Why women have abortions

[Scott]

After discussing why women have abortions in another thread whose topic definitely isn't abortions, I decided it would be better to make a thread for the subject instead. Below is an excerpt from an article that lists the different reasons women have abortions:
**
Generally, people use the term “abortion” to refer to the intentional termination of a pregnancy.
The vast majority of abortions take place early in pregnancy. In 2020, 93.1% of abortions in the United States occurred at 13 weeks’ gestation or sooner.
The Turnaway study followed 954 people from across the United States who sought abortions between 2008 and 2010 to learn the reasons for and effects of pursuing pregnancy termination.
The responses fell into several broad themes, with many people reporting that a combination of factors influenced the decision.

Financial circumstances​

Around 40% of people mentioned a financial reason for needing an abortion. Most of them had general financial concerns or said they could not afford to support a child.
Around 4% said a lack of employment contributed to their decision, and 0.6% said they terminated their pregnancies because of a lack of insurance or government assistance.

Timing​

More than one-third (36%) of study participants cited reasons relating to timing. Some felt they were not emotionally or financially ready to have a baby, while others felt they were too old to have a child.

Partner-related reasons​

Almost one-third (31%) of study participants gave reasons relating to their partner.
For example, some said they did not have a good or stable relationship with their partner or that their partner was unsupportive. Around 8% wanted to get married before having children. Others mentioned that they had a partner who was abusive or who did not want the baby.

Other responsibilities​

Around 29% of people mentioned they needed to focus on their other children. They said they already felt overextended with their current children and would be overwhelmed by having another. A small percentage of people thought that having a baby would adversely affect their other children and quality of life.
Additionally, about 20% of people reported having an abortion because the timing would interfere with their future opportunities and goals. They felt they could not continue their education or advance their careers while raising a baby.

Emotions and mental health​

Around 19% of people in the study expressed that they were emotionally or mentally unprepared for a child. They mentioned not having the mental capacity to have a baby or not feeling mentally stable enough to raise a child.

Other health-related reasons​

Approximately 12% of individuals mentioned health-related reasons for having an abortion, such as:

• concerns for their health
• concerns for the health of the fetus
• drug, tobacco, or alcohol use
• non-illegal prescription drug or birth control use
• worsening of existing health issues, such as back pain and diabetes
• mental health concerns
• the effect of medications for existing health conditions on the fetus

Inability to provide for a baby​

Some people — around 12% — chose abortion because of their desire for a better life for the child than they could provide. They mentioned feeling inadequate and unable to care for themselves or a child.
Other people said their housing situation was unsuitable for a baby.

Not independent or mature enough for a baby​

Just under 7% of people reported a lack of maturity or said they had to rely on other people. Some explained that they felt they were too young for a baby and were unprepared for parenthood.

Influences from family and friends​

About 5% of people described influences from family and friends as a reason they chose abortion. They worried that a child would be a strain on their family or that they would experience judgment from others.
Some people had an abortion because they were too scared to tell their parents about their pregnancy, while a small proportion had pressure from family to end their pregnancy.
**

Full article:

The reasons for abortion: Statistics, safety, and access

There are many reasons for abortion, ranging from serious health risks and family planning to financial concerns. Learn more here.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[Scott]

I just pulled up an article on reasons why women have abortions. Convenience was not one of the reasons mentioned. From the article in question:
**

Financial circumstances​

Around 40% of people mentioned a financial reason for needing an abortion. Most of them had general financial concerns or said they could not afford to support a child.
Around 4% said a lack of employment contributed to their decision, and 0.6% said they terminated their pregnancies because of a lack of insurance or government assistance.

Timing​

More than one-third (36%) of study participants cited reasons relating to timing. Some felt they were not emotionally or financially ready to have a baby, while others felt they were too old to have a child.

Partner-related reasons​

Almost one-third (31%) of study participants gave reasons relating to their partner.
For example, some said they did not have a good or stable relationship with their partner or that their partner was unsupportive. Around 8% wanted to get married before having children. Others mentioned that they had a partner who was abusive or who did not want the baby.
**

Source:

The reasons for abortion: Statistics, safety, and access

There are many reasons for abortion, ranging from serious health risks and family planning to financial concerns. Learn more here.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

All of the reasons you cited fall under "convenience,"

I decided to look up the definitions of convenience and I see that -some- of them would apply, but based on the fact that most people think of convenience as something that is -only- done for comfort rather than strong needs, I think it's a misleading term here at best. The terms actually used in the article linked to and referenced in the opening post of this thread are much more accurate.

 

[Hawkeye10]

42% were getting their second or more abortion......that begins to sound like a lifestyle choice.

One in Four US Women Expected to Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

www.guttmacher.org

 

[Scott]

42% were getting their second or more abortion......that begins to sound like a lifestyle choice.

One in Four US Women Expected to Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

www.guttmacher.org

Sure, in the sense that being a drug addict is a "lifestyle choice". I suspect that most women who have abortions do so for good reasons.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Sure, in the sense that being a drug addict is a "lifestyle choice". I suspect that most women who have abortions do so for good reasons.

Lack of effort at contraception is not a good reason.

 

[Scott]

Sure, in the sense that being a drug addict is a "lifestyle choice". I suspect that most women who have abortions do so for good reasons.

Lack of effort at contraception is not a good reason.

There are a few things here. For starters, contraception methods don't always work:
**
In 2014, about half (51%) of abortion patients in the United States reported that they had used a contraceptive method in the month they became pregnant, according to a new analysis by Guttmacher researcher Rachel Jones.
**

Source:

https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2018/about-half-us-abortion-patients-report-using-contraception-month-they-became\

As to the rest, the following article may offer some clues:

High rates of unintended pregnancies linked to gaps in family planning services: New WHO study

A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 36 countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and underestimation of the likelihood of conception. This...

www.who.int

Quoting from its introduction:
**
A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 36 countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and underestimation of the likelihood of conception. This led to one in four pregnancies being unintended.

Whilst unintended pregnancies do not necessarily equate to pregnancies that are unwanted, they may lead to a wide range of health risks for the mother and child, such as malnutrition, illness, abuse and neglect, and even death. Unintended pregnancies can further lead to cycles of high fertility, as well as lower educational and employment potential and poverty – challenges which can span generations.
**

 

[IBDaMann]

I decided to look up the definitions of convenience

Look up "inconvenient", i.e. how inconvenient it would be for the mother to have to deal with a pregnancy and with raising a child.

This is the single reason, in more than 99% of the cases.

 

[IBDaMann]

A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 36 countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and underestimation of the likelihood of conception.

How many of the sexually active women had stopped having sex?

This led to one in four pregnancies being unintended.

If they were still having sex, the pregnancies were deliberate.

Whilst unintended pregnancies do not necessarily equate to pregnancies that are unwanted, they may lead to a wide range of health risks for the mother and child,

This non-study is merely propaganda that pushes abortion as a birth control option.

 

[Yakuda]

After discussing why women have abortions in another thread whose topic definitely isn't abortions, I decided it would be better to make a thread for the subject instead. Below is an excerpt from an article that lists the different reasons women have abortions:
**
Generally, people use the term “abortion” to refer to the intentional termination of a pregnancy.
The vast majority of abortions take place early in pregnancy. In 2020, 93.1% of abortions in the United States occurred at 13 weeks’ gestation or sooner.
The Turnaway study followed 954 people from across the United States who sought abortions between 2008 and 2010 to learn the reasons for and effects of pursuing pregnancy termination.
The responses fell into several broad themes, with many people reporting that a combination of factors influenced the decision.

Financial circumstances​

Around 40% of people mentioned a financial reason for needing an abortion. Most of them had general financial concerns or said they could not afford to support a child.
Around 4% said a lack of employment contributed to their decision, and 0.6% said they terminated their pregnancies because of a lack of insurance or government assistance.

Timing​

More than one-third (36%) of study participants cited reasons relating to timing. Some felt they were not emotionally or financially ready to have a baby, while others felt they were too old to have a child.

Partner-related reasons​

Almost one-third (31%) of study participants gave reasons relating to their partner.
For example, some said they did not have a good or stable relationship with their partner or that their partner was unsupportive. Around 8% wanted to get married before having children. Others mentioned that they had a partner who was abusive or who did not want the baby.

Other responsibilities​

Around 29% of people mentioned they needed to focus on their other children. They said they already felt overextended with their current children and would be overwhelmed by having another. A small percentage of people thought that having a baby would adversely affect their other children and quality of life.
Additionally, about 20% of people reported having an abortion because the timing would interfere with their future opportunities and goals. They felt they could not continue their education or advance their careers while raising a baby.

Emotions and mental health​

Around 19% of people in the study expressed that they were emotionally or mentally unprepared for a child. They mentioned not having the mental capacity to have a baby or not feeling mentally stable enough to raise a child.

Other health-related reasons​

Approximately 12% of individuals mentioned health-related reasons for having an abortion, such as:

• concerns for their health
• concerns for the health of the fetus
• drug, tobacco, or alcohol use
• non-illegal prescription drug or birth control use
• worsening of existing health issues, such as back pain and diabetes
• mental health concerns
• the effect of medications for existing health conditions on the fetus

Inability to provide for a baby​

Some people — around 12% — chose abortion because of their desire for a better life for the child than they could provide. They mentioned feeling inadequate and unable to care for themselves or a child.
Other people said their housing situation was unsuitable for a baby.

Not independent or mature enough for a baby​

Just under 7% of people reported a lack of maturity or said they had to rely on other people. Some explained that they felt they were too young for a baby and were unprepared for parenthood.

Influences from family and friends​

About 5% of people described influences from family and friends as a reason they chose abortion. They worried that a child would be a strain on their family or that they would experience judgment from others.
Some people had an abortion because they were too scared to tell their parents about their pregnancy, while a small proportion had pressure from family to end their pregnancy.
**

Full article:

The reasons for abortion: Statistics, safety, and access

There are many reasons for abortion, ranging from serious health risks and family planning to financial concerns. Learn more here.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

It seems to me that the abortion debate reflects a much deeper shift in attitudes that isn't healthy. Basically more and more people seem to think they should be free to do whatever they like and not have any consequences. The immigration debate also reflects this shift. Politicians are even blocking ICE from doing its legitimate job of removing people who entered the country illegally. If you enter illegally can you really be surprised there are consequences? You only could be surprised if you believe that consequences don't matter or are based on bogus claims of racism.

With abortion you engage in baby making behavior and are surprised that you got pregnant????? Really? But there should be no expectation for people to restrain their desires if the results of their actions could affect the negatively???? I don't get this fucked up mentality.

 

[Nordberg]

The lack of affordable childcare in America is a problem. The lack of universal healthcare is another. Then ,school tuition can cripple a family forever.
Having a child can make it impossible for a mother to further her education. That inhibits the future of mother and child.

 

[Lionfish]

42% were getting their second or more abortion......that begins to sound like a lifestyle choice.

One in Four US Women Expected to Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

www.guttmacher.org

Mostly liberal women. Consider it a gift.

 

[Scott]

I found the following article on why women have abortions that I found to be quite good:

Poverty is the Commonest Reason For Abortion: This is not a choice

www.bmj.com

 

[Nordberg]

Some girls get pregnant when they are way too young and immature to raise a child. It is cruel to allow her to mentally and emotionally damage a kid as she is growing up at the same time.

 

[Scott]

All of the reasons you cited fall under "convenience," [snip]

I decided to look up the definitions of convenience [snip]

Look up "inconvenient", i.e. how inconvenient it would be for the mother to have to deal with a pregnancy and with raising a child.

As with the word convenient, there are multiple definitions- some would apply in this case, some wouldn't. I'll list the first 3 that I found from The American Heritage Dictionary, 5th Edition:
**

• adjective Not convenient, especially.
• adjective Not accessible; hard to reach.
• adjective Not suited to one's comfort, purpose, or needs.

**
Source:

inconvenient — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik

All the words

www.wordnik.com

The 1st definition refers to convenient, in which case looking at the definitions I saw of convenience would be helpful. Those can be seen here:

convenient — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik

All the words

www.wordnik.com

The 2nd and 3rd definitions get into the definition directly. I find the third one to be particular educational- in a single definition, it lists 3 things after the "not suited to" bit: comfort, purpose and needs. There is frequently a -vast- difference between what one finds comfortable and what one actually needs. Today, I read an article I found to be quite interesting that gets into the needs part of this equation when it comes to why women have abortions. It can be seen here:

Poverty is the Commonest Reason For Abortion: This is not a choice

www.bmj.com

 

[Scott]

Quoting from its introduction:
**
A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 36 countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and underestimation of the likelihood of conception.

How many of the sexually active women had stopped having sex?

I think we can agree that if they are sexually active, they haven't stopped having sex.

Quoting from its introduction:
**
A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 36 countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and underestimation of the likelihood of conception. This led to one in four pregnancies being unintended.

If they were still having sex, the pregnancies were deliberate.

That's like saying if you still drive, any crashes were deliberate. That's just not how things work.

Quoting from its introduction:
**
[snip]
Whilst unintended pregnancies do not necessarily equate to pregnancies that are unwanted, they may lead to a wide range of health risks for the mother and child, such as malnutrition, illness, abuse and neglect, and even death. Unintended pregnancies can further lead to cycles of high fertility, as well as lower educational and employment potential and poverty – challenges which can span generations.
**

This non-study is merely propaganda that pushes abortion as a birth control option.

First, the part you quoted doesn't appear to be part of any study, but rather what the author believes. He or she may have good evidence to believe these things, but in the quote above, they don't actually provide said evidence.

 

[IBDaMann]

As with the word convenient,

Let's get back to the words "contract killing" which captures the contractual nature of the killing of a living human.

Let's consider, for a moment, the abortion subset. The customer and the killer-doctor negotiate a fee for the unaliving services and the body-disposal.

You were going to explain how set theory is wrong.

 

[IBDaMann]

I think we can agree that if they are sexually active, they haven't stopped having sex.

Exactly. The pregnancy is never "unplanned", just "unwanted". The moment a foreseeable result is accepted, it is planned.

That's like saying if you still drive, any crashes were deliberate.

Nope. It's like saying that if you still drive, the driving is deliberate and a possible crash is totally and deliberately accepted.

First, the part you quoted doesn't appear to be part of any study,

Hence the word "non-study".

 

[Into the Night]

As with the word convenient, there are multiple definitions- some would apply in this case, some wouldn't. I'll list the first 3 that I found from The American Heritage Dictionary, 5th Edition:
**

• adjective Not convenient, especially.
• adjective Not accessible; hard to reach.
• adjective Not suited to one's comfort, purpose, or needs.

**
Source:

inconvenient — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik

All the words

www.wordnik.com

The 1st definition refers to convenient, in which case looking at the definitions I saw of convenience would be helpful. Those can be seen here:

convenient — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik

All the words

www.wordnik.com

The 2nd and 3rd definitions get into the definition directly. I find the third one to be particular educational- in a single definition, it lists 3 things after the "not suited to" bit: comfort, purpose and needs. There is frequently a -vast- difference between what one finds comfortable and what one actually needs. Today, I read an article I found to be quite interesting that gets into the needs part of this equation when it comes to why women have abortions. It can be seen here:

Poverty is the Commonest Reason For Abortion: This is not a choice

www.bmj.com

False authority fallacy. No dictionary defines any word. Your word games cannot justify murder.

 

[Scott]

After discussing why women have abortions in another thread whose topic definitely isn't abortions, I decided it would be better to make a thread for the subject instead. Below is an excerpt from an article that lists the different reasons women have abortions:
**
Generally, people use the term “abortion” to refer to the intentional termination of a pregnancy.
The vast majority of abortions take place early in pregnancy. In 2020, 93.1% of abortions in the United States occurred at 13 weeks’ gestation or sooner.
The Turnaway study followed 954 people from across the United States who sought abortions between 2008 and 2010 to learn the reasons for and effects of pursuing pregnancy termination.
The responses fell into several broad themes, with many people reporting that a combination of factors influenced the decision.

Financial circumstances​

Around 40% of people mentioned a financial reason for needing an abortion. Most of them had general financial concerns or said they could not afford to support a child.
Around 4% said a lack of employment contributed to their decision, and 0.6% said they terminated their pregnancies because of a lack of insurance or government assistance.

Timing​

More than one-third (36%) of study participants cited reasons relating to timing. Some felt they were not emotionally or financially ready to have a baby, while others felt they were too old to have a child.

Partner-related reasons​

Almost one-third (31%) of study participants gave reasons relating to their partner.
For example, some said they did not have a good or stable relationship with their partner or that their partner was unsupportive. Around 8% wanted to get married before having children. Others mentioned that they had a partner who was abusive or who did not want the baby.

Other responsibilities​

Around 29% of people mentioned they needed to focus on their other children. They said they already felt overextended with their current children and would be overwhelmed by having another. A small percentage of people thought that having a baby would adversely affect their other children and quality of life.
Additionally, about 20% of people reported having an abortion because the timing would interfere with their future opportunities and goals. They felt they could not continue their education or advance their careers while raising a baby.

Emotions and mental health​

Around 19% of people in the study expressed that they were emotionally or mentally unprepared for a child. They mentioned not having the mental capacity to have a baby or not feeling mentally stable enough to raise a child.

Other health-related reasons​

Approximately 12% of individuals mentioned health-related reasons for having an abortion, such as:

• concerns for their health
• concerns for the health of the fetus
• drug, tobacco, or alcohol use
• non-illegal prescription drug or birth control use
• worsening of existing health issues, such as back pain and diabetes
• mental health concerns
• the effect of medications for existing health conditions on the fetus

Inability to provide for a baby​

Some people — around 12% — chose abortion because of their desire for a better life for the child than they could provide. They mentioned feeling inadequate and unable to care for themselves or a child.
Other people said their housing situation was unsuitable for a baby.

Not independent or mature enough for a baby​

Just under 7% of people reported a lack of maturity or said they had to rely on other people. Some explained that they felt they were too young for a baby and were unprepared for parenthood.

Influences from family and friends​

About 5% of people described influences from family and friends as a reason they chose abortion. They worried that a child would be a strain on their family or that they would experience judgment from others.
Some people had an abortion because they were too scared to tell their parents about their pregnancy, while a small proportion had pressure from family to end their pregnancy.
**

Full article:

The reasons for abortion: Statistics, safety, and access

There are many reasons for abortion, ranging from serious health risks and family planning to financial concerns. Learn more here.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

It seems to me that the abortion debate reflects a much deeper shift in attitudes that isn't healthy. Basically more and more people seem to think they should be free to do whatever they like and not have any consequences. The immigration debate also reflects this shift. Politicians are even blocking ICE from doing its legitimate job of removing people who entered the country illegally. If you enter illegally can you really be surprised there are consequences? You only could be surprised if you believe that consequences don't matter or are based on bogus claims of racism.

With abortion you engage in baby making behavior and are surprised that you got pregnant????? Really? But there should be no expectation for people to restrain their desires if the results of their actions could affect the negatively???? I don't get this fucked up mentality.

Have you ever actually spoken with someone who's had an abortion?

 

[Scott]

The lack of affordable childcare in America is a problem. The lack of universal healthcare is another. Then ,school tuition can cripple a family forever.
Having a child can make it impossible for a mother to further her education. That inhibits the future of mother and child.

Very good points.