Reply #23: Damn Straight! [View All]

[REP]

If she has 5 abortions or 500 it's really none of your business. I couldn't agree more. I also have the feeling that if she had had five children instead of five abortions, we wouldn't be hearing this tut-tutting and hand-wringing about "what's to be done with this feckless gorl?"

I personally don't give a good goddamn if some women DO use abortion as birth control, as long as the abortions are performed by a competent doctor in a sterile environment. Other than that, it's none of my goddamned business. If I don't get to tell women how many children they can have at what age on what income, and I sure as hell don't get to tell women to not have children.

The contraceptive choices for women aren't all that good, even now in the 21st century. The Pill can exacerbate migraine and be dangerous for women over 35; IUDs can lead to increased cramping and cause infection; Depo-Provera is associated with loss of libido, weight gain and blood clots; condoms have partner-compliance issues and an unhappy failure rate; allergic reactions to contraceptive foams and jellies... The methods with the fewest systemic side-effects have the highest failure rates, even when used correctly, and the most effective methods have the highest incidence of serious side-effects. Surgical sterilization is a wonderful option, but it can be damn hard for a young woman to find a willing surgeon if the woman in question has no children and doesn't want any ("oh, you'll change your mind" "what if you meet a man who wants children?" - like the woman's own wishes are immaterial compared to those of some imagined man!). For a young woman who doesn't wish to play Mad Scientist with her body, abortion as a birth control method can make more sense than some may wish to admit.