Abortion: Pro or Against?

[mercy]

I do not really like saying Pro-Choice or Pro-Life, but I would say Pro-Life definitely just simplifies the matters more than they are. The fact is that people will want abortions. They are unready to give birth. And, really, that's a huge decision. It's not just having a kid, raising a kid, it's bloody mindblowing. You are creating life and frankly I doubt my mind will even be able to handle that complexity and I could break down. In addition, you don't have a child, you have a human being. They are going to grow up and become more complex than you and possibly get pregnant yourself.
Life is too complex to simply go I am pro! Okay just no. No.

And furthermore becoming a mother isn't always wonderful. Some women get post partum depression and that is, in itself, just a horrible experience and nowadays we have medication but it's still a problem. It's life-changing and you should have a decision as to HOW your life changes.

If the argument is don't have sex, then clearly you are not paying attention to society. Sex is prized. And it is hidden. While indeed many go their entire lives or can not have sex until they're ready to take the responsibility, sex isn't simply about baby or no baby anymore. It's this highlighted, secret thing. Oh it's so fabulous, oh it feels so good, oh I'm so cool because I've had sex. And I do not mean to say this to mock anyone, that is the idea that is placed. I mean even waiting until marriage is a way to prize sex - just like holding out for dessert. And when you dangle something in front of people but then say shhh keep it a secret because it's also super dirty, what do they do but make poor decisions? Why? Because they do not know better. Because nobody has been teaching them how to know better. So instead of no sex, the option is only to inform. To give out condoms. By the handful. Bucketful. Develop scientifically a 100% contraceptive. We humans are all about cheating nature. As a collective, not necessarily individually.

Gah I have lost myself where am I even going with this.

Okay all I'm saying is Don't Have Sex is just a really ignorant thing to say. I've had sex. I'm going to keep having sex. Am I ready for a child? No. I continue to go between whether I'll EVER want a child. But I enjoy sex, and I am educated and safe about it and should not have a child. Should something go awry, yes I will get an abortion. And Max will hold my hand going there.

Not having sex because you're not ready to have a baby is similar to the argument of don't date until you're ready to marry. You don't know who you want to marry until you date them, and why miss out on a chance to get to know them and have countless memories with them because you're a teenager and well you don't want to get married so sorry laddy but you're going to have to wait until you can put a ring on my finger.

It's like saying Don't Drive a Car until You're Ready to Die.

How about Drive a Car once You Know How To.

[Aly]

Heidi, you saved the arguments from getting boring and stale! XD Thank you for speaking up!

You've got really valid points, there, and I wouldn't dare disagree with them because I completely agree. But if we're going to bring up specific situations, I might as well give a POV of the other coins.

(I am pro-choice because I believe everyone has a right to choose. Just like I have a right to turn down a million bucks that would undoubtedly improve my life right now, I would like the right to turn down the option of having a baby that, while might improve my quality of life, I am not ready for or equipped enough to care for.)

I'm very close with a woman that has three kids, but has been pregnant five times. Once when she was fifteen, her first time having sex, and her mother took her to the doctor's to get things taken care of. Several years later she became pregnant again, but was not only in college but wasn't with the man that impregnated her. And so, she got another abortion. Just a couple years later she got married and had three more kids, when she was ready, financially stable, with the man she loved and in a good place.

I'm not saying this didn't affect her, though. She was brought to tears just explaining something that happened over a quarter of a century ago, because she has the "what ifs" running through her mind. She didn't take any situation she got herself in lightly. She doesn't, however, regret it. She told me that if she didn't do it she wouldn't have been able to provide for her current children, and it wouldn't have been fair. She did what she had to do at the time, and wouldn't change anything.

Going off of that, I know another mother who got pregnant at the age of 15, 18 and again at 20. The first two are from different men. She struggles to make ends meet when she had her sights on prestigious schools, she can't get out of debt, she's divorced, a recovering drug addict and has very rocky relationships with her children because of all she had to sacrifice, and all she couldn't do for them.

I'm not saying that not getting an abortion at a young age is going to make you like her, nor am I saying she's not an incredibly amazing and strong woman (because she is--she's been through a lot and is doing everything she can to improve her life now). She was a great mother. But if she had to do it over again she would have waited for that first child if she had the option. (But, her being a minor at the time, didn't because she had to get parental permission--and didn't get it.)

I'm not a mother, but I am older than the women I mentioned above were when they had their first sexual experiences, when they dealt with the consequences of either preventative measures not working, or not using those measures. If I were to become pregnant at this age, I don't know what I would do. But I demand the right to decide for myself.

Onto another emphasis, going back to the first mother I spoke about and how she had two abortions, I want to mention how she's not one in a million.

She's one of millions. "Eighteen percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions are teenagers; those aged 15–17 obtain 6% of all abortions, teens aged 18–19 obtain 11%, and teens younger than age 15 obtain 0.4%. Women in their 20s account for more than half of all abortions; women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and women aged 25–29 obtain 24%." Source here.

Also, when abortions are legal they are safer. From the same source above, when a woman goes to a legal place for an abortion the risk for hospitalization is significantly small. Try 0.3% of a chance for complications. But it's when illegal abortions come into play that cause the problems.

"Common complications from unsafe abortions are cervical tears, retained pregnancy tissue, severe heavy bleeding, sepsis, uterine perforation, bladder and bowel damage, which can lead to maternal death if patients are not treated in a timely matter. Death may also result from such complications as gas gangrene of the uterus and acute renal failure. The patient can become permanently disabled due to stroke, or septic clots that form in the upper or lower extremities that lead to the necessity for removal. If a patient develops a severe infection it can lead to tubo-ovarian abscess, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which may result in a high incidence of infertility and ectopic pregnancy.

Between 10 and 50% of unsafe abortion cases need medical attention but a lot of women delay or decide not to seek medical care" (Women's Center's abortion statistics from 2011).

Okay, okay. I'm stopping here. But yeah, just... Women should have the option to do things safely. Abortions will happen whether or not we want it to. We need to make sure that the mother is doing it safely so that she doesn't kill herself in desperation through back-alley surgeries.

[tähti]

Okay I have resisted posting on here for very obvious reasons, one is that I am more counter to all of your very similar opinions. But as Aly pointed out the need for more of a debate, I am going to try to provide some alternate...viewpoint. Much like Heidi (who actually gave me the courage to write this). Though I don't know how successful I'll be. I'm also really scared of being attacked about this, like really scared, so yeah, this has taken a lot, so bear with me.

I will hesitantly say that I am pro-life. I believe abortion is wrong, that it is killing an innocent life, and that no one, especially one who views themselves as a Christian (as I do) should partake in them. That being said, I'm not naive enough to deny their necessity. I understand there are circumstances where they are needed. That there are women who were raped, in abusive relationships, whose families might literally kill them, who just aren't ready. And I think that it would be unfair of us to deny them a way out. A safe way out. I am mainly okay with abortion remaining legal because I know that if we outlaw it, women will just find other ways, illegal unsafe ways that might also kill them, not only their unborn fetus (as Aly pointed out). I would rather protect the women of this country than outlaw abortion.

That being said, I do agree with Heidi in some ways that prevention is the best way to prevent the need for abortion. I mean, I am not saying stop having sex all together if you don't want a kid, that would just be unrealistic in this day and age. But be smart about it, use birth control and be aware of your body and what you are doing to it. And if a woman can't do that, she should not be having sex. Abortion should not be used as a means of birth control, as it sometimes is, and that is where I have the main problem with it. But I understand that that is almost impossible to regulate.

I also hesitate because I know that the teenagers who have an abortion often don't understand the gravity of what they are doing, and the effect it will have on them. I have no clue where I am going with this, but it is something that concerns me and I know from the experiences of friends can be very scarring. Maybe abortions in underage girls needs to be regulated somehow? I'm not sure, I haven't fully formed my opinion on that.

[Ange Keating]

I really love how you shifted the argument into an interesting place, Heidi! And don't be afraid at all Tahti; I also agree 100% with some of your points. I suppose I could give perspective from a sixteen year-old view, and I do believe that abortion should not be used as a form of contraception. I can't even count how many girls in my school have either gotten pregnant last year or this year due to unprotected sex (only know this because some of them I've had previous conversations with and such). I wouldn't go as far to say as to not have sex at all because even from how I grew up, I was taught to believe it is a gesture to show how much you love a significant other.

I've been together with a fantastic guy for almost 2 years and yes, we've had sex, and like Mercy, I've educated myself extensively prior to taking that second step. My parents, who are also very liberal, know that sex is not only about having children anymore and this is why they went through all the (horrible lmao) books and discussions with me by the time I was 7-8 years old. Because they knew that if I was going to do something like that at some point when I decided I was ready, that the least I could do was prevent something life-altering to happen to me such as an unexpected pregnancy.

Would I get an abortion if I was pregnant? Nope. But I'm still pro-choice, because whether I'm choosing between getting an abortion or keeping it, at least I have the choice and it's unfair to remove that right from someone. To me, abortion is a process that leaves mental scars that never entirely fade -- even if it is scientifically factual by the time you abort it, their wouldn't truly be a developed life to eradicate, I'd still be faced with thoughts of 'what if?'

And I think I've gone off on a tangent haha, but in short, I think one should have sex when their both ready and educated. People still make mistakes, things happen, but I think if parents, and even the kid, learned about the pros and cons of sexual intercourse before engaging it, it wouldn't even be necessary to choose between two life-alternating decisions.

[aka Heidi (Away)]

I wondered if you could clarify what you mean by “entirely different aspects” Are you saying that women who were raped or were in a situation similar to yours should be allowed to have an abortion--but no one else? Or, said another way, that abortion should be allowed only in specific situations?

I wasn’t necessarily referring to abortion in that way but the fact that a girl shouldn’t have sex if she’s not ready to handle a child. Rape is an entirely different situation because the women did not consent to having sex and thus whether she’s ready or not for a baby is not taken into account. I still don’t believe a woman who has been raped should get an abortion, however.

I'm also curious as to when you believe life begins. Do you think contraceptives are acceptable to use to prevent life? Or does that fall under the same category as abortion? Why or why not?

It’s not really where life begins for me, but it’s the possibility of that life. There are so many views as to when the baby begins to feel, move, and is thus “alive”. Honestly, I don’t know when life begins but it’s the fact that there is a possibility of this beautiful life makes me believe that abortion is wrong at any stage.
This sort of contradicts my next point, but like anyone there are still some kinks in my beliefs. I do believe in contraception, and I think that this is an appropriate way to avoid pregnancy. As a married woman I’ve had sex many times and I don’t have 20 children. Thus, it would be hypocritical of me to say that I am against birth control. Ultimately, I believe that life must be protected and allowed to live once it is created. When using contraceptives, the baby is not yet created so there is no harm, in my opinion. Even using those “Plan B” pills is alright for me… at least some of them, anyways. Most of them prevent the sperm and the egg from meeting, or make the conditions difficult for them to do so. Thus, the life is not yet created.

Okay all I'm saying is Don't Have Sex is just a really ignorant thing to say. I've had sex. I'm going to keep having sex. Am I ready for a child? No. I continue to go between whether I'll EVER want a child. But I enjoy sex, and I am educated and safe about it and should not have a child. Should something go awry, yes I will get an abortion. And Max will hold my hand going there.

I think this is sort of a typical teenager response – and I don’t mean that in a bad way, of course! It’s just the phrase “I do it because I like it”… I think it’s a big problem, too. I’m not telling you to not have sex, I would never force my views on other people. However, I believe that many of these aborted babies are the product of unprotected sex. Let me rephrase what I said earlier: If you're not ready to have a child, please don't be having unsafe sex. If you’re not ready for a child and you’re not protecting yourself in many ways (condoms, birth control, etc) than that’s a big problem on your part. If you want to have sex when you’re not ready, that’s fine. But PLEASE be responsible and protect yourself. As Tahti mentioned, "abortion is not a form of birth control."
The bottom line is that sex is okay when you’re not ready for a child, but only if you’re protecting yourself VERY well against it. In my opinion, sex isn’t just about having a child. Like you said, it’s fun and exciting… you just need to be VERY safe about it if you don’t want to make a child.

Another point to note is the part that abortion can often cause just as much damage as having a child itself. Many of the people getting abortions today are probably going to have children when they are older. Personally, I would feel extremely guilty if I were to abort a child and then a decade later have another one. Just because I’m “not ready” doesn’t mean I have the right to remove that life… at least in my opinion. Knowing that I basically choose who lives and who does is a devastating concept and an issue that can follow a woman as she has more children in the future.

[Rosabeth]

All I can say is that I am really glad that this discussion has maintained a level headed mature response because it can so easily get out of hand. I'm very adamantly pro-choice, so obviously I disagree completely with Heidi and Tahti's stances, but I respect your well thought out points and I would never verbally attack anyone just because I disagreed with them, so I really hope no one on the pro-life side feels uncomfortable in this discussion!

Whenever the Christian argument comes into play I always get a bit uncomfortable because not being a Christian I automatically take a very difference stance on this. I don't believe in souls or that people are creatures of god, so I take a much more scientific, pragmatic, humanitarian stance on the question at hand. This is where I find a lot of my argument against those who wish to ban abortion comes from, for I find that the joining of religious beliefs on what constitutes life and how that life should be ranked in importance infringes on the rights of those who don't share those same beliefs. I'm of the view that humans are no more than a bundle of cells that constitutes life. Obviously we're a very advanced species, but still I see nothing special about us that makes us a chosen species, if you get my point. Because of this I value the intellect and the existence of the sentient life form above the non-sentient form of a zygote or a fetus, thus favoring the mother's choice to abort a child she does not wish to have. I do not find this to be inhumaine or cruel for that fetus is not thinking or feeling (the feeling thing can be contested depending on the stage of development, but is still not feeling as we know it to be as fully formed humans), the child simply will cease to exist before it ever really existed.

Some of this can come across as very harsh, but coming from a scientific viewpoint I feel it's best to just state it as bluntly as I can - sugar coating my beliefs won't really do anyone any favors.

I also think that to argue that every life is precious is at best questionable. Though every fully formed life, every birth, will inevitably be loved and cherished by someone, for that is human nature, I do not think that that life not existing will irrevocably change humanity as we know it. Of course, there's always that "what if" question. Would the mother's life have been better if she would have had the child? Possibly. Will she regret it? Perhaps. My point is that that is not the real question at hand. We can only take life one step at a time, and making a decision that works for your life in the present is ultimately the decision that needs to be made. If a woman who has aborted a child realizes later that perhaps she wished she had kept it it will be a sad event indeed, but she still has the option of having another child later in life. I find this to be a better alternative than to be forced into giving birth and being unhappy and bringing this unhappiness upon a helpless child who has no choice as to their circumstance in life.

Since the question seems to be coming up a lot I suppose I should give my views on how I would handle an unplanned pregnancy. I would, without a doubt, have an abortion if I were to get pregnant at this point in my life and I feel no shame in that decision. Though it's very unlikely to happen (virgin roll call up in here), the possibility is never completely destroyed. As a college student focusing on my future career, having a child now would destroy my future as I intend it to be. I am completely unable to provide for a child and would not wish to have that responsibility. I do not think this is a premature decision or that I'm unprepared to make such a decision being that I'm young and inexperienced. I've thought long and hard on this issue for many years and have always been adamant about my prospective choice. Could my mind change in the future? Possibly, though I doubt it. I am informed and knowledgeable about all possibilities and choice that would be there for me should such an event happen, and I believe, as does my mother, for I've talked to her about this, that that would be my best choice at this point in my life.Does that mean I'm going to abstain until marriage? Definitely not. Of course, when I choose to be sexually active I'll be extraordinarily careful about using safe sex practices, but I do not feel like my inability to handle a child should completely stop my romantic and sexual relations.

There are many women much older than me who are also in positions in which raising a child would be unwise, but to tell them to stop having sex is simply ludicrous and completely ignores the human need and desire for sexual relations. It is not something we should feel shame for, and considering we have the technology to prevent pregnancy it is something people should feel safe and comfortable participating in. Abortion is, of course, the ultimate back up method, but those who seek a safe, legal abortion should have the right to do so in order to maintain their happy lives.

[Megan]

Sept 26, 2012 10:25:26 GMT -8 aka Heidi (Away) said:

I wasn’t necessarily referring to abortion in that way but the fact that a girl shouldn’t have sex if she’s not ready to handle a child.

Sept 26, 2012 10:25:26 GMT -8 aka Heidi (Away) said:

Let me rephrase what I said earlier: If you're not ready to have a child, please don't be having unsafe sex. If you’re not ready for a child and you’re not protecting yourself in many ways (condoms, birth control, etc) than that’s a big problem on your part. If you want to have sex when you’re not ready, that’s fine. But PLEASE be responsible and protect yourself.

Thank you for rephrasing that. I entirely agree that young couples should only have sex if they're being responsible and safe, and that if you end up with an unwanted pregnancy after practicing unsafe sex then it's entirely down to your own irresponsibility (and it is sad that some of these girls consider abortion birth control), however we must remember that no form on contraception is 100% effective.

Grant and I have been together for four years, we have a home together, we're engaged and planning our wedding. To say that a couple in our position shouldn't have sex because we're not ready for a child yet would be ridiculous. We take every necessary precaution, and if something were to go wrong it would hardly be the result of irresponsibility on our part. If I were to become pregnant, is it right that I should be lumped into the same category as irresponsible teenagers and people who treat abortions like birth control?

Every form of contraception can fail. Accidents happen, real accidents. Even if everyone used contraception correctly, it wouldn't solve the problem. There would still be unplanned, unwanted pregnancies, and it's up to the women in question to decide whether they want to carry that child to term.

[Maddie]

Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me how beautiful children are to some people, because it's not like that for everyone. I myself do not like them. They scream, they are not self-sufficient, and I do not have the patience required to take care of anything with the mentality of a baby.

No one would be forced into an abortion. (Not without it being abusive, of course.) It's all well and good to make the decision not to have one for yourself, but I feel like no one can ever make that decision for another person. Babies aren't beautiful to everyone. Not everyone is physically, emotionally, or financially ready to have a child. People have to think of the long-term effects.

Sure, if you like babies they're wonderful, but if they aren't wanted they are going to have a lower quality of life. I would never bring a child into this world if they were unwanted, whether adoption is an option or not because that system is just not good.

Anyone who needs or wants an abortion should always have the opportunity to get one, no matter what. Making it illegal will not stop it, it will result in the loss of a "potential life" and a death. To say that making abortion illegal is the logical course is simply not pro-life when you see what an illegal abortion can cause and recognize that being illegal will not stop it.

[aka Heidi (Away)]

Making it illegal will not stop it, it will result in the loss of a "potential life" and a death. To say that making abortion illegal is the logical course is simply not pro-life when you see what an illegal abortion can cause and recognize that being illegal will not stop it.

Despite the fact that I am pro-life, I do not believe that abortion should be made illegal. Because like Maddie, I recognize that abortion will not stop just because laws are set in place. Instead, it will become a dangerous practice - unregulated and not preformed properly.

Instead, I believe that abortion should be discouraged. Instead of saying "oh, if you get pregnant it's no big deal, just get an abortion!" it should be seen as a very, very last resort. Girls shouldn't see abortion as an alternative to birth control, and it shouldn't make them feel invincible (as I often feel it does).

I also wanted to take another spin on this topic and away from unplanned children. Instead, how do you guys feel about planned pregnancies with complications? For example, if a mother finds out that her child had down syndrome or a physical abnormality, does she have the right to terminate the pregnancy?
Again, I'm pro-life in any situation. People will disabilities make the human race unique and can provide valuable insight into life itself. In addition, they allow for research - if none of these people are born, there will be no one to study, and thus no solutions to these medical problems will come about. So again, I have pro-life in this situation.

I stand by my point when I say that children are beautiful beings. Again, it's probably the mother in me that says it. But even if you do not like their crying, dependency, etc... they can teach you a lot about yourself and people if you pay enough attention to them. Of course, no one is forced to like children. But just because you don't like them doesn't necessarily mean they should be aborted. Like myself, there are many people out there that would love to have that child.

[Maddie]

I'm not going to deny that if my child had some kind of genetic abnormality or disorder, I might get an abortion or maybe put them up for adoption. I don't feel like I could ever be equipped to care for a child with problems like that and I shouldn't have to. I'm not a patient person and parenting a child with something like down syndrome would take a lot of patience and work and I'm not even sure I want to have children in the first place.

There are also certain genetic abnormalities that can result in a lot of pain and suffering for the child. One I've started learning about (thanks to a tumblr I follow because she's a carrier of it, as are 1 in I think 26 people of her race) is Tay-Sachs disease. Basically the symptoms start when you're six months old and they result in death at the age of four after living a life that is essentially nothing but suffering. There's a near-perfect genetic test for it that you can get starting at about 10 weeks and the choice can be made to have an abortion which is frankly the most humane option. Otherwise the child will spend almost their entire life suffering (blind, deaf, paralyzed, frequent horrible seizures) but a lot of people still oppose abortion in this case. I think not to abort a child with Tay-Sachs would be rather cruel.

[Reilly]

I don't think this is a topic where being "older" really matters. Like Mikkay said, the choice to terminate a pregnancy is an extremely personal one. It's really about knowing yourself.

I'll use myself as example, because I'm almost the complete opposite of Heidi. I don't hold anything against babies or young children, I can even find them cute occasionally (you know, when they're not screaming like banshees), but I don't get any joy from being around them or taking care of them. More than that though, I'm Tokophobic. If you watch Doctor Who, think about the scene where Amy wakes up about to give birth - now increase the horror, the claustrophobia, and the lack of control in that scene tenfold. That is my fear of pregnancy.

I've thought long and hard about it and I've realized in the unlikely event that I get pregnant, not having acess to a safe, legal abortion wouldn't stop me. I don't know what I would do, because I'm not in that situation and luckily, reproductive health rarely gets challenged across the pond, but I know I would do something. Find a very good friend and have them attempt to punch me into a miscarriage, if I have to. And yeah, I know that is extremely stupid, and dangerous, and every part of my rational brain is telling me I could get myself killed that way, but it doesn't matter. I am that desperate to never be pregnant.

And that really goes with what Aly's saying, about the fact that banning abortion has never stopped it from happening. Regardless of what people think - I'm sure at least one person is horrified at what I just admitted - it will happen. The only difference is how safe it is. I don't think it really has anything to do with age, but the person themselves. I know people younger than me who'd keep the baby in that situation, and people older who still wouldn't. It's just who you are and how comfortable you'd be with terminating a pregnancy.

[Aly]

Ugn why am I so attracted to controversy? I should stay away from this board. It's addicting.

1st) Tahti, thank you for being brave! I don't think you have to worry about being attacked here, though. We love you too much.

2nd)

I also wanted to take another spin on this topic and away from unplanned children. Instead, how do you guys feel about planned pregnancies with complications? For example, if a mother finds out that her child had down syndrome or a physical abnormality, does she have the right to terminate the pregnancy?

Since I am pro-choice, of course I have to say yes, let it happen. Though that doesn't mean I'm okay with it. I can't say "Yes, let abortion be a thing--UNLESS the child has a disability. Then no. Don't do that." So in short, choice is always a choice.

Flipping it onto me, it really depends when this would happen. If I'm married, trying to get pregnant and do, I would keep the baby if it had Downs Syndrome, Autism, ect. All of those are really manageable. But, if the fetus had complications and it ended up fully paralyzed, deaf, mute and blind? I don't think I could do that. I have to think about how much I can give that child to give it the best life possible. Unless surgeries could make that child have a better quality of life, I can't do that. I'd feel more guilty and wrong by attempting to take care of a child like that than aborting it. Obviously I would love that child just as much as any other I would have, but I can't be naive and think I'm equipped at any point in life to give that child everything I can.

Yet again, I want the right to choose for myself.

[Megan]

Sept 26, 2012 13:05:49 GMT -8 aka Heidi (Away) said:

Instead, how do you guys feel about planned pregnancies with complications? For example, if a mother finds out that her child had down syndrome or a physical abnormality, does she have the right to terminate the pregnancy?

Whilst I think it's sad to terminate a pregnancy you otherwise wanted because of an abnormality, I ultimately believe it has to be all or nothing. It shouldn't be a matter of why a woman wants an abortion, it should be enough that she does want one - that alone should entitle her to it. There can't be different rules for different people.

Personally, if I were trying for a child, and I found out there was a complication, I would keep the baby (unless it was a severe risk to my life). As Maddie mentioned, if it were a condition that would mean the child's life was nothing but suffering, I would have a very hard time deciding what to do, but I would like to know that every option was open to me.

[Brittany (gone-ish)]

Ok, so I’ve been avoiding this topic just because in my life it was sort of like beating a dead horse. I went to a Catholic school for 8 years and it was basically part of the curriculum for all of the teachers to tell you abortion was wrong, a sin, and try to get people to go to the big protest in Washington D.C. each year. I was one of the few people in my school that was pro-choice and part of my logic when people went all religious in the debate was “in the United States, we have separation of church and State so a religious belief should not be informing a law.” And also I always thought it was absurd to force religious morals on people, like Rosabeth, who don’t believe in souls or that people are creatures of god. But that is neither here nor there.

As I said I am pro-choice because I don’t believe it is fair to make a woman who is not ready for motherhood (whether it be because of age, relationship with the father, the pregnancy being unplanned, rape or abuse-related pregnancy, etc.) become a mother. It’s a very personal choice and if it abortion is something that person can live with and has chosen to do, then it should be up to her.

And yes, I think that younger couples should always practice safe sex if they don’t want to get pregnant. Let’s face it, most people start having sex in their teens, but at that age are most ready for a lifetime of responsibility because of one reckless night? No, sadly, most are not and the option to have an abortion should be there for them if they choose it.

I think it's important to point out that just because abortion is readily available, not all people will choose abortion. And yes, there might be those who might use abortion as a form of contraception, but it’s there life and if they can life with those choices who are we to say “no, you’re wrong” or “you’re a better person for having the child you didn’t want or plan.”

Before I go I want to share a story though (yes, another one). I was 19 and in a really bad place when I went to a frat party at a notoriously grimy fraternity house on my campus. I drank a little, danced a little, and by the end of the evening there was a guy asking me back to his room. We had sex and I left, but a month later my period was late, I had randomly fainted, and I was suddenly panicking that I might be pregnant. We had used protection, of course, but as it’s already been mentioned accidents happen and he was drunk and high while I was tipsy and being reckless. It turned out it was a false alarm, but I’m not going to lie, I did think seriously about getting an abortion if I had turned out pregnant. I went so far as to look into the different types of abortions they offer and at what price at the nearby clinic. Some of you might think that makes me a horrible person, but I don’t. The point is that I knew I was not prepared for motherhood—I was young, had no money of my own, and I had a college education and career to start. I couldn’t have given a good life to a child at that point in my life. Hell, I doubt I could right now. But some day I want children. I love kids actually and having an abortion doesn’t necessarily mean that I hate them. One day I will be a mother and I will love every minute of that experience.

I know thinking about having an abortion and having one are not the same thing, but I think women should have the option to decide what they want to do if they find themselves in that position, no if, and, or but about that. It’s a personal choice, and a hard one at that. Women should be allowed to make the choice for themselves without society judging their actions or motives because, let's face it, there are a lot of people out there in the world who do judge women who have had abortions. It still bears a stigma and I don't believe it should.