Blog for Choice Day 2013

NARAL has asked that I share a personal story for Blog for Choice Day this year.   I've never had an abortion.   But here is my personal story.  

I've always been Pro-choice. It never occurred to me to be any other way.  I wasn't raised by liberal, Pro-choice, feminists who marched, protested and campaigned for reproductive freedom.  I was raised by Republicans.  I was raised by Catholics.  I was raised by a mother who took her friends (in college, before Roe) to Mexico or to shady practitioners for abortions.  A woman who told me about the bleeding, the infections, the fear, that she and her friends went through before Roe.  I was raised by a grandmother who, although her church said it was a sin, knew what having child after child did to a woman's health and believed that contraceptives and abortions were a private matter between a woman and her doctor.

They never proselytized. They never ranted.  They just told me what happened when women didn't have a choice.  I still went to mass with them, I still went to catechism, I heard the church's side of the issue.  I read.  I watched the news.  It didn't change my mind.  No one should be able to force me to give birth.  My body.  My choice.

In nursing school,  I started working at a clinic.  I saw women harassed. I saw women afraid.  I saw the security system at the clinic.  I became afraid.  Then I got mad.  Then I got active.  I had taken the job because I was a poor student and I wanted to earn money while learning more about women's health.  But the fear that the clients, the employees and I felt ignited me.  Abortion was a legal, medical procedure.  I didn't want to back to the days my mother and grandmother had told me about.

So I vote.  I write letters.  I tweet.  I post on Facebook.  I escort at my local clinic with my awesome, Pro-choice husband. I march on my state capitol.  I phone bank.  I raise and donate money.  I adorn my car with bumper stickers.  I do whatever I can, whenever I can, however much I can to fight for reproductive freedom.  

I'm getting pretty old, reproductively speaking, and it is unlikely that I will ever find myself pregnant, let alone in need of a termination.  So now I fight on for the younger generations. There are more restrictions on abortion now than there was when I was in my teens and 20's.  I hope to see those restrictions lifted. I want abortion to be safe, low cost and widely available.  I hope to see contraceptives given to all who want them at little or no cost.  I hope to see medically correct, sexual education taught to teens in schools.  I hope that every child is a wanted child.  

It's Full Moon Friday!

There is weirdness afoot.  It started off at Weight Watchers this morning, where a senior citizen dropped trow so he could be weighed in all of his SILKY BOXER GLORY! 

Despite not tracking my points and eating poorly, I lost a little bit of weight this week, so I left WW feeling not so bad.  Then my weight Watchers buddy, Stacy and I went to get coffee. Once there, we noticed a couple in Starbucks with us.  

Him- kinda douchey, too much gel in his thinning hair and full of himself, probably late 30's- early 40's. 

Her- HUGE, bulbous, fake boobs, canary yellow lace top and skin tight jeans, both probably straight out of the Frederick's of Hollywood Catalog, probably in her late 40's- early 50's.  

They were glued to one  another, a little too much PDA for morning in the coffee shop. They were making a bit of a spectacle of themselves. Stacy & I were both trying to stifle our giggles at the plastic cougar/douche make out session going on in our little 'bux in the burbs. 

We got our coffee, visited a little and then I went to my car.  Douchey dude is standing behind my car looking at my bumper stickers.  

Him: "I gotta ask, are you a supporter of Obama"? 

Me: "Proudly.  I take it you're not"?  

Him: "No. I was just curious because you have this 'I support perineums' sticker too". 

Me: "That's because I help deliver babies".  

Him: "Oh bless you. You have quite a collection of stickers here". 

I knew what this guy was up to.  I was not having it. I had not even taken a sip of my coffee.  The layers of my caramel macchiato had not even been mixed up yet.  I was not going to let this right-wing-nut-job 'educate' me.  

Me: "There are a few I still have to put on.  I need to apply my 'I stand with Planned Parenthood' sticker, my 'I support Marriage Equality' sticker and my 'I'M A GUN-TOTING LIBERAL DON'T FUCK WITH ME' sticker".  

(I don't really have the last sticker) He looked a little shocked and just mumbled "Have a nice day" and got into his car.  

Based on his drawl, I could tell this dude was a tourist.  I know I am not supposed to fuck with the tourists in town.  Our town's economy depends on them.  But if you are going to stalk my vehicle and then try to start something with me about how you think the president is not a citizen, is a socialist or give me shit about my "Choice" sticker, I am going to make sure you know that I am not going to take any shit from you.  I have a sharp wit, a sharper tongue, a BIG husband, a little gun and a lot of ammo.  DON'T FUCK WITH ME, TEABILLY.  

Blog For Choice 2012

This year, the question posed for Blog for Choice Day is "What will you do to help elect pro-choice candidates in 2012?"

First:  

I'm going to vote.  

Second:  

I'm going to make sure Mr. Misha, my mom and anyone else I know who is pro-choice votes.  I'll drive them to the polls.  I'll pick up voter registration forms for them.  I'll take them to the post office to mail their absentee ballot.  I'll watch their kids while they go to the polls.  I'll get informed on all the local candidates and make sure everyone I know is aware who the pro-choice candidates are.  

Third:  I'm going to make calls, write letters and use social media to get the word out.  I'll call voters.  I'll call politicians.  I'll call/write/tweet/blog/Facebook  to make sure that Republican party's war on women is stopped and rights taken away will be reinstated.  I will continue to be a voice that shows how reproductive rights are being taken away, how access to reproductive care is being restricted and how it hurts families. 

I think those three things will keep me busy and help elect pro-choice candidates this year.  BUT if I have a little extra cash, which is unlikely, I will give a little to NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Emily's List or other pro-choice causes.  

What are you planning to do?  Do you have any good ideas to share?  Here are some links that will help you find a way to help this year: 

Access to Birth Control Protected

Thank President Obama for ensuring millions of women will have insurance coverage for contraceptives.

The War on Women Infographic

Do you think that it's wrong for politicians to interfere in women's personal, private medical decisions? Check out our infographic and share it with your friends.

Tell Boehner: Zero Anti-Choice Votes in 2012

The U.S. House of Representatives held eight anti-choice votes in 2011- the highest number in a decade! Tell Speaker Boehner to stop the War on Women in 2012.

Tell Senators: Stop the War on Women

Call on your senators to vote against the "Let Women Die" bill.

Stand Up for Planned Parenthood

Help stop the political witch hunt against Planned Parenthood and its patients.

Oppose the D.C. Abortion Ban

Tell your senators that the city of Washington, D.C. should be able to use its own locally raised money to provide abortion care to low-income women.

Protect Women from Pharmacists Who Refuse Birth Control

Help us get a national law in place that would put an end to denials and delays at the pharmacy counter and guarantee women's access to legally prescribed medications.

Help Stop Anti-Choice Fake Clinics from Misleading Women

Anti-choice organizations often use deceptive advertisements to lure women facing an unintended pregnancy to a fake clinic called a “crisis pregnancy center” (CPC), where they promote their anti-abortion, anti-contraceptive agenda.

Blog for Choice 2011

The question posed for this years Blog for Choice is: 




Given the anti-choice gains in the states and Congress, are you concerned about choice in 2011? 




My quick response is "Yes I am!  You should be too!" 









House Republicans Frantically Race to Restrict Abortion


15% of Large Abortion Providers Have Received a Bomb Threat



Decline in Abortions Appears Stalled but Protests Rise



Anti-Abortion Nut Randall Terry Met with John Boehner's Chief of Staff



Randall Terry Will Use Hate Speech to Challenge Obama in 2012



Initial Assaults on Abortion Rights in 2011



The DYI Abortion

This Is What A (Somewhat) Young Feminist Looks Like

This post is one of 37 submissions in the ‘This is What a Young Feminist Looks Like’ blog carnival. Head over to our host, Fair and Feminist, for a list of participating blogs.








The California Nurses Association is trying to unionize the hospital where I work.  Each night, they take over a conference room, set out some food, candy and union literature for the nurses. They sit there, answering nurses questions and responding to claims made by anti-union nurses and hospital administration.




I always make sure to think of a question to ask them when I get there.  I figure that it is the least I could do since they are feeding me for free almost every night.  The other night, it was crazy busy in labor and delivery.  I didn't think I would be able to make it down there because my patient was so unstable.  Other nurses returned from the conference room with a message from the CNA representatives, "Misha, they were asking about you down there.  They said they missed you and were saving some orange chicken for you!"  I got my patient straightened out and found a nurse to watch her for a few minutes.


As soon as I made my way into the room, I was greeted with a loud, "MISHA!" I signed the sign-in sheet, I introduced my co-worker to the CNA reps, I  asked my question and started to make myself a plate.  While I spooned some rice onto my plate, a member of the CNA board of directors said, "Misha, we are having a rally tomorrow in Sacramento to celebrate and honor the suffragettes.  Are you going to attend?"  I explained that as much as I would love to attend, I was working and had babies to birth, but I would be there in spirit.  It was then, that a nurse asked "What is a suffragette?"  I tried to wipe the shocked look off my face.  How could anyone not know about the anniversary of Women's Suffrage? I explained that the 90th anniversary of women getting the right to vote was this week.  I explained that the suffragettes were the women who fought bravely for that right.  She was amazed that women had not been voting since the beginning of the United States.  I wonder if this nurse is what the older feminists have in mind when they claim that there are no young feminists?


That nurse is the exception.  I'd point that older feminist to the young women who fight for abortion rights every day.  I'd tell her to take a look at women fighting for the right to breastfeed publicly.  I show her the scores of women in this country who are standing up for their right to give birth in the manner of their choosing.  I'd introduce her to my Goddaughter who, at the young age of 6, tells everyone that she is going to be a US Marine and 'A Girl President'.  I'd have her look at Chelsea Baker.  Young feminists are everywhere.  Today's feminism is has many facets.  Not every feminist is wearing a shirt that reads, 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle' whilst burning her bra.  Some of them are wearing baseball cleats and throwing knuckleballs.  Others are wearing nursing bras and demonstrating at a local store.  A few are nude, in an inflatable tub, giving birth to the next generation of young feminists.  Some of us are blogging, tweeting and Facebooking for equality.  We are out there, fighting the fight for women everywhere.  I am one of them.  This is what a (somewhat) young feminist looks like:

Blogging for International Women's Day 2010

What does "Equal Rights For All" mean to you?




It means that everyone has worth. That little girls are valued as much as little boys.  It means that everyone has the freedom to make choices for their own lives. The choice to marry who they want, or to not marry.  It means that each person has control of their own body, of their own lives.  It means equal pay for equal work. It means safe and accessible health care for all.  It means education for all. It means freedom from exploitation. 








It means an end to this: Little girls don't need to get divorces.

It means that pregnant women are not jailed for falling down stairs: Pregnant? Don't Fall Down The Stairs


It means no one should die because they are denied an abortion: Mother Denied Cancer Treatment Because of Abortion Ban


It means that a church would show outrage against a rapist, not the victim and those who tried to help her: Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church


It means more of this: Gay Couples Line Up For Licenses To Wed


And more of this: Saving the World's Women

And a lot more of this: Midwives in Afghanistan Try To Rebuild Women's Healthcare System


I'm realistic enough to know that bigotry, sexism and misogyny will always exist. But I hope that someday society will force people with those views into the minority and out of control. I hope that lawmakers and world leaders will fight for the rights of those who have no voice.  I have already read how access to health care, education and micro-loans have changed the lives of women in developing countries.  I know it is possible.

Trust Women. Blog For Choice Day 2010

"Trust Women" Such a simple statement, only two words. But for me, it means so much. The meaning for me goes far beyond abortion rights. It means trusting women to make decisions about their lives, their bodies and their psyches. It means allowing women to make choices about birth control, about medical care, about abortion and about birth.






As a healthcare provider, I feel it is my responsibility to educate my patients. I give them the information, as clearly and as unbiased as I can and then I trust them to make the decision that is best for them. A woman shouldn't have to drive all over town to find a pharmacy that will fill her prescription for birth control pills or Plan B. A woman should be offered choices regarding her medical care and her decision should be supported. A woman should be able to obtain a safe and legal abortion without being harassed, yelled at or judged. A woman should be able to make informed choices about her birth. When we deny these things to women, we deny them equality, we deny them freedom, and we deny them humanity.

Part of trusting women is offering support. The choice they made may not have the results they were hoping for. A woman who has had an abortion should be allowed to grieve if she wants to. A woman who chooses a homebirth, but is transferred to the hospital because of complications should be welcomed and treated with kindness and respect, not ridiculed, lectured and scolded. A woman who chooses not use birth control and instead fills her home with children should not become the butt of jokes.

I trust women to make the decision that they feel is best for themselves, for their family, for their lives. I may not always agree with the choice that they make, but part of being Pro Choice means supporting the right to choose, regardless of the choice that she makes.


This was my entry for Blog for Choice Day 2010. To participate go to Blog for Choice and add your blog to the blogroll.

Other things you can do to celebrate the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

1. Update your Facebook status to "is celebrating the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade."
2. Change your user pic to the Blog for Choice Day image.
3. Share links to your blog post and Blog for Choice Day.
4. Use Twitter to let people know about your blog post and Blog for Choice Day.

Blog For Choice 2009

For the past three years, pro-choice bloggers have come together on January 22 - the anniversary of Roe v. Wade - to write about our reproductive health and our pro-choice values in order to celebrate Roe and to keep choice in the national spotlight. This year, NARAL Pro Choice America is asking people to blog their answer to this question:




What is your top pro-choice hope for President Obama and/or the new Congress?

There is a lot to tackle after 8 years with an Anti-choice administration. It is hard to pick just one, so I have picked three. I want the repeal the “Right of Conscience” rule. I want the “Global Gag Rule” (aka Mexico City Policy) to be abolished. I want evidenced-based sex education to be taught to our teens.
Right Of Conscience Rule

Issued by George W. Bush on December 17, 2008, the ‘right of conscience’ rule is a regulation that ‘protects’ a broad range of healthcare workers - from doctors to janitors - who refuse to participate in providing services that they believe violate their personal, moral, or religious beliefs. Federal Health officials may cut off federal funding to any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan or doctor’s office who do not accommodate employees who exercise their “right of conscience”

It was the Bush administration’s intention to protect workers who object to abortion. The final rule was taken to the extreme (how surprising!) and affected much more than abortion providers. The rule was aimed at Doctors and Nurses, but could be construed to include anyone, even the housekeeping staff that might have to clean up after an ‘objectionable’ procedure. Workers who did not want to dispense birth control pills, Plan B pills and other forms of contraceptives are now protected under this rule. For extremists who consider most forms of contraceptives on par with abortion, this was an answer to their prayers.

Although it has not yet been tested, this rule could also ‘protect’ workers who have objections towards certain types of end of life care, providing care to unmarried couples or members of the LGBTQI community.
Global Gag Rule
This policy requires non-governmental organizations to "agree as a condition of their receipt of [U.S.] federal funds" that they will "neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations". The policy has exceptions for abortions done in response to rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions.

This policy lead to serious loss in funding for organizations like International Planned Parenthood Federation, Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia and Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia when they refused to make changes required by the Mexico City Policy. Not only did these organizations lose much-needed funds, but also their ability to distribute birth control was hampered. It prevented their access to USAID supplied condoms and other forms of contraception. The ban promotes restrictions on Free Speech well as restrictions on accurate medical information, leading to increased number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and higher rates of STIs.

According to a 2005 press release by Population Action:

Bush's Global Gag Rule Only Making Matters Worse – New Reports, Redesigned Web Site Illustrate Effects on Women in Developing Countries April 20, 2005
Four years since the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule by President George W. Bush on January 22, 2001, the policy continues to erode family planning and reproductive health services in developing countries, according to new case studies made available today on the Global Gag Rule Impact Project’s Web site.
Key Findings Include:
* In addition to severe financial losses, the gag rule has resulted in the loss of technical assistance and contraceptive donations to key nongovernmental organizations in Ethiopia, worsening the country’s supply shortage.
* By preventing regional partnerships, the gag rule is crippling efforts in Ghana to address reproductive health and HIV/AIDS in a coordinated and effective manner.
* Nongovernmental organizations in Tanzania are struggling to sustain current levels of service since refusing to accept the terms of the gag rule; meanwhile, demand for supplies and services are ever increasing.

Evidence-based Sex Education
Teaching kids evidenced-based sex education will not make them sexually active. Educating teens about preventing pregnancy, limiting or preventing their exposure to sexually transmitted infections and the emotional impact of sexual activity will help keep them safe if they choose to become sexually active. One only needs to peruse the newspaper to see that Abstinence-only sex ed and virginity pledges don't work.
Trends Shift, With Births on the Rise
Teen Birth Rates Up in 26 States

Many Teens Don't Keep Virginity Pledges
Schools Need Programs Proven To Delay Teen Sex And Make It Safer --- Abstinence-only Isn't One Of Them

I hope President Obama will hear the pleas of many and undo the damage done by 8 years with a President who actively worked to outlaw abortion, severely restrict access to birth control and deny our children comprehensive sex education.

Blogging For Choice

I want to warn all of you that I am participating in "BLOGGING FOR CHOICE DAY". This won't be funny. This will be long, REALLY LONG. If you choose to comment, please be respectful and polite and I will do the same. Please do not post graphic photos. I am a believer of the first amendment but I will delete abusive, hateful or offensive comments. If this topic is upsetting for you, for whatever reason, just skip my blog post today. I will also be posting this and then going to work for the next two nights. I won't be able to respond to comments or delete offensive ones when I am at work or sleeping. I am praying that everyone will behave while I am out birthin' babies...


I had no idea how I was going to start this blog. This is not my forte. I scoured the Internet researching. I wanted to have facts. I wanted to prove my point. I thought about who would be reading this. I wanted to be thoughtful. I outlined the reasons that I am Pro-Choice. I went to Pro-Life websites to look at their arguments. (I know my NARAL brethren would prefer I use the Anti-Choice moniker when referring to them, but I will refer to them as they call themselves.) I talked with friends who have had abortions. I talked with friends who thought about having abortions and who ultimately didn't. I talked with my mom about what it was like before Roe v. Wade. I was lost. I have no idea how to write this post.

I am Pro-choice. I want women to have choices: The choice to have a safe, legal abortion, The choice to continue with their pregnancy, The choice to keep their baby, The choice to give their baby up for adoption. I want women to have access to affordable, comprehensive reproductive care. I want women to have access to affordable birth control and emergency contraception. I want children to have comprehensive sexual education and I want their parents to have a choice whether or not their children participate in that education. I want every child to be a healthy, wanted child.

It is that simple for me. It is not about the actual procedure of an abortion. It is about having a choice. So here I go. I am going to try and give you my argument for CHOICE.

Let's start off at the beginning of this dilemma, SEX.

We live in a culture today where sexual images and content are prevalent. Ironically, we now live in a time when the only sexual education we are supposed to teach is Abstinence Only Education. Guess what? It doesn't work. Independent researchers found that in four typical abstinence-only programs sampled from around the country there was absolutely no difference between the sexual activity of kids in these program and kids who were not. Children in these programs admitted to having sex at the same rate and starting at the same age as other students not in these classes. Whether they were in an abstinence-only class or not, by the time they reached 17 years of age, half the kids said they had had sex and half had not.

So half of the kids are not having sex? Not so much. They may not be having "penis in the vagina" sex, but they are still getting it on. A study from 2005 stated, "Many teens who take 'Virginity Pledges' substitute other high-risk behavior for intercourse". Theses teens, while may not have vaginal intercourse until they are married, are engaging in oral and anal sex at higher rates than the non-pledging virgin teens and less likely to use condoms once they become sexually active. These "pledgers" similar rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). "Advocates for abstinence-only education assert that premarital abstinence and post-marital sex are necessary and sufficient for avoiding negative consequences of sexual activity, such as STDs," the study says, adding, "This assertion collides with the realities of adolescents' and young adults' lives." "Advocates for abstinence-only education assert that premarital abstinence and post-marital sex are necessary and sufficient for avoiding negative consequences of sexual activity, such as STDs," the study says, adding, "This assertion collides with the realities of adolescents' and young adults' lives." "Not only do virginity pledges not work to keep our young people safe, they are causing harm by undermining condom use, contraception and medical treatment,"

Telling kids every day "don't have sex" and nothing else, really does not work. A report released by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states: For the first time in 14 years, the number of teenagers having babies in the United States rose last year, The report reveals that between 2005 and 2006, the birth rate for teenagers 15-19 years rose 3%. This follows a 14-year downward trend in which the teen pregnancy rate fell by 34% from its all-time peak in 1991.

Now someone is pregnant: What does she do?

Adoption or Keep the Baby

Well, it sounds great, but there are some problems with that, because we already have plenty of kids to adopt.
Nearly One Quarter of Foster Care Children Are Waiting for Adoptive Families.
In 1999, the latest year for which totals have been finalized, there were about 581,000 children in foster care in the United States. Twenty-two percent of these children -- about 127,000 kids -- were available for adoption.
Foster Care Population Down From 1999
Preliminary federal estimates indicate the foster care population decreased from 581,000 to 556,000 between 1999 and 2000. The number of children waiting to be adopted, however, increased to about 134,000 during the same period. [4] Early estimates for 2001 show the foster care population marginally increased to 565,000.
Many Children Spend Years in Foster Care
Almost 70 percent of the children waiting to be adopted had been in continuous foster care for two years or more; twenty-five percent for five years or more.
Many More Adoptive Homes Needed
Even with the recent increases in adoptions from foster care, the number of children waiting for adoption on September 30, 1999 was more than two-and-a-half times the number of children adopted during that year.

Until we can find homes for the thousands of children that go un-adopted each year, it unrealistic to think that EVERYwoman faced with unwanted pregnancy will be able to find a home for her baby.


Let's say she does find someone to adopt her baby, but they have no money…just a loving home to raise the child. This woman needs health insurance for herself and her unborn child. She will need: food, shelter and clothing. Who is going to support this woman while she is pregnant? Maybe she already has children, are you going to support them too? Who is going to write the check?

If she keeps the baby: Who is going to support this child after it is born? Who wants to write the check? Are you going to make faces and roll your eyes when you stand behind her in the check out line and she is using her WIC coupons and food stamps? So often "Pro-lifers" will support a woman while she is pregnant, then forget about her when the unborn becomes a newborn.

We fail our children when we do not teach them how to avoid pregnancy. We fail our children when we fail to find homes for them when they are put up for adoption. We fail our children when we do not support their mothers with job training, affordable housing, healthcare and childcare. We cannot take care of the children we have. It is cruel and irresponsible to force a woman to continue an unwanted pregnancy unsupported.

I urge all of you reading this to think about this issue when you are voting, both nationally and locally. Women's rights are slowly being chipped away by people who only support life while it is in the womb. If these folks are left unchecked, they will continue.

Here is some Freedom of Choice Talking Points to consider.
This article can be found on the web at
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20030519/engle
Freedom of Choice Talking Points
By JONAH ENGLE
[Posted online on May 1, 2003]
Though polls consistently show a majority of Americans supporting freedom of choice, abortion rights are facing their greatest attack since the Supreme Court decision Roe V. Wade legalized abortion in the US thirty years ago.
§ Since 1995 states have enacted 335 antichoice measures.
§ Increasing numbers of states are imposing parental notice or consent as a condition to minors obtaining abortions.
§ The Bush Administration is nominating strongly antichoice judges to federal courts, including Carolyn Kuhl, Jeffrey Sutton and Priscilla Owen.
§ Bills banning "partial-birth" abortion have been passed in the US Senate and introduced in ten states. The vaguely worded bills seek to criminalize safe and common abortion procedures throughout pregnancy.
§ The number of abortion providers in the US has fallen by nearly 66 percent in the past twenty years; currently only 13 percent of counties have abortion providers, and eighty-six of the nation's 276 metropolitan areas don't have any abortion providers at all. Now more than ever it is essential that people who support full reproductive rights register their opposition to these rollbacks of Roe V. Wade. Contact your political representatives. Write a letter to your local paper. Call a talk-radio program. And join one of the many organizations that are working to guarantee continued, inexpensive access to abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Abortion Federation are all groups we heartily recommend. We've also compiled the following talking points for further information.

1) Reproductive Freedoms Are a Fundamental Human Right
It is a fundamental right of each individual to manage his or her fertility. Such reproductive rights are an integral part of women's social, economic and political rights, and have been affirmed in numerous international treaties and conventions including CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women) and the Program of Action of the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development.
2) The Denial of Safe, Legal and Affordable Abortions Threatens Women's Health In rare cases, carrying a pregnancy to term can pose a serious health risk to a pregnant woman. Whether or not abortion is safe, legal or affordable, women still have recourse to it. When abortion is illegal they are forced into having underground and often unsafe operations. This greatly compromises the health and well-being of pregnant women. Each year at least 78,000 women die around the world due to complications from unsafe abortions (13 percent of maternal deaths), and hundreds of thousands more suffer short- and long-term disability. Legalizing abortion helps prevent this tragedy--within five years of legalization, abortion-related deaths decreased 85 percent in the United States.
3) Legalizing Abortion Does Not Increase its Incidence
Statistics show that women worldwide, when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, seek abortions regardless of the legality of the procedure, and whether or not safe services are available. Countries as diverse as Canada, Tunisia and Turkey liberalized their abortion laws without an increase in the abortion rate. Holland, though it has a non-restrictive abortion law and free abortions, has one of the lowest abortion rates in the world, far lower than many countries where abortion is illegal (e.g., Chile and Brazil).
4) Medical Abortion Is a Very Safe Procedure, Especially in the First Trimester (When 88 Percent of Abortions Take Place) The health risks from an abortion are minimal.

- Less than 1 percent of women experience a major complication.

- The risk of death associated with childbirth is eleven times greater than the risk of death from an abortion.

5) When Women Are Not Free to Choose, Children Risk Coming into the World With Parents Who Are Not in a Position to Properly Look After Them
6) Though Abortion Remains Legal, Restricting Access to Abortion Penalizes the Poor, Who Are Less Able to Pay for Such Operations Despite the fact that abortion is legal in the United States, access is decreasing as numerous barriers have been set up. These include consent forms, extended waiting periods and, most notably, the Hyde Amendment, passed into law in 1977. The legislation denies federal funding for abortions (except in cases of rape, incest or when a pregnant woman's life is endangered) for poor women who rely on Medicaid, disabled women who rely on Medicare and Native American women who rely on the Indian Health Service for healthcare. In addition to these women, federal legislation denies access to abortions for Peace Corps volunteers, women in federal prison, women in the military, teenagers who participate in the State Children's Health Insurance Plan, patients of Title X family-planning clinics, residents of the District of Columbia and federal employees and their families. Only fifteen states make state Medicaid monies available for non-discriminatory funding of abortion. Abortions in the first trimester without complications start at $250-$350, and can run into the high hundreds or thousands of dollars. Without Medicaid funding, low-income women do not have equal access to a vital and legal medical procedure. Furthermore, welfare laws discourage states from providing assistance for abortions as well as to unwed mothers, placing low-income women in a double bind.
7) The Most Effective Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Reduce
Unintended Pregnancies Western and Eastern Europe have similar abortion laws but the West has far greater access to effective contraception. They also have, respectively, the lowest and highest abortion rates in the world. The Bush administration's decision to end contributions to the UN Population Fund, which funds family-planning projects in 142 countries, will perversely result in approximately 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and 77,000 infant and child deaths.


If you are still reading this, thank you. If you scrolled down to this, thank you. I will leave you with this story of my friend, who shall remain anonymous, but gave me permission to use her story in this blog.

I have a friend. She is personally against abortion. She is also one of the most fertile people I know. She got pregnant before she was old enough to buy a beer. She kept the baby. She met a man; they fell in love and got married. Despite using birth control, she got pregnant again. That man she fell in love with and married? He cheated on her, he was verbally abusive and he left her when her second child was an infant. She worked long hours to support her two children. She fought to get child support from their fathers. Then my friend started having heart problems. Serious heart problems. She had extensive testing and many surgical procedures to treat this condition. Her heart doctor told her not to get pregnant; he said it could kill her. He also told her that she could not use any contraceptive device that contained hormones. That meant that the pill, the shot, the patch and an IUD were out of the question. She petitioned her insurance company to get her tubes tied. They denied her claim. Her heart doctor, her family doctor and her OB/GYN doctor all wrote lengthy letters to her insurance company to try and change their minds. They still refused. In all of this chaos, she met a man. They fell in love. They got engaged. While planning their wedding, she found out she was pregnant. Their birth control had failed. My friend knew that getting pregnant and carrying the baby to term could kill her. She had been literally using birth control to save her life. It failed.

What should she do? Some people are okay with abortion if it is to save the life of the mother. Her doctor couldn't say for sure if the pregnancy would kill her, but he couldn't guarantee that she (and the baby) would survive. There are no absolutes in this world. We should always have a choice when fate reminds us of that.