Reasons for Abortions

Unintended Pregnancies: The Root of Abortion

• 23 million pregnancies that occur in undeveloped countries. Greater than 40% are unwanted, and 28% end in termination of pregnancy.
• In 2008, there were approximately 208 million pregnancies that occurred worldwide with 33 million (16%) being unwanted pregnancy births. Approximately 41 million (20% of pregnancies) ended in abortion.
• 185 million pregnancies occur in developing countries with 40% unwanted and 19% end in abortion.
• On average, a woman must use some form of effective contraception for 20 year if she wants to limit her family size to two children, and 16 years if she only wants 4 children.
• A report in 2009 estimated that 215 million women in the developing world have an unmet need for modern long term contraception or emergency contraception. They do not want to get pregnant but they can only use natural contraception, or no method of contraception.
• 82% of unwanted pregnancies in developing countries occur among women who have an unmet need for modern contraception. Women using modern contraceptives account for only 18% of unintended pregnancies.
• Common reasons why women (both unmarried and married) do not use modern contraceptive methods include the fear of possible side-effects and the belief that they are not at risk of getting pregnant with teenagers who may believe that they can’t be pregnant with first incidence of sexual intercourse, or patients who are older who do not believe that they can get pregnant.
  

Over 88% of abortions take place in the first trimester (12 weeks or less from the last menstrual period), when a fetus cannot exist independent of the mother. The fetus is attached to the uterine wall by the placenta and umbilical cord. The fetus is totally dependent on the health and life of the woman. If detached from the uterine wall, the fetus will not live outside the mother’s womb, and therefore is not a separate entity.

There is no dispute that human life occurs at conception, but fertilized eggs used for in-vitro fertilization are also human lives and those not implanted are routinely thrown away. A human being is not a citizen nor has rights until it achieves personhood. Personhood is achieved only when the fetus is born. When personhood is reached and a life is taken, then that is murder. Is it murder to throw away fertilized eggs? If not, then how is abortion murder?

Adoption is not an alternative to abortion, because it remains the woman's choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Only very few women who give birth choose to give their child up for adoption. Less than 3% of white, unmarried women and less than 2% of black unmarried women choose giving their child for adoption. Women think that it is more of a sin to give their full born child up for adoption than to have an abortion.

Abortion is a frequently occurring and safe medical procedure performed in the United States. 88% of women who have an abortion do so in their first trimester. Abortions performed in the first trimester (medical or surgical) without complication do not affect a woman's health or future ability to become pregnant or give birth.

The violent acts of rape and incest cause women to become pregnant on a daily basis. Not many people, with the exception of a few conservative extremists, would argue that this causes detrimental psychological harm to the victim. Women are often in denial, too afraid to speak up or unaware they are pregnant. They may not know that the morning after pill (Emergency Contraception) can reduce the incidence of becoming pregnant by 65 to 85%.

Abortion is not used as a form of contraception. Pregnancy can occur even with responsible contraceptive use. Only 8% of women who have abortions do not use any form of birth control. Non-use is greatest among those who are young, poor, black, Hispanic or less educated.

The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to equal protection rights. Women have to be able to maintain control of their bodies. It should not be that a foreign body (pregnancy) without personhood should have rights over the woman’s choice. Take away her reproductive choice and you have to ask where does the power of the government controlling women’s rights end? If the government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy, will they then try to force her to use contraception or undergo sterilization.
b. Taxpayer dollars are used to enable poor women to access the same medical services as women who can afford to pay for their own services or who have medical insurance. Abortion is part of family planning and should be funded for by our government. All family planning services should be available to all women. In turn, this will decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country by a minimum of 500,000 pregnancies per year.

There are over 750,000 teenagers who become pregnant every year with over 80% of those ending in abortion. Teenage mothers who keep their pregnancy face grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave school, receive inadequate prenatal care, and rely on public assistance to raise a child, develop health problems, or end up divorced.

Even though the majority of teenagers become active sexually by the time they are 18 years old, there is a lack of knowledge regarding contraception, emergency contraception, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Adolescents are not commonly able to use health services to address their sexual health and reproductive health care needs. This means that they have lack of access to contraception, emergency contraception, or well woman exams. Teenagers must have access to health services in order to prevent unintended pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases including HIV. Existence of these community services must be made known to teenagers in the community.

Facing the decision about how to handle an unwanted pregnancy is one of the most difficult situations a woman may ever have to face in her lifetime. There are financial, ethical, moral, social, financial, familial, religious and age issues that patients have to regard when considering abortion. There is no doubt that this decision creates stress. The American Psychological Association found that stress was greatest prior to an abortion, and that there was no evidence of post-abortion syndrome.

A patient may request an exclusive or private appointment with Dr. Pendergraft by contacting him by E-mail preferable: Drpendergraft@gmail.com or call him directly at 321-445-2545 or call office location nearest you by clicking locations. Same day appointments can be arranged.  

For further information including family planning, please visit our premiere website.

www.womenscenter.com

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