Some interesting abortion factoids...

[TreasonousBastard]

A mail list I'm on just got a post from someone who is inclined to believe that abortion correlates with economic security-- if you have more money, you don't get an abortion. The reasons for this are many, including more readily available contraception so there is no pregnancy to begin with.

Anyway, the NIH has stopped publishing abortion data since 2000, so it's difficult to get accurate figures. Some states have updated numbers, but not all.

The correspondant got as much data as he could find, and found that abortions definitely decreased under Clinton, but seem to be increasing under Bush. The likely reason for this is increased poverty.

So, our correspondant suggests, if you really, really want to have fewer abortions, follow Clinton's policies.

And, why has the NIH stopped publishing abotion data? Yet another scientific organization being politicized?

[BlueEyedSon]

1. "the NIH.... another scientific organization being politicized?"

Well, DUH!

[ComerPerro]

2. Interesting analysis

The idea that abortion correlates with economic security seems to stand to reason.

This is the one abortion issue that really gets to me. If the right seems to care so damn much about the rights and well being of the unborn, why don't they give a shit about them once they have left the womb?

[qb]

3. The Relgious Right obviously doesn't care about REDUCING abortion

They just want to CRIMINALIZE it so they can throw those immoral doctors and would-be mothers in prison.

[lastliberalintexas]

6. They don't even really want to criminalize it

After all, they control the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court. If they *really* wanted to criminalize abortion, they could have already done so.

Instead, they want to use this issue to fool blue collar, union, working class and/or religious social conservatives into voting against their pocketbooks. They need this wedge issue. That's why abortion is still legal.


And on edit- Let me clarify. I'm sure there are many in the rank and file who DO want to criminalize abortion. I was speaking of the repub leadership, who need this issue for their religious base and as a wedge issue.

[Heddi]

4. I think it's obvious that abortion correlates with economic security.

Those who are economically secure are more likely to have health insurance. Therefore, they have easier access to birth control. I know that there are free clinics, but not in all areas.

If you are economically secure, you probably have a car or at least steady transportation. Therefore, even if you have to get your bc from a free clinic, you can easily get there instead of taking several busses across town, or god help you if you live in a community that doesn't have public transportation.

Generally, health insurance companies offer prescription by mail services. So if you're on the pill and live in a conservative area where your pharmacist refuses to fill BC pills and other ungodly and sinful medications, you can get your meds via the mail.

Also, if youve got health insurance and you get pregnant, you can afford the extensive prenatal care that is absolutely vital for a healthy pregnancy.

If you're economically stable, you don't have to worry about how you're going to pay for the delivery room costs. How you're going to pay for diapers. How you're going to pay for food. What you'd do if your baby got sick. How you're going to take the baby to the doctor? How are you going to work and take care of the baby?

That's not to say that there aren't women and families who are economically stable who don't deal with these issues during pregnancy, but I think the fact that being poor just ascerbates the problem.

I think that if you look at poorer neighborhoods, cities, and states, you'll find that there isn't just a correlation between economic stability and abortion, but a correlation between education and abortion levels. Again---I'm not saying that 'smart' people don't get pregnant while the "stupid" ones do, but if you live in a community, let's say in the south--where 90% of the people in your town live at or below the poverty level. There are no hospitals closer than 50 miles away. The closest doctors office is two towns over and he's only there 2 days a week. The elementary and middle school you went to were crumbling, old textbooks, and young teachers who were doing the best they could with no supplies and support. You live in the bible belt so forget about sex education. Even if you had sex education, you grow up in a society where it's common for you to drop out of school before graduation so that you can get a job and start helping your family pay the bills. Once you quit school you soon get married, or get pregnant. You have no options because there are no options. You're forced to just live with it. You couldn't get birth control if you wanted to. Your town in small and everyone knows everyone else's business. You're a good church-going girl and it would just kill your moma and daddy if they knew you were out screwing around.

So you find out you're pregnant. You were hoping to go to Jr. College for secretarial sciences, maybe move to the big town up the road with the Walmart and KFC and get a nice trailer with a girl you go to school with and buy your own car or something. But you're pregnant. That boy didn't want to have nothing to do with you so what do you do? Mom and dad still love you but they'd probably kick you out of the house anways. It's not a good thing in a town of less than 400 people to be the family with "that kind of girl" in the family.

so what do you do? You get a girlfriend to drive you three towns over where they have a clinic in a strip mall next to the tanning salon and dog groomers. You pawned some of the nice jewelry you got for your birthday a few years ago and some friends lent you money and you took $30 out of your daddy's sock bank and you're sure you'll pay it back and he would have give it to you if you asked but he'd wanted to know what it was for and you can't just lie to your daddy to his face.

So you go there with your friend and you cut school and hope they don't call your momma like they did that time you went to the lake on that pretty spring day that was too beautiful for learning out of books and you sit in the room and it smells like an attic in there. Everyone smiles but they're all sad and all the other girls are there for the same reason you are. Some are black and some are older. Some are crying and some are sitting there with their moma's while their momma says "How could you DO a thing like this" over and over.

Finally they call you back in there and its your time and the doctor is nice but he keeps mispronoucing your name. He says you'll feel some pressure but all you think about is how you know that today will be the day they do attendance in homeroom and you're sure to get in trouble when you get home and you think of great lies to tell about where you were and with whom.

Then you get in the car and sit silently as your friend drives you home. She says stuff that you don't hear and you mumble yeah and okay but you don't know what you're replying to. You go to your room and go to sleep and wonder if you'll ever get out of this town and this house and this situation and live a life where you don't have to worry about things like that no more.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I think it makes a lot of sense, but...

no matter how "obvious" it is, there should be data to back it up.

Thanks to this being "Republican Week," another listserve I'm on has started talking about abortion, and several references are being made to female educational levels directly relating to pregnancy, birth rates, contraception, and abortion.

It all adds up-- educated and economically/socially secure women who are allowed choices will often choose to have fewer children, or at least choose what they consider the proper time to have children. And will usually use methods other than abortion to control their fertility.