RubySoho
Winston
This Is What Happens When Abortion Is Illegal
August 11th 2008 04:12
For anyone who believes that the criminalisation of abortion will result in its demise, this should be somewhat of a wake-up call.
Women’s rights advocates have long maintained that abortion must be legal, safe and accessible to prevent botched ‘backyard’ abortion procedures which, in the days before Roe v Wade and other legislation that granted women control over their bodies, would often result in the death, infertility or other serious complications of the woman having the procedure. Indeed, it was the sheer number of women seeking illegal abortions and the risks involved that led to many countries such as Australia, the UK and the USA overturning bans on abortion. Whilst abortion is still technically a crime in some parts of Australia, it is not a law that is enforced to any degree.
Many pro-life groups lament the number of abortions Australia and the USA (approx 80,000 and 1.3 million each year respectively), stating that criminalisation would result in a drastic drop in women aborting pregnancies. However, statistics from countries in which abortion is still a crime show that this is not the case. Feminists have argued until blue in the face that women will continue to seek a way to end an unwanted pregnancy, whether it is legal or not, thus placing their own safety at risk.
And they are absolutely correct.
In July of this year, Brazil’s Parliament voted to keep abortion a crime (except in cases of rape or health complications), in the staunchly Catholic country. This despite the fact that estimates put the number of yearly abortions at 1 million . According to the National Autonomous University of Mexico close to one million women seek illegal abortions
in that country’s underground clinics, not only jeopardising their health but also risking prison terms if they are caught.
And now, desperate women are turning to the web to help them terminate unwanted pregnancies. I came across this article on BBC News:
Women 'using web for abortions'
Some women in countries where abortion is restricted are using the internet to buy medication enabling them to abort a pregnancy at home…Women in Northern Ireland and over 70 countries with restrictions have used one of the main websites, Women on Web.
A British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology review of 400 customers found nearly 11% had needed a surgical procedure after taking the medication. The website says it can help reduce the problems linked with unsafe abortions.
Almost 200 women answered questions about their experiences - 58% said they were just grateful to have been able to have had an abortion in this way, while 31% had felt stressed but found the experience acceptable.
Women on Web posts the drugs only to countries where abortion is heavily restricted, and to women who declare they are less than nine weeks' pregnant.
A US woman, who has a rare medical complication meaning pregnancy is life-threatening to her, described her experience when she used the website while in Thailand.
"Women on Web kept in contact with me via e-mail. The medication arrived through Customs, properly blister-packed, with complete paperwork and a doctor's signature.
"Medication from other websites came in unmarked bottles with no instructions or paperwork - it was quite frightening. I was not very far along - only three or four weeks. It went smoothly for me.I think it's very important women have this resource to turn to in that situation - and they can need it for a number of reasons."
The Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland has had several calls from women considering buying abortion pills online. The FPA said that on two occasions, women bought drugs without appropriate medical information. They experienced complications and needed aftercare.
Northern Ireland FPA director Audrey Simpson said: "The Women On Web site is very helpful and reputable.
"But for Northern Ireland women, it is encouraging them to break the law - and as an organisation, we have to work within the law. We're really concerned about women accessing the rogue sites - we're hearing about it and we know it's happening. There are potentially serious medical complications for women from sites which aren't well managed and this could be the new era of backstreet abortions."
Anti-abortion campaigners said they were appalled by such websites.
Josephine Quintavalle, from the group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "This is very worrying indeed. It represents further trivialisation of the value of the unborn child.
"It's like taking abortion into the shadows. These drugs have side-effects and tragedies will increase."
I think Quintavalle has missed the point entirely. Yes, the drugs have side effects and yes some will result in tragedy but that is exactly why abortion must be safe and legal. Because women will continue to abort pregnancies, whether other people approve of it or not. And whilst pro-life groups harp on about the value of the life of the ‘unborn child’, in practice, what they are actually doing is trivialising the life and value of women in society. If abortion is indeed being "taken into the shadows", it has been driven there by pro-life groups, which are giving women no other recourse but to break the law and endanger their own lives by seeking illegal methods of terminating pregnancies.
This is the Abstract from an article in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics:
The influence of abortion legislation on maternal mortality
Worldwide some 20 million unsafe abortions take place each year and account for approximately 13% of all maternal mortality and serious complications associated with it, such as sepsis, hemorrhage and trauma. Only a quarter of all women in the world do not have any access to legal abortion, whereas 40% have a legal right to decide for themselves. This liberalization of abortion legislation has seen a tremendous drop in abortion-related maternal mortality. Death from unsafe abortions are almost unknown in countries where abortion is available on request. Reduction of the need for induced abortion through the provision of good family planning services should be an integral part of healthcare. Consistent use of contraception greatly reduces the need for abortion, but it cannot completely eliminate this need. Thus, it is essential that safe medical abortion services should be made available to all women in the world in cases of contraceptive failure.
I have nothing more to add other than I completely agree.
-Ruby
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Comment by Ravens
Comment by Ravens
Comment by Ravens' wraith
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
And I don't think you have the right to dictate what happens to other people's bodies.
But thanks for commenting...thrice.
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
don't get me wrong, I absolutely do not think online abortions are the way to go. That's why I titled this post the way I did. My point is, essentially, that women who do not want to proceed with a pregnancy will try to find a way to end it. Even if that option is illegal and even if that option places them at risk.
To me, it's just another reason why abortion must be accessible.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
surely if these countries know women are forced to order medications over the internet they should be able to acknowledge that their little system inst working and just endangering women who would be too ashamed or frightened to seek after-care if complications arose
Comment by Summer Minor
Kitten Politics
Because that's exactly what they want.
They want you to be in pain, to get infections, to bleed, to die. They don't care about "saving the babies" they care about punishing women for having the nerve to use their bodies in ways these people don't approve of. If you have sex, outside of marriage, and without being completely open to their sky god putting a baby in your womb then you should be punished. And if that means that they have to take matters into their own hands to do it (jail time, medical complications, death) then so be.
Which, to me, shows a complete lack of faith in their own sky god being able to do his own smiting if he felt the need.