A way forward to decrease abortions
When it comes to abortions, there is no way I, a man, can ever fully comprehend or hope to fully translate into printed word, the anguish that a woman must feel in making the decision to terminate her pregnancy. So I will stick with guy stuff, warm data and fuzzy logic.
I am writing about abortion today because, in Republican red states, women's reproductive rights are running frantically backwards these days. Many states are trying as hard as they can to make it impossible for a woman to obtain a safe abortion. Last week, Kentucky's last women's clinic had to fight in court to stay open. Conservatives show incredible concern for fetuses, period. Yes, period. After a child is born, he's pretty much on his or her own. From birthday to deathday, Republican policies are about as compassionate as Darwinism.
Statistically speaking, people have sex. It's both fun and a great, low impact cardio exercise. In my research for this article, I've discovered that humans have been engaging in sexual activities going back literally hundreds of years; that "Just say no" has never been an effective slogan when it comes to birth control; and that it doesn't matter if people live in a conservative state or a progressive state, women still get pregnant. As Donald Trump would say, "Who knew?"
Now that we are all clear on that, I ask you: "How does the elimination of abortion clinics reduce the primal, God-given urge for people to have sex?" Here's a hint, it doesn't. It just eliminates the possibility of women having safe abortions. While a handful of women die each year in the United States from complications from medically supervised abortions, there are no numbers to speak for those who die from the do-it-yourself jobs. What I do know is that I would rather have my appendix removed by someone who had medical training and the proper equipment, than try to do it myself with a sharp metal coat hanger.
The number of abortions in America has fallen dramatically in the past few years, magically coinciding with the "free" birth control available with Obamacare. While correlation is not causation, it doesn't take an Einstein to realize that prudent pregnancy prevention effectively eliminates the need for an abortion. A deliberate, planned parenthood should be a universal goal embraced by all thinking voters hoping to reduce abortions, regardless of political stripe.
Unfortunately, non-thinkers abound in America. In 2011, Texas cut funding for family planning services by 67 percent and closed more than 80 women's clinics. Then-Governor, Republican Rick Perry said: "We will continue to pass laws to ensure abortions are as rare as possible under existing law." While teen pregnancies have been decreasing nationwide for years, and are now at an all-time low, a forthcoming study in the Journal of Health Economics shows Texas' teen birth rate grew by 3.4 percent in the four years after the cuts, and the abortion rate among their teenagers actually increased. According to the April 13, 2017 Dallas Morning News, "Texas now has the highest rate of repeat teen pregnancies in the country." As former President, George W. Bush would say, "mission accomplished."
Data from the Texas fiasco proves what common sense already knew, planned parenthood through effective birth control lowers abortion rates.
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