How can we reduce abortions?

[Sunstone]

Regardless of whether we are pro-choice, pro-life, or undecided, I think we can agree that the number of abortions performed should be reduced to the fewest possible. But how to do that? What policies or programs would you put in place to reduce the number of abortions?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Encourage adoption as an alternative to abortion. Of course, Planned Parenthood is no help there....

 

[Jaymes]

Safe (or safeR, if pro-lifers decide to get up in arms about the term) sex education would help that in many ways. If you want to decrease the amount of abortions, you need to decrease the amount of pregnancies. Since it's unlikely the amount of sex will decrease, it's only logical to try and make each sexual encounter less likely of resulting in a fetus.

 

[Lightkeeper]

I agree with Jensa. Safe sex or abstinence will reduce pregnancy.

 

[Pah]

Encourage adoption as an alternative to abortion. Of course, Planned Parenthood is no help there....

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Mission and Policy Statements

Mission Statement

Policy Statements

* Reproductive Freedom
* Universal Access to Services
* Universal Access to Sexuality Education
* Abortion
* Adolescent Services
* Censorship and First Amendment Rights
* Early Pregnancy Detection
* International Family Planning
* Patients' Rights
* Population
* Sexuality Education
* Voluntary Sterilization
* Women's Rights

Mission Statement

A Reason for Being
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. We believe that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual's right to privacy. We further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life, strong family relationships, and population stability.

Based on these beliefs, and reflecting the diverse communities within which we operate, the mission of Planned Parenthood is:

* to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual;
* to advocate public policies which guarantee these rights and ensure access to such services;
* to provide educational programs which enhance understanding of individual and societal implications of human sexuality;
* to promote research and the advancement of technology in reproductive health care and encourage understanding of their inherent bioethical, behavioral, and social implications.

[Adopted 1984; Revised 1995]

Source: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about/thisispp/mission.html

You could be right! But they are doing a tremendous amount of pro-life counseling around the world.

-pah-

 

[Sunstone]

What do you say to people who believe it is wrong to provide sound information (and/or condoms) about safer sex to teenagers?

 

[Jaymes]

You can always ask them to attend abortions for people who got pregnant because they didn't have a condom/didn't know enough about sex.

 

[Sunstone]

I wouldn't mind seeing a national campaign to promote adoption. I would also like to see condom vending machines placed in high schools. And I go for a comprehensive sexuality curriculum in high school sexuality education -- not just abstainance only.

 

[Runt]

There are a variety of different ways we can reduce abortions. Not all options may be favorable, but they are options.

1) We can make abortions illegal and require that all women who get pregnant carry their babies to term. While this would not eliminate abortions, it would reduce the number occuring.
2) We can educate youngsters on how to have safe sex.
3) We can continue to have abstinance-only education.
4) With a few advances in science, perhaps we would temporarily sterilize all female children when they are born, then, when they become women, make them go to the doctor and buy the treatment (for a cheap price, of course) when they decide they WANT to have children... then make them be sterized again until they chose to have more children. Although more than a little drastic, this WOULD reduce the number of unwanted pregnances (probably by almost 100% in areas where the treatment was available and required)...
5) With even more advances in science, perhaps we could create artificial wombs, and women who would normally get an abortion could instead have the child transferred from her body to an artificial womb, where the baby could grow to term, then be put up for adoption... while even more drastic and fantasic than the previous one, with the right technology it COULD be an option...

The possibilities are endless, but I don't feel like thinking of anymore...