Abortion: How Do You Feel?

Hi everyone...

Just curious how all of you felt about abortion. If you support it, don't, sometimes, or however you feel.

I personally believe that a woman should have her GOD GIVEN RIGHT to have an abortion. I, myself, would not get one, because of the risks I've heard it has, and because I do believe it is killing something, even though it is a sickening child. But even though I wouldn't get one, I believe women should have that right to do what they want to their bodies and their "children's" lives. Which, that last part could be argued. I personally don't remember being in the womb, so I believe that it's technically not a life yet.

Also, I myself am adopted. If I would've learned after I found my birth mother that I was out of rape or incest, I wouldn't feel too great. So how would those other kids feel once they grew up and found this out? Plus all of the health risks. Why would you want to have a baby and know it was the result of this?

Anyways, I want to know how everyone else feels about this issue. I figured not too many "pro-life" people would be on this forum!

ok this is a tough question, now before anyone shouts at me read my entire post first.. ok

i wish there wasnt the need for abortions, i want contraception to be available for men and women in nearly equal measures, that would stop abortions which i find distasteful but a necessity in some cases..

the use of abortion as birthcontrol to me is gross, protect yourself first and foremost, but if accidents do happen, then it is needed and required for the womans sanity and health. plus also the partners health and sanity as well.

in an ideal world men and women should be protected from such a life changing thing until they are ready if ever. prevention is always preferable in my mind.

if a woman opps a man with malicious intent then that man should NOT pay for what she did, if a man oops a woman with intent then he should pay.

it is upto each of us, to take control over our contraception (in the bigger sense of the word - anti conception) so i wish abortions werent needed, but they are and i support them 100%, its the misuse of abortions thats causing the problems..

this is my perspective, my thoughts. i hope not too manyn of you will scream and shout at me. a male.

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I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

mercurior Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ok this is a tough question, now before anyone
> shouts at me read my entire post first.. ok
>
> i wish there wasnt the need for abortions, i want
> contraception to be available for men and women in
> nearly equal measures, that would stop abortions
> which i find distasteful but a necessity in some
> cases..
>
> the use of abortion as birthcontrol to me is
> gross, protect yourself first and foremost, but if
> accidents do happen, then it is needed and
> required for the womans sanity and health. plus
> also the partners health and sanity as well.
>
> in an ideal world men and women should be
> protected from such a life changing thing until
> they are ready if ever. prevention is always
> preferable in my mind.
>
> if a woman opps a man with malicious intent then
> that man should NOT pay for what she did, if a man
> oops a woman with intent then he should pay.
>
> it is upto each of us, to take control over our
> contraception (in the bigger sense of the word -
> anti conception) so i wish abortions werent
> needed, but they are and i support them 100%, its
> the misuse of abortions thats causing the
> problems..
>
> this is my perspective, my thoughts. i hope not
> too manyn of you will scream and shout at me. a
> male.

I meant have my message show up that I wrote in reponse to your message mecurior but it did not show up! Anyway what I said was I agree with waht you say about abortion being abused in a big way...

There are 20 million people in this country and there are 100 thousand abortions performed each year...To many in my opinion.

Contraception is the responsibility of EACH individual like you say. I would have an abortion if I fell pregnant for the simple fact that I do not want children. I have always been careful with my contraception and always will be and hubby is getting the snip in a couple of years and it will be good not to have to worry about it then

I am not trying to be contrary so apologies in advance because I have strong feelings on this matter. However, most of the answers do not surprise me. Many people -- even progressive ones -- subconsciously want to control women and their bodies. Re: the comment of too many abortions, I do not see that as such. We do not need to keep count of the amount of times a woman goes to the clinic. It is no one else's business...

What would be the number of "too many abortions"? One...two...three...five...ten??? Once people become the official abortion police, women will never have freedom on this issue. What happens after the finger pointers believe a woman has been to the abortion clinic too many times? Is she supposed to be punished by being forced to give birth to "teach her a lesson" or is sterilized? The latter is not a bad idea if a woman wants no kids; however, we cannot force it on her just as people should never be able to force the CF to breed on demand.

Our rights are being eroded yet we still want to pass judgement on others who have had abortions. It did not surprise me when there was a backlash of the Ms. article where women, who had abortions, willingly stated their names. It was not just the people who are very religious and pro-life who made comments. Supposedly "progressive" people like ourselves had to judge these women as well...

Abortion is birth control whether a lady has had one abortion or five of them. I do not see abortion as being "abused". It should be nobody's concern as to why or how many times someone does abort. It is the same attitude of "not enough babies being born" or "too many white women aborting which means less Caucasions for the adoption pool".

I am very pro-choice/pro-abortion as most people can tell about me as a person. It would be better if all women had better access to contraception and young girls were not made to feel ashamed about asking questions so they are protected. In a perfect society, no woman would have to deal about what to do with an unwanted pregnancy or be forced to have to explain why she aborted.

Dragon - I agree with your post - completely. You said it so well that I do not need to chime in. Thank you for your good words.

Bill Clinton made a good comment on that one - he said abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.

I think abortion should be safe and legal, too, but it does boggle my mind to hear that so many of them happen. Considering the effectiveness of today's available contraceptives, I don't understand why so many women are getting knocked up! I guess if they're too dumb to use birth control they are too dumb to be having babies, but still.

Many women do not use contraception. However, the most effective form of birth control is not 100% effective. Even women with tubal ligations have experienced that even this is not 100% foolproof. That is scary as h*ll!

The Clintons are like many politicians who jump on a religion bandwagon or speak with forked tongues to appease "the other side". Imagine if Bill Clinton stated that birthing babies should be more rare than abortion! It is about appeasing pro-life voters and politicians at the expense of women. Hillary has also jumped on the "abortion needs to be safe but it is so tragic" mantra to get the Evangelicals on her side.

Why doesn't Mr. Cannot-Keep-His-Zipper-Up claim that *less* men need to be knocking up women? Same goes for anyone else who complains of women having "too many" abortions. I am certain that those who claim that some gals visit the clinic too many times will definitely justify their own visit even if it is more than a one-time deal. It is always "different" for somebody else...

Other than NARAL, I really do not participate with many pro-choice groups because most of them still want to control a woman's body and life. They will "excuse" a woman aborting if she cannot afford that baby and will talk about "too many abortions". Same goes for politicians. They only support us when it is during election time. Other than that, the same "pro-choice" politicians will talk about too many abortions and supporting certain restrictions.

Many pro-choicers would also be screaming for women to birth those babies if there was a guanranteed stipend of thousands of dollars a month. Most people do not want to hear that a woman had an abortion because she simply does not want to be a moo or does not feel guilty for her choice to abort.

I'm pro choice, but I too would hope for more proactive responsibility with birth control to avoid abortions that did n't have to be.

I see abortion as a *last resort* form of birth control. If a woman does not wish to be knocked up, she should be making the effort to use SOMETHING. If the guy won't wear a condom, then she should not sleep with him, if she is not using anything else.

But sometimes it fails, and a woman needs the safety net of abortion. Nothing wrong with that!

But there are also women like me. I am married and my husband had a vasectomy. So I'm not on the pill or anything. But what if I were raped and got pregnant by the rapist? Damned straight I would want the choice to abort it! I'd hope that I could get Plan B (morning after pill) first, but damned straight I'd want a surgical abortion if it came to that.

I am pro-CHOICE, something that the dumbassed fundie fuckheads don't get. Pro-CHOICE means just that...a pregnant woman has a CHOICE as to what she wants to do about the pregnancy. The way the fundies put it, you'd think that we'd be coralling up all of the pregnant women of the world and FORCING them to have abortions. That's not the way it works. ALL women should have FULL CHOICE over what they want to do with their own bodies AT ANY TIME. Have babies, don't have babies, whatever. Just because I would have an abortion does not mean that I think that everyone should.

And if Duhbya's fundie Supreme Court Justice pals ever decide to take that choice away from me, and I get pregnant thereafter by a rapist (or the unlikelyhood of snip failure), I still have the choice to kill myself rather than carrying and giving birth to something I never wanted.

Stick that in your pipes and smoke it, you so-called *pro-lifers*! (That doesn't apply to anyone on this board, it just applies to Duhbya and his fundie friends!)

Abortion on demand, without apology. I've never been pregnant, so I've never had one. However, it's nobody's business if I have 1 or 101. I don't see it as murder, so I don't feel it needs to be rare or that it's something shameful or tragic. Tragic is being made to continue a pregnancy as though some tissue tumor inside you has as much right as the host it is sucking the life out of. There's my 2cents.

I've had 2 and I'd have another if the problem ever presented itself again. Not likely, though, since SO is snipped. YEAH!!!!!!

No guilt, no remorse. Just a giant sigh of relief and thankfulness that I had access to a safe, legal abortion. I was on birth control from age 18 until 2.5 years ago and I ended up pregnant twice. Though taken diligently, unfortunately, nothing is fool-proof.

I agree with Dragon. No more needs to be said.

rcb Wrote:
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> Abortion on demand, without apology. I've never
> been pregnant, so I've never had one. However,
> it's nobody's business if I have 1 or 101. I don't
> see it as murder, so I don't feel it needs to be
> rare or that it's something shameful or tragic.
> Tragic is being made to continue a pregnancy as
> though some tissue tumor inside you has as much
> right as the host it is sucking the life out of.
> There's my 2cents.

Damn, you took the words right out of my mouth and put them together more coherently than I ever could.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

but shouldnt it be prevention first, and only used as a last resort.

just think of the pain of it, the indignity etc. this should be as a last resort.

but a lot of women use the abortion route as a simple fix, after the fact. they dont want the expense of time to prevent it from ever happening.

so its ok for women to have unprotected sex and start life, then abort it, or is it all the mans fault/responsibility. abortion should be a last resort, prevention using the many forms of female birth control should be used. if there is an accident then abortion should be used..

thats the simple answer, imagine if you met a woman, who had 101 abortions, when prevention would have stopped that from happening..

shouldnt women and men use protectionm first and foremost. and if they fail then abort...


you seem to equate abortion as equal to prevention.. an ounce od prevention is better than a pound of cure.. thats my opinion..

unless you think that prevention is somehow irrelevant.

dragon its nothing to do with control, or maybe you think its because i am male, but wouldnt you rather, prevent it first.

My entire professional field is prevention work. I know both the value and failings of prevention. I know the importance of providing people with ALL the information they can handle so they will be able to make the most appropriate choices for themselves at that time. I also know that there are a lot more reasons behind people making "unhealthy" choices beyond lazyness, sluttyness or willfull stupidity.

To say "abortion as a last resort" is a cop out, if it is to be last resort, then you may as well just say "I'd rather see women carrying to term, giving birth and putting those babies up for adoption first", because it is just as much of an option, with similar end results, as abortion. I mean, what does that even mean? Should a woman have to take a test so the provider can assess her true reasons for chosing abortion? If those reasons don't meet the "necessity" test, should the abortion be denied? Would that woman then be forced to carry an unwanted child to term and give it up or raise it on her own?

Do not buy into the anti-choice LIE that a signifigant number of women use abortion as a means of birth control. This is simply WRONG and you do not have to believe it. 95% or more abortions are Not performed as a form of birth control, but as a way of preventing further development of a collection of cells that are dividing as a result of an accident. Women do NOT endure trips past screaming protesters with bloody fetus posters to get abortions for fun, or because they'd rather spend the several hundred dollars they've managed to scrape together on a rather invasive medical procedure than ask their partner to use a condom. They do it because they can not, or do not want to, raise the resultant child. Considering the tone of most posts, I think I can say that in general we agree that people who can not, or do not want to, raise children shouldn't be forced to.

It is no one's business but the woman who is requesting the abortion what their reasons are for having that abortion. It is her body, and her right to take whatever legal, medical steps are necessicary for her to maintain the integrity of her body and life.

While I don't relish the fact that I'm about to jump all over half the population because of gender, I have to. Simply put, I fail to see how it would even be the concern of a man who will never have to make a choice like this, or endure such a process, what reasons any woman has for choosing abortion over adoption.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

I definitely agree that more prevention should be used. I believe that IUD and sterilisation should be more available, less expensive, and with no arguments from doctors. It's difficult, as I know some ppl cannot use hormonal birth control. I can use it, but it greatly affects me. I do not think abortion is tragic, and I disagree with unprotected sex 'starting life'. However, there are people who take NO measures of prevention, and just think they can have an abortion, and do it over and over. If prevention fails, I understand. But to do nothing to prevent it is stupid, especially over and over again. I think that is what Mercurior is saying. I don't think asking people to be responsible is controlling women. Both men and women need to be responsible together for the choices they make. Abortion should definitely be available for those who want it, but do your damndest to prevent having to do it. I do not believe it is murder at all, I'd have one, and not regret it one bit. However, it is expensive, difficult to get, and not a fun procedure, so we should do all we can to prevent having to have an abortion. Personally, I want a hysterectomy. That's 100% effective Hormone pills would be more than worth it.

just one question, why is the onus of birth control seem to be focused only on the male. women have the technology too, more than men. but it seems like most of the women put the onus on the man, THEY have to use a condom. THEY have to use this, why not say women use b/c as well.

serial aborters, the ones who do it month in month out, are people who need to be looked at, as they dont seem to be able to use a condom or pills or anything like that at all. (btw i meant the start life to be in quotes)

there are some cases that require abortion i totally agree with it, incest, if the baby was going to ill the mother, rape etc.. that includes the mental health of the woman as well. and if a woman doesnt want to have a kid thats fine too, but the ones who do it so many times i would say try some other form, as its not working, thats what i would do. its these serial aborters that are the ones causing all this hysteria by pro life - anti choice.

i am male as you see and i am behind faust 100% when she decides, if god forbid there is an accident, to have an abortion.

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

No way do I think adoption should be first. It is not like abortion. With adoption, you may have someone on your doorstep in 20 years whingeing about why you gave it away. Also, you may be wondering all the time about it being fed, clothed, if it is being abused, whatnot.

Abortion is mess gone, done and dusted.

Men do have to make the choice, in essence, with their partners.

I agree that anti-choicers lie like hell, that's why my other name for them is Pro Lie, but there are some women, and men, who do not think before the go to bed.Think of serial single-moos, they are that type, but they chose to take the big dump instead of getting rid like they should have.

I said nothing about birth control, or whose responsibility it is. Sexual realtions are, for the most part, a two way street. It is up to both participants to do the best they can, at that time, to protect themeselves. However, that is not always possible, desireable or available. There are as many reasons for "accidents" as there are sexual acts that result in "accidents". Again, what is the litmus test that you are suggesting for a "reasonable" abortion? And what are the results should that woman fail the test?

I can not state this clearly enough. There isn't anywhere near a signifigant number of women chosing to use abortion as their means of birth control. It simply doesn't happen with the frequency that you seem to fear. The RARE woman who does choose to shell out several hundred dollars on a routine basis for abortion services is suffering from problems much, much deeper than her simple choice of abortion over prevention. Who is it that will then decide that this woman doesn't "deserve" another abortion? Just what exactly are you suggesting be done to this woman? Seriously, what the hell? One can not take the actions of a few, random crazies and use it to judge the actions of the majority of people.

Not every woman can tolerate hormonal birth control. Not every person can tolerate latex barriers. Not every one has the means or resources to get perminant sterilization. There is not a clinic on every corner throwing out birth control options like candy. Not every person has the capability, knowledge or enough sense of self to assert their right to make healthier choices...and again, serial aborters, like serial killers, are RARE, FEW and FAR BETWEEN. Did I mention that serial aborters are about as common as caring republicans? Really, it just doesn't happen that often.

It is not the serial aborters that cause the hysteria of the anti-choice crowd. It's the fact that they clutch the false belief life begins the moment a sperm enters a woman and proceeds towards the egg, thusly their desire to ban ALL forms of birth control that control egg production, or make the womb inhospitable to the act of fertilization. Thusly their desire to keep people ignorant of their sexual health, and protective choices. Serial aborters are a LIE put forth by the anti-choice crowd to get people who are uncomfortable with the idea of abortion fstating what a tragedy it is.

Why is it that you think the simple removal of a glob of unwanted, dividing cells is so horrible? What is the test that you'd suggest to determine of a woman is truely in need of an abortion? What are the results should she fail that test?

I have been on the pill for almost 11 years. I have not had a pregnancy scare because I am very careful. Should the pill fail even if I'm carefull, I already told DH that I would get an abortion. DH is on my side.

Guest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been on the pill for almost 11 years. I
> have not had a pregnancy scare because I am very
> careful. Should the pill fail even if I'm
> carefull, I already told DH that I would get an
> abortion. DH is on my side.

Same here...I have never been pregnant because I have always been very careful. I understand it could happen as nothing is 100 percant and in which case I would have to have an abortion but Ireally hope and pray that does not happen to me as I would find that very hard to go through...

If both partners are suing birth control RESPONSIBLY and CAREFULLY then the need for abortion would be so much less. I agree with what clinton said aswell. The need for abortion should be RARE. There is so much information today about how to prevent a pregnancy and there are literally 100s of contraceptives avail to natural family planning to permanent steralisation. If BOTH partners were steralised the chance of falling pregnant would be practically zero.

This is a very emotional subject (for obvious reasons) and it has always sparked contravercy and always will. I am pro choice but I believe first and formost in PREVENTION. Accidents do and will always happen but there are far to many people out there who dont act reponsible where their contraception is concerned and they dont think nothing of going into an abortion clinic time after time - now these people should be looked at big time because they really are scum and that is putting it in the nicest possible way.They should offer to steralise these people for free to prevent them from having multiple abortions.

My mum knows a "lady" who has had 7 abortons!!!!!! No fucking exuse under the sun for this. I can undersatand a person can be very unlucky (and extreemly fertile) and needed two or 3 max but to go on and just keep having them is fucked!

Ladies, please be careful who you judge about the many abortions someone else has had. You could also be in that clinic more than once. I do believe women are judged by the amount of abortions because it is another attack on their sexuality. Even progressive people do not like women that they do not consider "ladies" due to sexual behaviour...yet the men are lauded for being "players". Where were the men who knocked up your mum's friend, Blossom? Are they off the hook even though they should have also used protection?

wheres the repsonsibility that woman claim they have to control their own reproduction, and yet dont. is that right.. no.

as blossom says prevention should be the goal. prevent it from happening..

so dragon if a woman goes and aborts 7 or 70 times, thats ok.. because its her choice, yes it is. but if it costs a lot, thats 7 times the amount. not that it is purely financial. why doesnt this woman use prevention.. its much cheaper emotionally, financially.

the woman who has doen it 7 times in 5 years, you have to question their motives, once twice 3 times ok, but if they do the same thing and it keeps leading then there is something wrong with how they prevent it.. the responsibility is more and should be more on a woman to prevent pregnancies as they have the parts, they have so many more options than men.

why.. they have more choice.. more ways to prevent it.. i am NOT giving a man a free pass, it is their responsibility to control THEIR own reproduction. EXACTLY like its a womans RESPONSIBILITY. to control theirs..

you cant say its always mens fault for this or that. women cry for rights, but they seem to this male that they dont want the responsibilities that come with those rights.

yes women can be fertile, and accidents do happen, but 7 times you have to say, why.. not that i am saying she has to go to term. but WHY is it happening is she so dumb she cant use prevention, or is she so dumb as to let a man have sex unprotected she could always say NO. no raincoat no going out.. if its hormonal things, why arent they working, is it a symptom of a deeper medical problem.. or is it a pyschological problem..

thats the question you have to ask, for some of these serial aborters. not she is a woman and can have 200 abortions. its is this a symptom of a deeper problem.

men are responsible for their own acts, and shouldnt women be also held accountable to the same standards as men, in essence whats being said is that a man has to use one of three, and a woman doesnt need to use birth control.. she can always do it after the fact.. abortions should be rare, there should be more prevention..

the ones who are on the pill, you have taken control of your reproduction and you have that responsibility, why are you giving women who do NOT have that responsibility a free pass. shouldnt they do what you do to take charge of your own reproduction rights.. or are they different because they are women..

should it always be the mans role to have responsibility to control mans and womans reproduction. women have fought for the rights to control THEIR own bodies, and yet they assume that men must use contraception, (which they should for their own sake).


i say again, prevention premptive prevention, should be the goal, and abortion should be as the last resort, in case of accidents, which do happen, prevention should be for everyone. male and female. it shouldnt be about, the man decides and the woman agrees, as i say she can always say NO, she has that control over herself, you are giving the right to control over to men, the very act that you say what pro life people say..

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS. (this is to men and women) Do NOT allow others to have that right, do NOT give them the responsibility, IT IS YOURS and YOURS alone.


you probably think i am a sexist male, that i want to put down women, but i dont, i abstain rather than cause possible harm, this male can keep it in his trousers, but thats MY responsibility, i take charge of my own body, as so should women, their body thier responsibility.

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein