Too often we fail in our efforts to fix a problem because we focus on treating symptoms instead of the underlying disease component. This failure is evident in the current discussion on abortion and the difference of opinion between those who champion the “Pro Choice” view as against the “Pro Life” camp.
It is a tragedy that in the 21st Century so many women still face heartbreaking choices when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. I am not speaking here of a mistimed or inconvenient pregnancy but of a pregnancy that can potentially wreck a woman’s life and that of her family. There are no good choices; so women must try to determine which least bad choice they must take.
Depending on their circumstances, they might decide to choose abortion with all its attendant physical, psychological and emotional risks. If they are lucky, they will be able to access a skilled professional who can offer adequate counseling and perform the procedure in sterile conditions. Otherwise, they risk complications such as infection, sterility and even death.
Alternately, women can choose to continue with the pregnancy. If that pregnancy is the result of a rape, the resulting child might be a lifelong reminder of the trauma. If the woman is too young or in poor health, the delivery of the child might kill her and possibly orphan other children whose lives will be seriously affected.
If the woman already has other children and insufficient support; the birth of another child will seriously impact the health and well-being of these children. It has been said that no child is unwanted even if the pregnancy was unplanned or unwanted, but some children do experience a lack of consistent motherly care and attention and are thus at risk for physical and emotional harm.
A mother who has no control over her reproductive functions will experience feelings of powerlessness that leave her children vulnerable to abuse. In the book, Freakonomics, Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt point out that the decline in delinquency and crime in many US cities in the 1980’s came 15-20 years after abortion was made readily available. The implication is that a reduction in the births of babies to unwilling mothers decreases delinquency of such young people as they enter adulthood.
One other option open to women facing an unwanted pregnancy is to give the baby away after birth, either to a relative or through a formal adoption. That mother will probably have lifelong regrets and questions and her child will always wonder about the circumstances in which he or she was given away.
So the best option is not to argue about the merits or otherwise of abortion but to work to ensure that unwanted pregnancies do not occur in the first place. The only time abortion would then become an issue is where the life of the mother was at risk or it was certain that the baby was severely damaged. Efficient and affordable methods of birth control are available so that every pregnancy can be planned. Even in cases of rape, if the morning after pill was readily available (together with post exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection) an unwanted pregnancy would not ensue. So why are women still facing unwanted pregnancies?
We should all be working to ensure that all girls, women, boys and men understand the importance of contraception. We should help them to be active in decisions affecting their own sexuality, including reproduction. Some religious groups have objections to some forms of contraception, so it is incumbent on them to seek out and teach about effective methods (that is methods that actually work in real life!) that they can endorse.
Teaching about sex and sexuality does not encourage young people to become sexually active. Indeed, most studies show that it can be a useful tool in helping young people to postpone sexual activity and being more responsible when they do become sexually active. Not teaching young people about sex and sexuality will, however, ensure that the debate about abortion will continue into the future.
Let us get serious about the real disease and then the symptoms will cease to be a problem.
