I know there are several things out there now that can lower your odds of getting pregnant, but what happens when you do get pregnant? Do you keep it? Give it up for adoption? Or have an abortion?
I’ve been researching this topic for quite some time, and not for my own personal reasons, just because it seems to be a sensitive subject and younger women have been seeing induced abortion as a method of birth control, which I personally find quite disgusting. I’m sure all of you will condemn me for believing that
in some special circumstances I believe abortion is
OK, but when it boils down to, “Oops, I got pregnant” I’m definitely not
OK with it.
If you are having sex and don’t want to get pregnant, there are obviously precautions you should be taking, and hopefully it’s more than one. Abortion should never be referred to as a form of birth control. It can be potentially harmful both physically and psychologically. If you do the deed, you pay the price – and if you can’t handle the consequences, you were never mature or responsible enough to be having sex in the first place.
What is your stand on abortion as a method of birth control? Are you for or against it?
Recommend
Comments (352)
You have failed to state why abortion is wrong.
I don't really think you hit the nail here. At least this seems written badly.
When I think of "Abortion as birth control" I think I women who have had multiple abortions and still don't take the precautions.
My abortion was very much a "Oops! I got pregnant!" as I'm pretty sure most are. But just because it was an accidental pregnancy doesn't mean I'm using it as a form of birth control.
I agree with your perspective. I am not "for" abortion, but it should be available to those who need it. Then it boils down to, who determines the "need"...which creates more messy controversy. I'd like to think that I personally will never resort to this, but who knows what will happen.
If you read ACTUAL statistics you will find that the vast majority of women DON'T have multiple abortions (is that even what you're talking about?). Like statistics not from pro-life sites, that twist the information. Birth control is not 100% effective, and mistakes happen. I doubt that very many people think abortion is birth control.
I don't get the "oops I got pregnant!" thing you said...isn't that why all women get abortions? What exactly are the circumstances you're talking about?
I'm going to get majorly flamed for this, but I would have a MUCH harder time giving a baby up for adoption than I would having an abortion. I will have children when I want to, and I refuse to bring a child into this world that no one wants.
How about we make an effort to stop unplanned pregnancies? That seems to be the ultimate goal, yet so many pro-life people are against birth control too!! Like what the hell are we supposed to do? Make Plan B easier to find in pharmacies, stop allowing pharmacists to refuse selling it, and give out free condoms. EDUCATE PEOPLE on birth control. No one LIKES abortions!!
After reading about how abortions take place, I don't think I could ever do it.
@schallerbrandon@xanga - ohh gee, maybe because your murdering a innocent life, all because you couldnt keep your legs closed. And you can say all you want what if you got raped or what if it was you or the baby, but the percent of ppl getting abortions that have been raped or they are going to die if they have the baby is so so small.
So thats why abortion is wrong.
And you cant tell me its not considered life until 26 weeks, or until the baby is born, because at my 7 1/2 week ultra sound, i saw my daughters heartbeat, so clear and fast, and loud. So she was very much a life.
Now if i would have had an abortion i would have killed her and taken away her opportunity at life, and i do not want to be responsible for doing that.
Agreed.
And here are some not so fun facts for you.
UNITED STATES
Number of abortions per year: 1.37 Million (1996)
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 3,700
Who's having abortions (age)?
52%
of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women
aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls
under 15 account for 1.2%.
Who's having abortions (race)?
While
white women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well
below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as
likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are
roughly 2 times as likely.
Who's having abortions (marital status)?
64.4%
of all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women
account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.
Who's having abortions (religion)?
Women
identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in
the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for
1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all
abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify
themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".
Who's having abortions (income)?
Women
with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions;
Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%;
Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%;
Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.
Why women have abortions
1%
of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur
because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or
child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the
child is unwanted or inconvenient).
At what gestational ages are abortions performed:
52%
of all abortions occur before the 9th week of pregnancy, 25% happen
between the 9th & 10th week, 12% happen between the 11th and 12th
week, 6% happen between the 13th & 15th week, 4% happen between the
16th & 20th week, and 1% of all abortions (16,450/yr.) happen after
the 20th week of pregnancy.
Likelihood of abortion:
An
estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time
they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who
have had at least one previous abortion.
I think it really depends on the situation. You're right, abortion is definitely NOT a form of birth control but if you're young, careless and made a mistake, what can you do? Sometimes keeping a baby is not an option. Abortion can be expensive but taking care of a child is more expensive when you're not ready for it. And you can't just expect your parents to take care of you and the baby because you're jobless and pregnant. So then abortion seems the logical way to go.
I still can't understand how so many people can be anti-war and pro-choice. I mean war, you're killing people who intend to harm you, yours, or your country. Pro-choice? You're killing innocent babies.
@Coke0@xanga - How 'bout...abstinence? And natural family planning? There are certain times of the month when your body is more fertile than others. And there are books on the subject. LOTS of books.
Because abortion is murder. No matter what. Most "morning after" pills will kill the fertilized egg (the CHILD) if there is one, by any chance. Hence, murder.
I don't believe in "Oops I got pregnant" abortions. And I don't believe in multiple abortions because people are too stupid to use normal, responsible methods of birthcontrol. Obviously if you're having sex there is a chance a baby will come of it, if you don't want that, then be smart, or don't have sex. The only time I think abortion is right is if it comes after a rape, or if it is a matter of life-or-death for the would-be mother. Morning after pill, fine. But knowingly destroying something that will have a life, not for me.
It's something that I disagree with, but there is sort of no point in doing so. There is no way to "screen" abortion patients to determine if they're using it as birth control because they would likely lie in order to have one. If anything, the only thing that can be done is limit the number of abortions that one person can have. I think three is a safe (even perhaps overshot) limit, that would count for mistakes, medical emergencies, and whatever else might come up. If a woman is having more than that, then she has a more serious problem that needs to be checked on.
People don't seem to get that abortion can't be "okay" for this, this, and this reason but wrong for that one. There has to be across-the-board regulations because you can't determine per case which abortion can be deemed morally acceptable or not.
Abstinence needs to be moved away from being taught and responsibility and contraception need to take its place. That's the only way to prevent people using abortions as birth control because some people honestly don't understand how sex works and how to prevent pregnancies. If you go to online forums or even go and ask a group of high school aged kids, there are so many ridiculous myths that they still believe such as: one can't get pregnant if they're a virgin, pulling out is a safe method of birth control, and that one can't get pregnant while on her period. Not until there is real "Sex Education" in schools, will this stop being a problem.
I agree with you. Abortion is wrong on so many levels. But I also think that in the case of rap conseption and dangerous medical reasons abortion is more acceptable. But if you are just looking for a way out, no its definately not acceptable. If your responsible enough to have sex and stupid enough to do so without protection then you need to be prepared to live with the consequences. Children are true blessing and should be treated as such.
@shalomahava@xanga - These are pretty disturbing.
Abortion is a choice a woman makes. It's hers so whatever floats her duck on still waters. I personally am not against abortion due to the fact that in some cases, i.e 16 and pregnant or rape, it can help avoid situations. In the case that a woman does it just because she doesn't fancy using the pill or condoms? I don't agree with it but like I said, it's her choice.. as awkward as it may seem :\
Abortion is a choice.
I'm not saying it is ok.. But in same cases it is acceptable.
@Coke0@xanga - On the same boat with you here. I can't imagine carrying a child for 9 months and then simply giving it up. That seems more heartless to me then an abortion ever would.
@Neon_Eyeliner77@xanga - Whether or not a woman is raped shouldn't matter if a woman is pro-life. That baby did nothing to the woman so if she doesn't believe in abortion for any other reason she shouldn't justify it by saying "it wasn't my decision." It's one of my abortion topic pet peeves--I don't mean to target you, but it's one of those contradictions that I don't agree with.
Abortion as a form of birth control? How awful. I don't think anyone with any integrity would advocate that. But for cases of rape...it's got to be acceptable.
http://plentymorefishoutofwater.blogspot.com/ - dating blog
i think if you are responisble enough to have sex then you are responisble to have a baby
@i_r_keiko@xanga - Not saying I would do it, but I know women who have. Rape is tramatizing, so could you imagine carrying a rapists baby? And women who CAN find it in themselves to go through with the pregnancy will put the baby up for adoption anyway because they can't stand to look into a face that looks like someone who caused her pain and trauma.
@shalomahava@xanga - I'm so glad that you understand how people have a CHOICE to do what they WANT with their OWN body...
I don't understand why people try to control what other people do?
Who cares if someone gets a damn abortion.
Keep your opinion to yourself if you don't like it! :)
Do what you want with your OWN body.
@i_r_keiko@xanga - :) agreed.
@petiteme_x@xanga - well i guess i could say keep YOUR opinion to yourself to huh? This is a PUBLIC site, so i can voice my opinion all i want. Thanks! :)
@Lorelei - :)) Agreed!!