J
JamalChristophr
Guest
In the United States, for example, there is wide spread access to birth control, especially after the pill became available. Has artificial contraception led to a reduction in abortions?
- Status
A
adamhovey1988
Guest
No it has not, I don’t have a way to get to the studies right now, because my computer is not working, but increased access to artificial contraceptives is directly correlated to a higher percentage in terms of abortions performed. And, as a matter of fact, and even planned parenthood will tell you this, the number one reason that women get abortions, is failed contraceptives
G
Gorgias
Guest
My (general) understanding is that the “morning-after pill” – an abortifacient – has reduced the number of “in clinic” abortions. However, this does not imply that the number of abortions has gone down – just the number of procedural abortions has… 
M
Maximilian75
Guest
precisely
(16 character add on)
(16 character add on)
P
PJH_74
Guest
I’m not sure where you are getting that. Abortion peaked around 1980 and has now dropped below 1973 levels. There are other sources cofirming this.
Abortion rates since 1973
Abortion rates since 1973
L
Lea101
Guest
As ugly as it sounds, it does help to reduce unwanted pregnancies to some extent. Whether that means it also reduces abortions…that’s not clear cut. I think both sides have reasonable explanations.
When consequence free sex rises, the probability of pregnancy would rise too (bc it doesn’t always prevent pregnancies), because more people would not be deterred from being promiscuous.
However, if we assume that people are going to have sex with or without protection, then obviously contraception helped reduce the amount of pregnancies. A lot more people now are proactive in taking their birth control. Even demanding that it should be free…
However, there are many other factors we should pay attention to (such as the stigma of being a single mom, or having children outside of marriage is not as strong now).
When consequence free sex rises, the probability of pregnancy would rise too (bc it doesn’t always prevent pregnancies), because more people would not be deterred from being promiscuous.
However, if we assume that people are going to have sex with or without protection, then obviously contraception helped reduce the amount of pregnancies. A lot more people now are proactive in taking their birth control. Even demanding that it should be free…
However, there are many other factors we should pay attention to (such as the stigma of being a single mom, or having children outside of marriage is not as strong now).
L
Lea101
Guest
True. We hardly think about this
H
HerCrazierHalf
Guest
It depends on what is considered an abortion. Personally, I see abortion as termination after implantation. As such I think abc has reduced abortion combined with the fact that there is less sex occurring compared to previous generations.
Logically, with widely available abc, it would mean that “unintended pregnancies” would be more likely a result of contraceptive failure. But let’s not pretend that vast numbers of these people were going to abstain instead.
Many here consider anything after conception. If so then it’s hard to tell because preventing implantation isn’t the primary mechanism.
Logically, with widely available abc, it would mean that “unintended pregnancies” would be more likely a result of contraceptive failure. But let’s not pretend that vast numbers of these people were going to abstain instead.
Many here consider anything after conception. If so then it’s hard to tell because preventing implantation isn’t the primary mechanism.
O
on_the_hill
Guest
Of course there’s high correlation between artificial birth control and abortion. The people who are using ABC don’t want to have babies.
R
Reuben_J
Guest
I don’t think so. On the contrary it increases them. It is not so much about the artificial birth control but rather the culture and the mentality that using them would bring. It says, “You can have sex but it does not have to be for procreation. Human fetuses are not human beings and they can be disposed of and to be destroyed.”
It is one single scientific revolution in our history that changes so much what we think about sex that the Church never seems to recover from its effect. In fact we are still grapling and living with its effect today.
H
Hope_Philomena
Guest
From a purely statistical perspective, the number of abortions decreases every year, at least in America. There’s a positive correlation between rise in artificial contraception and fall in abortion procedures, but correlation is not causation. I’m really not sure. There are so many factors that contribute to the situation, but I’d be lying if I said the increase in contraceptive access has nothing to do with it.
A
ATraveller
Guest
Just throwing it out there. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
The CDC numbers don’t have California data as the state doesn’t send it to them but the estimates show it’s the second highest in the US at 24.3 in 2010, the year for the above list. http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/02/03/california-abortion-rate-lowest-in-decades/
A
_Abyssinia
Guest
Look at the data for various countries (I recommend reading the post in full):
H
HerCrazierHalf
Guest
But the genie id’s already out of the bottle. Whatever the cause, abortions (both surgical and chemical) have decreased over the last few decades. Even NY where I doubt there is a shortage of contraception, the number and rate has dropped.
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/states/new_york/
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/states/new_york/
F
FiveLinden
Guest
If anyone feels like being challenged strongly on these matters,this blog post will do it. Warning: definitely not a Catholic view! http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/10/how-i-lost-faith-in-the-pro-life-movement.html
0
0Scarlett_nidiyilii
Guest
You need to take into account–
How many people abstained from sex before the pill because of fear of pregnancy?
How many people abstained from premarital sex because it was against their moral beliefs?
How many people trusted in ABC then had unexpected pregnancies?
Are we counting plan b as a contraceptive or as an abortifacient?
Are people becoming less enchanted with the idea of abortion? Some evidence suggests this is so, but pro-legalized-abortion people hotly dispute this.
Also, the population has increased since the 60s–more people in existence means more peole having sex.
How many people abstained from sex before the pill because of fear of pregnancy?
How many people abstained from premarital sex because it was against their moral beliefs?
How many people trusted in ABC then had unexpected pregnancies?
Are we counting plan b as a contraceptive or as an abortifacient?
Are people becoming less enchanted with the idea of abortion? Some evidence suggests this is so, but pro-legalized-abortion people hotly dispute this.
Also, the population has increased since the 60s–more people in existence means more peole having sex.
A
ATraveller
Guest
Like I’m going to trust an article that cites a ‘left-wing’ blog for biological facts.
Let’s assume Guttmacher is reliable, I wouldn’t assume they’re fudging data. Counterpoints:
Let’s assume Guttmacher is reliable, I wouldn’t assume they’re fudging data. Counterpoints:
- Restricting abortion clinics can work and may play a role in the US trend.
- I know a member posted here a few months ago arguing that the pill does kill and even provided a link to the pharmaceutical label. Searching things on this new platform is a headache so I may or may not succeed in finding it within time constraints.
- If cost is such a major problem, then the Nordic countries should have high fertility rates but they don’t. Cost competes with ‘the wrong time’ in reasons for abortions.
- Birth control likely plays a role in reducing abortion but you have the (Mormon) Utah anomaly among a number of states. So, birth control isn’t the only path.
- Some here will do a better job of pointing why life starts a conception not implantation than I can. I’ve seen them in the past.
Last edited:
G
Gorgias
Guest
Ahh… but the devil’s in the details, no?
The salient question is how do you identify a pregnancy that is aborted? After all, if a pregnancy is aborted via ‘Plan B’, does it ever hit the statistics? And, if it does not, then we see a decrease in the denominator that isn’t real…
H
HerCrazierHalf
Guest
Does the use of Plan B equal an abortion*? Not always. It has 3 mechanism of action. Prevent ovulation, prevent fertilization, and yes, prevent implantation. I don’t know what the odds of each mechanism is though.The salient question is how do you identify a pregnancy that is aborted? After all, if a pregnancy is aborted via ‘Plan B’, does it ever hit the statistics? And, if it does not, then we see a decrease in the denominator that isn’t real…
*Your definition, not mine.
G
Gorgias
Guest
Right: if ovulation hasn’t occurred, prevent ovulation. If ovulation (and fertilization) had occurred, prevent implantation. (To the best of my knowledge, it does not “prevent fertilization”; the best I can find are conjectures that “it may prevent a sperm from fertilizing the egg”, but without any evidence that it does so.)Gorgias:
Does the use of Plan B equal an abortion*? Not always. It has 3 mechanism of action. Prevent ovulation, prevent fertilization, and yes, prevent implantation. I don’t know what the odds of each mechanism is though.The salient question is how do you identify a pregnancy that is aborted? After all, if a pregnancy is aborted via ‘Plan B’, does it ever hit the statistics? And, if it does not, then we see a decrease in the denominator that isn’t real…
So, “Plan B” may cause abortions. And when it does, do those abortions hit the statistics? (Nope.) Can we say how many of uses of Plan B result in abortion? (Nope.) Is it non-zero, though, in a way that causes the statistics to be skewed?
- Status