Before you all expire from shock, clutching your pearls, let me add: I am also entirely pro-choice and it is a major deal-breaker when I vote. Politician won't respect a woman's bodily autonomy? Die in a fire.
Sometimes - frequently - among pro-choice rhetoric I find this idea: We all have to be okay with abortions at any point in a pregnancy because we support a women's right to choose. It's a normal medical procedure! Nobody should feel uncomfortable with it!
Well.... no. There is a point where it turns from a fetus into a baby who could, in fact, survive on the outside. I will continue to support every woman's right to end a pregnancy but actually no, I don't have to feel like it's just the same as outpatient sinus surgery and yes, I do feel morally conflicted. (Except the part where not my body, not my business, just like every other medical procedure.) Possibly third trimester abortions should be rare- but they are. And definitely I think that we should fund Planned Parenthood adequately; that every woman should have access to reliable, affordable birth control, and prenatal services that don't cost an arm and a leg*; and we should have decent maternity leave and support for going back to work and so on.
And then I read something like Texas's weasely anti woman arguments and seriously, FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE. You know what?? Burn Texas down! Abortions for everyone! RBG forever!
* I was charged $40 per visit on my fancy insurance. Do you know how many prenatal visits I had? 13. Plus five postnatal visits. Plus the hospital bill for me and the baby and, and, and... (Yes, their ACA exemption has finally expired. Insurance still sucks.)
My opinions are much the same, although I would never label myself "anti-abortion." I would personally find it an extremely difficult decision to choose to terminate a pregnancy, and that's exactly why I'm pro-choice: that's a decision that no one has the right to make for any other woman. I'm especially pro-choice when it comes to second-trimester abortions in that vague time where maybe the fetus is viable but probably not, because I remember what that stage of pregnancy was like and if you're choosing to terminate at that point, something somehow must be very wrong (either with the baby or in your life).
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, "safe, legal, and rare."
Burn Texas' attorney general's office down! (Not literally.) Did you know Scalia died right after my birthday? Speaking of anti abortion loons.
DeleteI also feel it's none of my business and yes, most later abortions are because something is very wrong somewhere.
I must say, my feelings about abortion have changed quite a bit since becoming older and a mama. I used to be pretty much "It's a normal medical procedure! Nobody should feel uncomfortable with it!", but there's nothing like experience with gestation to make it seem more complicated than that. All of which also doesn't prevent me from being deal breakingly pro choice too.
ReplyDeleteTotally and completely agree. I am very leery of abortion (barring pressing medical concerns) past the first month or two, and I am also pro-choice. Because life is complicated. It's a position that is hard for the very young to understand--I think one has to live a little to get to it.
ReplyDeleteFlames on the sides of my face! (Love that movie!)
ReplyDelete