medical options.
I'm pro-LIFE because I don't believe in killing babies.
sounds like you're anti-choice, not pro-life. Because those who are pro-life would be concerned about the living person who is pregnant and would be supportive of that living person and the choice they are making for the well being of their life.
Perhaps instead of being concerned about the medical decisions that a person is making in their private life, you could dedicate some time and energy into fighting to make sure that the livingg children in this country have access to quality and affordable healthcare, education, food, and housing.
Only careless people get abortions
People of all ages with diverse backgrounds, sex lives, incomes, and family structures get abortions. Many different people, from varied backgrounds and stages of life, can and do experience unintended pregnancies. Contraception is not always 100% effective. Studies actually show that more than half of unintended pregnancies occurred while using a contraceptive, and nearly 60 percent of those who obtain an abortion already have at least one child. Additionally, most people who have an abortion are choosing what is right for their current circumstances in life. There is nothing careless about choosing to do what is right for us.
Most people get an abortion during their second or third trimester
Actually, nearly all abortions in the United States occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2018, approximately 92.2 percent of all abortions in the U.S. were performed at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy. It is also NOT a common occurrence for a pregnant person to have to end their pregnancy in the third trimester. Abortions after 24 weeks comprise less than 1% of all abortions. These situations occur in extremely rare circumstances such as when the life of the pregnant person is in grave danger or the fetus is seriously malformed or cannot survive outside of the womb.
People could just place the child up for adoption instead of getting an abortion.
The process of adoption is not always easy for everyone involved and the trauma that comes with adoption cannot be understated nor overlooked. The adoption system in our country is a mess, and many children (especially children of color and LGBTQ+ children) languish in the foster care system without being adopted. Many children also experience abuse, neglect, and violence within the foster care system. Right now, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF), there are more than 400,000 children in foster care. Adoption is also not a solution for an unwanted pregnancy. It is NOT as simple as "just placing the child up for adoption."