Wednesday, October 31, 2007

For those who like science to back up their claims...

I know I tend to write a lot about reproductive choice, mainly because this administration works its hardest to deny it, but debating on principle alone can only get you so far. That's where science comes in, and come in strong it did. Published in the Lancet by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization, a new study investigated the occurrence and trends of abortions world wide. In summary, it found the following:

1) Abortions are less common now than a few years ago (46 million in 1995 vs 42 million in 2003)

2) In 2003, 48% of abortions were unsafe, with 97% of these occurring in developing countries

3) Western Europe, where birth control and abortion are most prevalent with little restrictions, had the lowest rate of abortions

Overall, abortion rates for developing versus developed nations were similar, even though developing nations generally had greater restrictions on access (i.e. in many it was illegal entirely). Unfortunately, the health risks for such countries are much higher, as women are more likely to have an unsafe abortion when illegal. This is even more of a reason as to why it is crucial we stop the global gag rule I referenced yesterday.

Especially in countries where it is not a legal issue, we should have no business restricting what resources health care agencies provide with non-US money. It's shocking and disappointing that we have been for so long now.

Just to be thorough, for more info on just what has been done with this administration in regards to accessing birth control and abortion services, check this out This is why your vote counts, in more ways than you'd imagine.

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