From: lebow@psl.nrl.navy.mil
Subject: Re: Estimates of the incidence of illegal abortions
Organization: TheNews 
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 00:52:18 GMT

In article <1993Jan23.010405.8289@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> acolman@nyx.cs.du.edu
(Alison Colman) writes:
>In article <C186G7.1Kr@news.cso.uiuc.edu> vengeanc@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu () wr
>tes:
>>
>>Has anyone considered the following hypothesis:
>>
>>Could it be possible that the availability of abortion may influence
>>partners to be less careful with contraception?  Could it not then
>>ALSO be possible that were abortion proscribed, these same partners woul
>
>>begin being MORE careful than they were previously?  Could this not
>>then reduce the 1.5 million unwanted pregnancies per year that WOULD
>>have resulted in an abortion?
>>
>>With respect to at least my first question, Sandra Day O'Connor seems
>>to think so.
>>
>>
>>Have a nice day,
>>
>>
>>
>>Edward Simmonds- standard disclaimers  
>>
>
>
>As to whether the availibility of abortion will influence the sexual
>behavior of people in this country, it's pretty hard to predict. I know
>for myself, if abortion was made illegal in Pennsylvania, it wouldn't be
>much of a problem for me to go to Maryland to have an abortion. Yes, it
>might make me wary about having sex -- then again, it might not make much
>of a difference. I know myself I would be extremely careful about using
>effective birth control, regardless of the availability of abortion. So,
>sorry to disappoint you, Edward. Making abortion illegal would not make me
>have sex less, personally.


Alison

These things actually can be determined by proper survey techniques. 
Interviews on Oprah with pregnant teenagers were very revealing. Abortion is so
widely accepted in our society that many of the kids came up with lines such as
'... and besides, I could always get an abortion....' to explain away their
cavalier attitudes towards the consequences of sex.  Please don't misunderstand
me - a TV talk show doesn't prove a point - but neither do your particular
personal reactions.

I'm apparently much older than you.  When I was in high school, prior to RvW,
abortions were not readily available.  Teenage sex was extremely rare by
today's standards.  To my knowledge in my school of 3,000 kids there were no
pregnancies.  In any case, they were very rare. I knew some sexually
promiscuous guys and they ALWAYS carried a condom in their wallets and used
them.  Believe it or not, the fear of getting a girl pregnant was very real to
these guys.

Again, this anecdote doesn't prove anything by itself, but what do you suppose
was behind the increased teenage abstinance back then? 
>

>Going by what you said, can I reasonably assume that you are greatly in
>favor of all forms of contraceptives being easily obtainable, and
>inexpensive? As it stands now, some of the most effective forms of birth
>control, such as Norplant, are not available to me. I am not poor enough
>to get Norplant through any public assistance program, but at the same
>time, I am not really able to drop $800-$900 dollars for an exam and a
>Norplant implantation. And due to the nature of my employment, I don't
>have health insurance right now. I would really like some of this to
>change. I would like Norplant, the Pill, and Depo-Provera to be cheaper,
>and I would like to be able to get health insurance at a reasonable cost.
>Is this something you would like too, Edward?

Many types of contraceptives kill the recently conceived human.  To many
pro-lifers this is no different than an abortion.  Please take this into
account before jumping to the conclusion that all pro-lifers are against all
birth control.


>
>In the meanwhile, though, what would you say to someone like me? Would you
>have the gall to tell me that I shouldn't be having any sex because I
>can't afford the best birth control out there? And I would rather not hear
>you say to me, "there are lots of other things to do besides intercourse",
>as if I wasn't aware of that fact. If I want to have intercourse, it is
>not within anyone's right to tell me I shouldn't. Not to mention that I
>think that would be a really snotty motive for making abortion illegal --
>to try to curb the sexual habits of others.


I can't speak for Edward but I would say to you (as I would my daughter),
"Please please don't have sex until you are financially and mentally able to
bear a child.  If you must have sex, find ways that don't involve intromission.
 Insist that your partner use a condom and you a spermicide and barrier
contraceptive.  Ask your mother or school nurse or read a book on how to use
them.  Know that I will not allow you to have an abortion unless your life is
threatened. "   Aside from the anti-abortion statement, is what I've said so
unreasonable?


>Alison (no .sig yet! :-))
>

- Paul


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