Free contraception lowers abortion rates, teen pregnancy

[fundifugee]

Swallow this one, fundies, quiverfulers, pro-lifers, rightists and other miscellaneous woman-haters.

Free birth control led to dramatically lower rates of abortions and teen births, a large study concluded Thursday, offering strong evidence for how a controversial Obama policy could benefit women's health. The project tracked more than 9,000 women in St. Louis, many of them poor or uninsured. They were given their choice of contraceptive methods at no cost - from birth control pills to the IUD or a matchstick-sized implant. When price wasn't an issue, women chose the most effective contraceptives - the implanted options, which typically cost hundreds of dollars to insert. These women experienced far fewer unintended pregnancies, reported Dr. Jeffrey Peipert of Washington University in St. Louis. The effect on teen pregnancy was striking: There were 6.3 births per 1,000 teenagers in the study. Compare that to a national rate of 34 births per 1,000 teens in 2010.

There also were substantially lower rates of abortion, when compared with women in the metro area and nationally: 4.4 to 7.5 abortions per 1,000 women in the study, compared with 13.4 to 17 abortions per 1,000 women overall in the St. Louis region, Peipert said. That's lower than the national rate, which is almost 20 abortions per 1,000 women. In fact, if the program were expanded, one abortion could be prevented for every 79 to 137 women given a free contraceptive choice, Peipert's team reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. The findings come as millions of U.S. women are beginning to get access to free contraception under President Barack Obama's health-care law. Women's health specialists said the research foreshadows that policy's potential impact. "It's just an amazing improvement," said Dr. James T. Breeden, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "I would think if you were against abortions, you would be 100 per cent for contraception access." The law requires that Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives be available for free for women enrolled in most workplace insurance plans, a change that many will see Jan. 1.

[shrillharpy]

"It's just an amazing improvement," said Dr. James T. Breeden, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "I would think if you were against abortions, you would be 100 per cent for contraception access."

[Arete]

Sigh. Are we trying to confuse the pea brains with the facts again? That's just mean.

[E Street Fan]

I think the fundie mindset isn't so much pro-life as anti-women. Especially anti-women's sexuality. If these people were really concerned about stopping abortion, they'd want birth control pumped into the water supply rather than bitching and moaning about women have free and ready access to it.

[bananacat]

But then how will women be punished for having sex? And how will men trap women into dependence and marriage?

[Closed Womb]

Fundies are totally for teen pregnancy, as long as the teen is married.

Also, they don't so much want abortions to go away as they want ALL family planning to go away. Abortion is the obvious first target because it is "ending" a life instead of preventing one.

[SpeakNow]

But but but the ebul birth control pill causes miscarriages and plan b is really an abortion pill!! Think about teh baybez!!! We can't let wimminz have any contraception.

[YPestis]

A lot of fundies believe birth control is also an abortionfaicent. I think some are ok with condoms and non-hormonal birth control (i.e Anna T). However, fundies have this idea that birth control is a privilege for those that earned the right (i.e married people). Letting anyone access birth control could encourage sex! Outside of marriage! The horrors!

I've met pro-lifers who do support birth control for all. I even worked with one OB-GYN who encourages, educates and provides birth control for all women, in all its forms, especially struggling low income women. Any women who did not express an interest in having kids, he encouraged them to get birth control. I guess the idea is sex outside of marriage is nowhere as bad having an abortion. Too bad fundies can't be rational like that. They seem to expect humans to live this perfect life and they want to punish anyone who deviates from that path. To them, pregnancy is both a reward and a punishment. It's a reward to married couples and a punishment for premartial sex. Either way, people don't have a choice about carrying a baby to term. I hope as studies show the effectiveness of easy access to birth control, that will be a national guideline instead of some hotly contested policy.

[SealFan1963]

Sigh. Are we trying to confuse the pea brains with the facts again? That's just mean.

Exactly what I was thinking. If it isn't on Fox News or the Vision Forum, it can't possibly be true.

[bananacat]

A lot of fundies believe birth control is also an abortionfaicent. I think some are ok with condoms and non-hormonal birth control (i.e Anna T). However, fundies have this idea that birth control is a privilege for those that earned the right (i.e married people). Letting anyone access birth control could encourage sex! Outside of marriage! The horrors!

I've met pro-lifers who do support birth control for all. I even worked with one OB-GYN who encourages, educates and provides birth control for all women, in all its forms, especially struggling low income women. Any women who did not express an interest in having kids, he encouraged them to get birth control. I guess the idea is sex outside of marriage is nowhere as bad having an abortion. Too bad fundies can't be rational like that. They seem to expect humans to live this perfect life and they want to punish anyone who deviates from that path. To them, pregnancy is both a reward and a punishment. It's a reward to married couples and a punishment for premartial sex. Either way, people don't have a choice about carrying a baby to term. I hope as studies show the effectiveness of easy access to birth control, that will be a national guideline instead of some hotly contested policy.

Fundies believe something that is factually wrong. That doesn't excuse them; it makes them worse.

And the anti-abortion person who is actually ok with sex extremely rare. You should've taken a picture of that one because you'll never meet another. I don't see why you consider that OB-GYN "rational" though.

[Hane]

But then how will women be punished for having sex?

This, times infinity.

[rock_girl]

Fundies believe something that is factually wrong. That doesn't excuse them; it makes them worse.

And the anti-abortion person who is actually ok with sex extremely rare. You should've taken a picture of that one because you'll never meet another. I don't see why you consider that OB-GYN "rational" though.

I know one. She's a committed Catholic but believes that birth control should be cheap and easily accessed by all women. I find it strange that she toes the party line on one issue (abortion) but totally rejects the church's teaching on birth control. Still, if anti-choicers have to exist I'd rather they were anti-choicers wanting to stop abortions happening via education and birth control rather than being anti-choice to keep women in their place.

[Hane]

I know one. She's a committed Catholic but believes that birth control should be cheap and easily accessed by all women. I find it strange that she toes the party line on one issue (abortion) but totally rejects the church's teaching on birth control.

There are TONS of Catholics like her, but, being women and hence excluded from any positions of authority, their common-sense approach will never be given any approval by the hierachy.

[jaynie]

I know one. She's a committed Catholic but believes that birth control should be cheap and easily accessed by all women. I find it strange that she toes the party line on one issue (abortion) but totally rejects the church's teaching on birth control. Still, if anti-choicers have to exist I'd rather they were anti-choicers wanting to stop abortions happening via education and birth control rather than being anti-choice to keep women in their place.

I've known a few, but I notice for the ones I've known it seems to be a sort of transitional state between anti-choice and pro-choice. Like they've realized it's not effective to ban abortion and not brilliant to force women to bear unwanted children, and they accept that sex is normal and good, but they haven't quite gotten over the baby-killing "pro-life" propaganda yet. It seems to go like this: no abortions ever -> exceptions for rape and danger -> promotion of things that reduce abortion -> abortion is fine except in XYZ circumstances (like using it as frequent birth control) -> properly pro-choice. Anyone else notice anything like this?

[rock_girl]

Turns out it's a fairly prevalent attitude. Really is a shame that instead of listening to female parishioners, the church continues to consult with old men.

Ftr, the person I know has held this view for the better part of, oh, the past four decades. It's the result of Catholic faith and a career in nursing. I can't imagine she'll change her opinion any time soon and as she's socially very liberal, she won't be voting in politicians who want to limit my rights.

[MonkeyMomma]

I've known a few, but I notice for the ones I've known it seems to be a sort of transitional state between anti-choice and pro-choice. Like they've realized it's not effective to ban abortion and not brilliant to force women to bear unwanted children, and they accept that sex is normal and good, but they haven't quite gotten over the baby-killing "pro-life" propaganda yet. It seems to go like this: no abortions ever -> exceptions for rape and danger -> promotion of things that reduce abortion -> abortion is fine except in XYZ circumstances (like using it as frequent birth control) -> properly pro-choice. Anyone else notice anything like this?

Exactly. I went through a similar evolution (thankfully, before I actually had the opportunity to vote!). There is a large chunk of progressive Catholics who are somewhere along this spectrum.

[pixydust]

I've known a few, but I notice for the ones I've known it seems to be a sort of transitional state between anti-choice and pro-choice. Like they've realized it's not effective to ban abortion and not brilliant to force women to bear unwanted children, and they accept that sex is normal and good, but they haven't quite gotten over the baby-killing "pro-life" propaganda yet. It seems to go like this: no abortions ever -> exceptions for rape and danger -> promotion of things that reduce abortion -> abortion is fine except in XYZ circumstances (like using it as frequent birth control) -> properly pro-choice. Anyone else notice anything like this?

I think that it works this way for a lot of people, and it is a logical progression to make.

BTW, I love how people are acting likethis is a shock (free BC leads to fewer abortions and unwanted pregnancies), to me it's a "no shit, Sherlock" moment.