Pro-Choice or Pro Life
Abortion vs. Life
A couple sits on their bed. Three weeks ago they were experiencing cloud nine, but now it seems as if it wasn’t worth it. Tears dripping down her face she shows him the dreaded white meter and utters the words “I’m pregnant”. These two words are probably the biggest contributing factors to breakups amongst teenagers and young adults and can be seen in the progressive growth of single mothers in Canada as it reached 550,000 in 2004, according to Statistics Canada. Many couples are faced with the choice of abortion, a choice which many women couldn’t make a few decades ago, until the rise of the feminist movement in the 19th century. The U.S experienced the rise of second wave feminism which brought about many different campaigns on issues affecting women in America. Issues such as pay equity, equal representation, wages for housework and pro-choice were among the prominent rallying points which continues until today.
Pro-choice, an ethical viewpoint that allows women the right to give birth or to terminate their baby, is a sensitive ethical issue that divides our society both politically and ethically. Since being legalized in 1969 and struck down in 1988 by the nation’s highest court, abortion has continued to be accessible to women in Canada. Many years later, in 2010 the questions being asked are whether the reasons feminists fought for pro choice is being lost? What were the reasons for an abortion before and after the rise of feminism?
In the years before feminism there were a number of justifiable reasons for abortion ranging from rape, incest, and poor health for the fetus and mother. According to the criminal justice statistics for the US, that was obtained online, in 1960, there were 17,190 rape offenses in America. The staggering number prompted feminists to demand that the women should have the choice in deciding the consequences of their misfortune in being the victim of rape. The historical context in the American experience dates back to the days of slavery. African American slaves were also accustomed to rape a long time before the rise of feminism. “African American women had to endure the threat and the practice of sexual exploitation. There were no safeguards to protect them from being sexually stalked, harassed, or raped, or to be used as long-term concubines by masters and overseers.”(sicker)
Many slave women would also perform self abortions to ensure that their children would never go through slavery because a child born to a slave was considered the property to the master. So years later, the women’s movement intertwined with the civil right movement, had the horrible influence of rape among the black population in the back of their minds. Stephanie (asked for her last name not to be used), a mother of one, puts the lingering impact of rape in proper perspective in stating: “I was raped as a child, and it has scared me in relationships with men. I feel for any female who was raped and had to go through the process of choosing to get an abortion or keeping the child.”
Health was another reason for the rise in the number of abortions. The advancements in health care that are available to women during pregnancy in the 21st century, were unheard of in the 19th century. Historian Irvine London stated that death among the mother or fetus was common. He stated that “Figures for maternal death are hard to come by prior to the 19th century…the rates were 400-500 per 100,000 birth during the 19th century and states maternal death “was a bit higher at the beginning of the 19th century and was up to perhaps 1000 per 100000 births in the early part of the 18th century.” (Feen)With this, most of the reasons for abortions in the 19th century and prior were considered ethically justifiable on the grounds of poor health conditions of either the woman or the fetus.
Since 1969 abortion rates have soared from 4378 abortions to 91510 in 2006. This staggering amount has increased even with the introduction of condoms and the birth control pill. Reasons for having an abortion have also changed. Mother’s health problems count for only 3% of abortions followed by rape and fetal abnormalities which both account for 1% each according to abortion TV. (abortion)
So in the years after the boom of feminism, available statistics reveal other social reasons for growth in the rate of abortion. Accordingly: about 7.9% of women don’t want any more children, 10.8% think it will disrupt their education or job, 12.2% feel they are too young to have a baby, 14.1% have relationship problems with their partner or their partner does not want a baby, 21.3% cannot afford a baby, and 25% want to delay childbearing. Amalia Riviaos, attended an event at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford called the F-Word Panel. Amalia, who had asked not to be correctly identified said “All these statements that girls make are stupid reasons for an abortion. I have friends that have babies and friends that have had abortions and I’ve told them that their reasons aren’t justified. As a female having sex you need to understand the responsibilities that come along with having sex which include the possibilities that you can get pregnant and have a child. Saying that a baby will ruin your chances in school, or ruin your amazing body, or get you kicked out of your house is something you knew would happen from the beginning.” Patrick Davis, a student (who prefers to use this fictitious name), backed up Amalias’s statement saying “You have to take responsibility for your actions. There are condoms, birth control pills, and just not having sex altogether. You can’t say it’s not your problem. If you rent a car with no insurance and have fun driving it to different stores and recklessly crash it, you can’t jump out of the car and say oh! Well! It is not my problem and run away from the accident….you’ll be arrested”
To illustrate further Stephanie warned women to be aware of the stigma that may be associated with abortions. Stephanie who has had an abortion in the past explained her experience going into the procedure. “I remember driving there with my friend and going into the waiting room and seeing other females laughing and talking about previous abortions as if it was a sport. Soon after I came out of the operation room and started to cry, the room got very quiet, and one by one everyone started to cry with me as it became apparent to them what they were really doing. I told myself then I would never do this again”
As stated previously, abortion is an ethical, moral and socially divisive issue which has split the nation down the middle. According to the “Gallop Poll” that appeared in the New York Times in 2001: “Pro-life rose from 33% to 43%, and pro-choice declined from 56% to 48%.” The religious point of view on abortion is very straight forward and it seems that the rise in the US so called ‘religious right’ is helping to boost the number of pro-lifers. Although to counter religion, most teenagers tend to be pro-choice. The pie chart below illustrates the point that abortion remains a divisive issue throughout Wilfrid Laurier University.
In view of this gulf, the question remains: are the reasons feminists fought for pro-choice still relevant today?
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