Okay, again WARNING: Contents under pressure..may make people angry. Oh and I talked to Kay last night, it was so fun to just chat - we should so do it more often. And Kay, Sara - we really need to email more on our trip! That's all I'm gonna say.
This article was not, NOT written by Planned Parenthood, although it is pro-choice.
It is emotional and again, I just wanted it on my blog for my own personal satisfaction. It is an editorial; I realize this is not like a Watergate exclusive news story...but it is really sad whether you are pro-choice, pro-life, or not.
Copyright 2006 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Chicago Sun Times
April 24, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
EDITORIALS; Pg. 37
733 words
Who decides fate of 13-year-old rape victim?: I hope that politicians and voters will consider the facts about abortion.
Melissa Simon, Special to The Chicago Sun-Times
I was appalled when I heard South Dakota's governor declare that he signed an abortion ban into law because "unborn children are the most vulnerable and helpless persons in our society." As an obstetrician-gynecologist working at a major teaching hospital in Chicago, I treat women and girls every day who are in desperate need of reproductive health care services, ranging from abortion to counseling about contraceptives and prenatal care. One day is seared in my memory forever as an example of why the services we provide -- including safe, legal abortions -- are so essential.
My first patient that day was a scared, 12-year-old girl who was 22 weeks pregnant and wanted an abortion. She came into the clinic sucking her thumb and gripping her mother's hand. The girl claimed to have a boyfriend in the eighth grade. She had no knowledge of or access to contraception and had never been taught about sex either at school or at home.
Next, I treated a pregnant 13-year-old who had been raped by a 19-year-old man. She came to our clinic accompanied by her mother, while her seven younger brothers and sisters were in school. I will never forget the shame and fear in this young girl's face as she clutched her teddy bear and told me her story.
My third patient was another 13-year-old, who had been molested by her mother's boyfriend and was 23 weeks pregnant. She was brought into the clinic by a cousin. As I listened to this girl's story, I began to cry.
When I think about "the most helpless and vulnerable people in our society," I see the faces of the three young girls I treated in that one heartbreaking day. What compassion are we showing when we force a frightened girl to become a mother at age 13? When we prevent girls and boys from learning about contraception, setting them up for unintended pregnancies that could easily have been prevented? These girls need empathy and treatment, not laws and regulations that prevent them from getting the health care services they need.
A small but powerful group of extremely conservative politicians is working to ban abortion, deny emergency contraception to victims of rape, and teach young men and women that abstinence from sex is their only option to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. If these trends continue, I expect I will face many more heartbreaking days treating women who are the victims of policies that deny them access to safe, evidence-based health care.
Here are some facts that I wish more politicians would consider: Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States. Because abortion is so contentious, it has been widely studied and scrutinized, and we know that the risk of death or complications from either medication or surgical abortion is very low -- lower, in fact, than the risk of dying from childbirth. Mental health concerns are often raised as an objection to abortion, but while some women report feelings of sadness or guilt after having an abortion, their most prominent response is relief. We know from examples around the world that banning abortion only hurts women by driving the procedure underground and increasing the risks of substandard care.
Thirteen states are currently considering laws similar to South Dakota's ban on abortion. As these bills are debated in statehouses across our country, I hope that politicians and voters will consider the facts about abortion. We need to step away from political rhetoric and religious orthodoxies, and ensure that all Americans continue to have access to safe health care. The decision to have an abortion is a highly personal one and should be made by a woman, in consultation with her family and her doctor. When politicians decide what health care a 13-year-old rape victim can receive, they do nothing to resolve the problems that led to her pregnancy.
I agree that our society has an obligation to protect our most vulnerable and helpless persons. But banning abortion is not the solution. It is time for Americans to stand up in support of comprehensive sexuality education, access to contraceptives and scientifically based medicine. Let our society be remembered for its compassion and objectivity, not for the harm we have caused to countless women and girls.
Melissa Simon is an obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in family planning, and a member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.
8 comments:
Ah yes. Now this is a much better article. Kudos.
I stopped reading about halfway down because well... I just didn't want to read anymore. However... one line stuck out to me so far...
"What compassion are we showing when we force a frightened girl to become a mother at age 13"
Pro-life people do not force these young girls to become mothers. That 13 year old girl is already a mother... and there aren't enough people explaining that fact to her.
Also... the term "women's health services" bothers me. Since when is it healthy to put salt or forceps or a vacuum into a uterus to clean out a baby? I'd like to hear a pro-choicer explain how any of these things is "healthy" for a mother.
Also, abortion IS NOT one of the safest medical procedures. Many women are unable to bear children afterwards, either because their uterus was perforated, or because they are given and a cervix that doesnt work correctly, or a host of other reasons. Many women die, especially in late term abortions.
The article doesnt go into whether or not anyone is prosecuted in those cases, such as the girl being molested by her mother's boyfriend. In some cases, they make the girl have an abortion so that they cant prove who molested her.
I dont agree with abortions, but I do agree with people being taught safe sex.
As Kay was getting to, abortion doesnt make you "unpregnant" it just makes you the mother of a dead baby.
Ah crap. Honest debate that brings in outside facts? Seriously folks, hadn't it already been decided we weren't going to do that?
I did warn you that most of you wouldn't like it!
Great article Kater! I think you and I are thinking along the same lines. What may be right for one, is not right for another, and NO ONE should have the right to make that choice for another individual. Yes, there are alternatives,but these alternatives may not be the best for EVERY individual. Also, being in nursing school gives me access to more stats than I really want to look at, but I did some searching on this subject, and abortion, done correctly/hygienically is much safer than even some of the simplest procedures. It all deserves to be put into perspective, rather than taken out of context and mixed in with personal beliefs. Tis a very tough thing to do, but necessary.
Thanks! How's the studying going?
Also, Kristi - why couldn't you read anymore. Surely the whole article couldn't have been that offensive, even to you? You may disagree, but she works with stuff like this. It's painful to hear, and her conclusion is not yours, but her experiences are valid!
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