I have always believed that women should have all rights to their bodies, including the right not to carry an unwanted child. The fact is, biology is working against women in a cruel way. First, a woman can be made pregnant against her will. Second, whether she wants the baby or not, she becomes a slave to it while she is pregnant. Third, she is ultimately responsible for it when it is born. It is an 18+ year commitment, a commitment not to be taken lightly, a commitment that, to be honest, some women should never try to make. A woman who is not ready for motherhood can take a sweet little bundle of human potential and ruin it utterly, and she can do so before it’s even born.
When I was younger, I felt that abortion could be an option for me if I ever got pregnant by accident. When I got older and had some financial stability, I decided that abortion should continue to be an option for others but that it was no longer the right choice for me. Then, when I finally got pregnant in my 30s, I had a whole new scenario to consider: what if my baby had Down Syndrome?
Doctors can do tests to find out if your fetus has certain types of genetic problems, including Down Syndrome. They sold us on the least invasive type of test, which they call the Integrated Test. It is a combination of a deep ultrasound and two rounds of blood work. They put all the results together and tell you what your odds are of having a Down Syndrome child. Mine were something like 1/50,000, which was very reassuring. The thing is, after seeing the ultrasound pictures, I don’t know that I could have aborted, regardless of the baby’s prognosis. He had little arms and little legs and he was somersaulting around in my belly. He already had so many human features and seemed so alive. How could I kill something like that? I have a hard time just stepping on an insect.
So how has pregnancy changed my opinion of abortion? Not much. I still believe that abortion must be legal. Too many atrocities, from botched back-alley abortions to babies irreparably damaged in the womb by illegal drugs, will be committed if we don’t keep abortion legal. But late-term abortions are bad, and I cannot imagine too many scenarios in which they could be justified. I would ask all women to be mindful of how quickly that blob of cells becomes something else entirely. Be aware of your body. Know when you’re pregnant. Make your decision quickly.
And I would ask the world for more support for pregnant women. Most of the people fighting against abortion are going about it the wrong way. Instead of harrassing people at Planned Parenthood, ranting on talk radio, murdering doctors, and trying to overturn necessary laws, how about providing education and options for the women who need them? If you weren’t so busy with such stupid activities, you’d realize that the way to stop abortion is to eliminate the need for it. So why aren’t you out there teaching girls and boys how to protect themselves and behave themselves? Why aren’t you trying to stop rape and incest? Why aren’t you adopting the unwanted children? Why aren’t you financially supporting the pregnant women who can’t afford to have their babies?
Sometimes half the battle is knowing how to fight it.
And that is my opinion on a touchy subject. Take it as you will.