[aworkingmama]

Abortion is never "safe" for the baby in the womb. And the safety of the mother is questionable as many women suffer terribly afterwards - physically and mentally. First of all abortion hurts, as it is a direct interference with the woman's body as well as interference with Nature. Immediately after an abortion, many women report a feeling of relief, and that is all the abortionists want you to hear beforehand.

In your point of view, What do you think about abortion?

 

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

Oof. 2 posts in and you want to post THIS?!?! Brave woman.

My POV is this, I am prochoice. Always have been, always will be.

I would never in a million years chose abortion for myself but I am not naive enough to believe that every person feels the same way I do about conception, life, pregnancy and children.

In my head, I don't think abortion should be pain-free, or risk-free. It's an elective medical procedure that unless for medical reasons is NEVER "necessary". Just like I don't feel sorry for people who have terrible pain after breast augmentation, I don't feel sorry for a woman who has physical or mental pain following am abortion. I am sad for her, sad to watch her suffer needlessly, but she had her reasons for chosing what she did and we should always maintain that right to chose.

It goes with the territory and it's a consequence of the choice that we make.

 

[Metasequoia]

: Well said. Now that I have children, it makes me unbelievably sad for the babies, whereas it didn't used to bother me so much, regardless, I *still* believe it should remain the woman's choice. The late term ones are a bit dusturbing, I suppose for medical reasons, I'd be more understanding than if it were simply for termination of pregnancy at that stage.

 

[starry_mama]

speaking of abortions, my new insurance company covers "voluntary abortions" but not home births. Hmmmmm.......And they don't cover birth control. Wouldn't it make more sense to pay for birth control, to maybe help avoid some abortions? And isn't it cheaper to pay for a home birth than a hospital borth. Hmmmm...

I personally am against abortions, but I'm not in your face about it. Nor am I judgemental. I just don't think its the right decision for me.

 

[staceyshoe]

I am against abortion for religious and moral reasons. In my work as a counselor, I've actually worked with several women who were extremely distraught about abortions that happened decades earlier. I do believe that many women underestimate the emotional impact it will have on them, possibly for a lifetime.

 

[NC_Mama]

My POV on Abortion is this:

I was always against them until something happened to me. I was 21 and pregnant and wanting to have the baby. Only due to my immune disorder that I had as a child it was unclear to everyone if I was able to carry the baby to full term or would the pregnancy kill me? No one knew for sure so I had to have an abortion done which I will tell you is the hardest decision that I ever had to make. I had to have genetic testing before I could get prego and since I hadn't it wasn't in the best interest for me to have the child. I still think back to that same day that I went in for the abortion because there were so many either young girls in there well under my age having abortions done because they didn't want the child or they never wanted to have sex in the first place. I still don't support abortion if you just don't want to have the child but if it's for medical reasons like mine was then I do support it.

 

[MaryLang]

My POV is abortion is NEVER ok. And no IMO not even for rape or medical reasons. I have very close friends who have been in both situations. One now has a 13 yr old very well adjusted son. The other has a son who lived for a beautiful 5 hrs. 5hrs yes but lived his natural life from beginning to end.

edited to add: are you doing research or trying to start trouble?

 

[normajean]

I work as a pregnancy counselor, and I also do not think abortion is OK. Its traumatizing for the women who have it done, harmful to their bodies & their future reproductive health, and drastically increases their risks of breast cancer. It is a very invasive procedure, and most if not all women are unable to be emotionally prepared for it. (I have to keep up on the procedures & techniques, and its disturbing to read and gives me nightmares because I love children to begin with.)

Typically, women who are involved do not stay with their boyfriends after an abortion, and may have difficulty in their future relationships with men.

Also, I see so many women who are in complete denial, they don't want to consider what they are doing, or even understand the procedure. Women are having this done without an understanding of what is happening to their bodies, often because of family or relationship pressure. I would never have any surgical procedure done without the surgeon describing to me what was happening and what to expect. So many of these women just do not want to know, just want to make the pregnancy go away. I don't think that is emotionally healthy either.

I'm not saying women should be forced to sit & watch a procedure or read about it, but really, how can you give your informed consent to a procedure without even a basic understanding of what is happening to your body?

Further, my adopted nephew was conceived of a rape. I certainly wouldn't wish he were gone!

My only exception is if the baby is not living, its in the mothers best emotional interest to terminate the pregnancy rather than have her continue to carry a dead baby. There is a huge correllation between severe depression & carrying a child you know is dead for more than a few days.

 

[Shonahsmom]

I thought MDC did not host abortion debate.

Or is this conversation going to be acceptable as long as anti-choice people are the only ones posting to it?

 

[MaryLang]

Ok, I'm not sure about MDC's rules but lets not get heated here. So far everybody is giving their POV's on BOTH sides and leave it at that. Everyone is entitled to POV, but this does not need to turn into a debate or attacking.
In fact I'd be interested on hearing about other thoughts on it, no personal attacks or even questions.

 

[Shonahsmom]

I admit I skimmed and missed the pro-choice posts and saw what I feel to be inaccurate and inflammatory idealogies on abortion. The chances of this remaining a civil airing of opinions with that element present is highly unlikely.

 

[Shonahsmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by normajean Its traumatizing for the women who have it done, harmful to their bodies & their future reproductive health, and drastically increases their risks of breast cancer. .

It is incredibly irresponsible and unprofessional of you to disseminate grossly inaccurate medical information due to your own personal convictions.

from a National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet

"In February 2003, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) convened a workshop of over 100 of the world's leading experts who study pregnancy and breast cancer risk. Workshop participants reviewed existing population-based, clinical, and animal studies on the relationship between pregnancy and breast cancer risk, including studies of induced and spontaneous abortions. They concluded that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a womanÅfs subsequent risk of developing breast cancer. A summary of their findings, titled Summary Report: Early Reproductive Events and Breast Cancer Workshop, can be found at http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/ere-workshop-report ."

From the Lancet:

"The Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer has brought together the worldwide epidemiological evidence on the possible relation between breast cancer and previous spontaneous and induced abortions.

Pregnancies that end as a spontaneous or induced abortion do not increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer."

From the American Cancer Society:

"The issue of abortion generates passionate viewpoints among many people. Breast cancer is the most common cancer, and is the second leading cancer killer, in women. Still, the public is not well-served by false alarms, even when both the exposure and the disease are of great importance and interest to us all. At the present time, the scientific evidence does not support a causal association between induced abortion and breast cancer."

Correlation does not equal cause and effect. This is propaganda and it is inaccurate and again, incredibly irresponsible to disseminate.

 

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shonahsmom I thought MDC did not host abortion debate. Or is this conversation going to be acceptable as long as anti-choice people are the only ones posting to it?

I have only seen a couple "anti-choice" statements, so I'm not sure what you are talking about.

I also chose to ignore any blatantly inaccurate statements. That's how a conversation keeps from degenerating. It's ok to let ignorant people remain ignorant. It's their choice to learn.

I am pro-choice ALL over da place!

 

[Shonahsmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoggyGranolaMomma I have only seen a couple "anti-choice" statements, so I'm not sure what you are talking about. I also chose to ignore any blatantly inaccurate statements. That's how a conversation keeps from degenerating. It's ok to let ignorant people remain ignorant. It's their choice to learn. I am pro-choice ALL over da place!

Not when those ignorant people are counselling pregnant women who have a choice to make.

 

[SoggyGranolaMomma]

If you read carefully, only ONE of the posters is currently a pregnancy counseler. The other poster counsels "women who have HAD abortions", not those who are contemplating them.

If the one who counsels pregnant women happens to work in an anti-abortion counseling program, then it's not a problem is it?

If someone who works for Planned Parenthood is injecting their own agenda into their counseling despite the mission statement of the program, well then you have a problem.

I think BirthRight is a christian based "pregnancy counseling" program in which an anti-abortion stance would be appropriate.

Try not to get hot under the collar and defensive until it's really necessary.

 

[Shonahsmom]

I definitely realized there was only one pregnancy counsellor.

Even if the agenda of that pregnancy center is clear (which it quite often is not by design) it is never okay to disseminate inaccurate medical information. Ever. And that, in and of itself does get me hot under the collar. It manipulates a woman's decision with fear based medical information that has been repeatedly proven inaccurate. It outrages me. Whatever your convictions, whatever your moral stance, atleast give women enough credit to provide them with accurate health information and accurate risks.

Another example from ACOG:

"Risks: Abortion is a low-risk procedure. An early abortion has less risk than a later one. Both are lower risk than carrying a pregnancy to term."

From the Mayo Clinic:

"There is no evidence of a link between abortion and endometriosis, a cause of female infertility."

 

[charmander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aworkingmama Immediately after an abortion, many women report a feeling of relief, and that is all the abortionists want you to hear beforehand. In your point of view, What do you think about abortion?

Not sure what you mean by this statement.

It may be traumatizing for some women, but for many others, it is not.

It also doesn't hurt.

I am pro choice.

 

[tayndrewsmama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shonahsmom I thought MDC did not host abortion debate. Or is this conversation going to be acceptable as long as anti-choice people are the only ones posting to it?

:

Not gettin' involved here, just

:

 

[MaryLang]

Ok, the question was What Do You Think About Abortion? Not what your POV on counseling or anything else. Why can't people just let their opinion out with out an answer back? "This is my opinion" if you chose to read then you must accept these are the opinions of people from all walks of life. Just breathe and realize everyone thinks they are right, and for once can people just give an opinion.

 

[Shonahsmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaryLang Ok, the question was What Do You Think About Abortion? Not what your POV on counseling or anything else. Why can't people just let their opinion out with out an answer back? "This is my opinion" if you chose to read then you must accept these are the opinions of people from all walks of life. Just breathe and realize everyone thinks they are right, and for once can people just give an opinion.

Why this?

That's somehow condusive to an open dialogue?

Because there's a huge difference between offering an opinion and offering up false information stated as facts. If one wants to say, "I think abortion is unhealthy," that is an opinion and I can disagree but still accept that individual's right to that opinion. No one should have the right to disseminate false health advice as one is if they are making the statement, "abortion drastically increases the risks of breast cancer." That is making a false statement, not expressing an opinion. It's the same thing that we as an online community are always railing against in the cases of women being manipulated in to having unnecessary c-sections with false medical advise. We should be just as upset anytime any medical advise is being dispensed that is false. I am angry for the women who unwittingly go to these "crisis pregnancy centers" that often have a hidden or unstated anti-choice agenda and wind up being presented information as fact that are out and out lies.