Face the facts when it comes to pro-life legislation
I believe a recent article by a guest writer on Nov. 13, fails to consider a few important facts about abortion and Planned Parenthood.
Abortion is a small part of what Planned Parenthood does. The statistics from Planned Parenthood’s report are accurate, however the piece didn’t mention that the organization does far more STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) testing and treatment, cancer screenings and birth control services. These services are positive, beneficial and accessible to everyone. Using the numbers from the Planned Parenthood 2021 report, I found that they do 18 times more STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and conceptive services combined than abortion services. This is where the majority of funding for Planned Parenthood goes.
Many women who choose to have an abortion do not have a supportive partner or family, lack the financial means to support an infant, or have a physical or mental health issue that would impact the well-being of the child. Adoption is not an option for everyone. Pregnancy is far more dangerous than legal, safe abortion. A study by Raymond and Grimes found that the mortality rate for mothers was 8.8 per 100,000 live births compared to 0.6 per 100,000 for legal induced abortions. Although more recent research would be better, it shows that pregnancy can be far more risky than safe abortion.
When high-risk individuals such as teenagers, older women, and those with health issues are forced to endure a pregnancy and give birth, it can be physically and mentally traumatic. Some pregnancies are not the fault of the woman such as rape or incest. If women want to keep the baby, that is great, but at least they have a choice.
It would be ideal to imagine every child will grow up in a family where they will be “followed by a lifetime of photos with smiles among family, in places of worship, in school and maybe on the team” as the guest writer states. However, if access to abortion is taken away it won't be uncommon to hear about more children that are homeless, living below the poverty line, and going hungry. It is important that we look at all of the facts and analyze the realistic effects of pro-life legislation, not the ideal ones.
Camille Plagge is a student in the social work program at Winona State University in Minnesota.
This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Realism a casualty of pro-life writer's idealistic look at parenthood
