What if we could erase the need for abortion?
The 30th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: What Does It Really Mean for a Woman Facing the Difficult Decision of Abortion Today? WouldnÂ’t it be great if abortion was just not needed anymore? If the need for abortion were removed then so would be the debate. What if we could erase the need for abortion?
(PRWEB) January 13, 2003
A guest editorial by Jim Harden, President and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services, Inc., Rochester, New York
January 22, 1973 is the day the landscape of reproductive health in the United States was forever changed. It is a day interpreted as triumph to some, defeat to others, and signals uncomfortable confusion to many. Since the Supreme Court ruling of Roe vs. Wade, that held that unborn children are not privileged with the same human rights afforded you and me, pregnancy termination increased by 1500%. That translates into millions of children and tens of thousands of women whose lives have been cut short due to abortion procedures.
WouldnÂ’t it be great if abortion was just not needed anymore? If the need for abortion were removed then so would be the debate. What if we could erase the need for abortion? Wherever you may stand on the spectrum of opinion about the Supreme Court ruling, most people are simply uncomfortable with the sheer numbers mentioned above. What if it didnÂ’t matter if Roe vs. Wade was reversed? What if we, as a community, could just help individual women who are facing one of the toughest decisions in their life right now?
Abortion procedures are not political; they are medical. Any abortion is an invasive, elective medical procedure with risks and complications to the reproductive health of every womanÂ… just like any other invasive medical procedure has its corresponding risks. Knowing that, isnÂ’t it best not to have one if it can be avoided?
What would happen if a community were to serve women facing unplanned pregnancies with medical, social, and counseling services in an effort to give her comprehensive information and support so that she understands all of her options. I believe every woman has the right to go to a safe place that will not judge her nor profit from the choice she makes. Is it right that abortion providers profit from a woman when she is most vulnerable? I believe most women who have an abortion have not thoroughly and soberly thought out the nuances of the abortion issue. They have an abortion because they often feel trapped. . . as if they have no other choice.
The political debate in Washington, or the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling, doesnÂ’t tangibly help anyone today facing an unplanned pregnancy. But we can. As a community, we must help and support her with her options and tangibly show her that she does in fact have a choiceÂ… since choice means more than one alternative.
For more information about CompassCare Pregnancy Services or to discuss the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling, contact Jim Harden, 585.232.3894.
