Scientific Study of Women Denied Abortions

[happy atheist]

http://io9.com/5958187/what-happens-to- ... o-find-out?

Public health researchers followed "Turnaway" women (women who wanted an abortion but were turned away) and found that, unsurprisingly, their lives are not all rainbows and kittens. They are more likely to be living in poverty, or on public assistance, and are more likely to remain in an abusive relationship.

I find none of this surprising, but it's nice to have scientific data to back it up.

Will any of these facts penetrate the skulls of forced-birthers?

[Sunnichick31]

Will any of these facts penetrate the skulls of forced-birthers?

No, because if the women hadn't slept around they wouldn't have put themselves in this situation. All bad situations can be avoided by submitting to your headship and never talking to boys.

[/sarcasm]

:roll:

[Anxious Girl]

Like what? Taking away food stamps? Privatizing firmen and police? Forcing women to wear modest-only clothing? Taking away healthcare from single mothers? Taking away Planned Parenthood that provides cancer screenings for both men and women? Denying women the right the to vote? Deciding who was "legititmately raped?"

Censoring the internet? Making Christianity America's state religion? Suing others for not allowing Christians to persecute the LGBT community and abortion centers? Creating a theocracy in the name of "good morality"? You can go fuck youreself, EdSaid.

[pixydust]

It wasn't a surprising article, just a lot of common sense!

[Anxious Girl]

A commercial for fundies: No with 0 % common sense! Great for your diet if you want to become a proclaimed persecuted hate-monger! :D * Also comes with "Holy Book" of your choice for vitamin needs, and a meditation and appropriate prayer exercise video! Don't forget the "Keeping Modest Magazines", and the ever-famous book by a thelogian/professor, How Christian Fundamentalism is Different From Mooslem Fundamentalism! If you call now, you get a free habit! If you pay extra, you get a pearl cross necklace!"

[gimlet]

This reminded me of this British study of why women sought late abortions: http://www.bpas.org/js/filemanager/file ... ortion.pdf

Why? Because they didn't know they were pregnant! (several detail having periods, or contraception in place, or having negative pregnancy tests) Because their lives were chaotic and they couldn't cope. Because things were NOT GOOD.

And this was in the UK, which has a stronger social safety net than the US does.

[longskirtlotsakids]

I firmly believe there is only one foolproof way to stop abortion.

Engineer a foolproof way to stop men from wanting to have sex with women.

I am sure they will get on that...

[J'ean Skirt]

I firmly believe there is only one foolproof way to stop abortion.

Engineer a foolproof way to stop men from wanting to have sex with women.

I am sure they will get on that...

And engineer a foolproof way to stop women from wanting to have sex with men.

Many of us do have agency. And our own sex drives.

[browngrl]

Of course the fundies won't pay attention to this. When have they ever allowed common sense and evidence to get in the way of their beliefs?

If they really wanted to decrease abortions they would educate everyone about sexual/contraceptive issues and make birth control readily and easily available. They could also stop blaming women for rapes and start being more aggressive about finding rapists (why not start by running all the rape kits that pile up untested in many major centres) and once a rapist is found - punish him not the victim.

*sigh* :(

[Minerva]

Saw this on facebook earlier today. The study is ongoing, right now they only have data from one week post-appointment and one year post-appointment. So in a few more years, they'll publish a follow-up study with the 5 year data. I look forward to it. Many anti-choice people believe that women regret their abortions and develop mental illnesses in droves after a specific (yet mysteriously unexplained) amount of time.

I also like that it specifically focuses on the differences between people who wanted abortion and were allowed vs. denied it. People often look at the lives of parents in general when talking about banning abortion, forgetting that the vast majority of parents are parents by choice.

[YPestis]

I dislike that argument that abortion is bad because it causes women mental problems later on or they will regret it. Well, forcing a child to carry a child, or to raise a child can also cause mental issues, can also cause woman to regret having a child when they knew they were unprepared. Poverty, single motherhood, the trauma of having the choice taken away....these things will also cause anguish years down the line, and the repercussions can last, you know, DECADES since it takes that long to raise a child.

[IceQueen]

One of my biggest wishes for the world is that all children and are loved and wanted. I don't care if that means some people get an abortion. It's their life, not mine. Why is this so complicated?

[SealFan1963]

One of my biggest wishes for the world is that all children and are loved and wanted. I don't care if that means some people get an abortion. It's their life, not mine. Why is this so complicated?

Exactly my thoughts too.

[lilith]

If I had not been able to access an abortion, for no reason other than I didn't want to continue the pregnancy, I very much doubt I would have succeeded in leaving a violent and abusive marriage.

Terminating that pregnancy allowed me and, more importantly, my three existing children, to be safe, move on and thrive.

Access to safe, relatively affordable abortion simply because I needed it, without having to justify that position to service providers, has allowed my children to grow in safety, and I can't imagine my life now if I had been denied it.

[formergothardite]

Of course, jericho who wants to destroy the lives of women by forcing them to continue pregnancies they don't want doesn't even have the decency to come to this thread and discuss this. Anti-choice people need to own up to the fact that they are okay with ruining the lives of women. That they care more about the fetus than the women.

[Anxious Girl]

Jericho's just afraid of giving power to non-Christian religious white straight wealthy conservative men because they actually might to give minorities basic human rights that the non-Christian religious white straight wealthy conservative men take for granted, le gasp! :o Such as rights to abortion (for the conservatives' wives, the hypocrites), healthcare, and marriage and divorce to LGBT couples! That would be the start of the apocolypse!

[docmom]

I firmly believe there is only one foolproof way to stop abortion.

Engineer a foolproof way to stop men from wanting to have sex with women.

I am sure they will get on that...

There are always sheep...

[2xx1xy1JD]

I dislike that argument that abortion is bad because it causes women mental problems later on or they will regret it. Well, forcing a child to carry a child, or to raise a child can also cause mental issues, can also cause woman to regret having a child when they knew they were unprepared. Poverty, single motherhood, the trauma of having the choice taken away....these things will also cause anguish years down the line, and the repercussions can last, you know, DECADES since it takes that long to raise a child.

Well, it could be very bad if it was coerced.

You make a good point, though, that women who have the ability to choose freely are the best judge of whether or not they have circumstances in their lives that would make it more traumatic to have the baby.