Contraception and Abortion
THE abortion rate hit a record high last year, according to government figures published yesterday that also show a sharp rise in terminations to girls aged under 14.
In 2004 the abortion rate rose by 2.1 per cent to 17.8 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, the highest recorded, according to the Department of Health. This resulted in 185,415 women resident in England and Wales having an abortion, compared with 181,600 in 2003.
The overall abortion rate among girls aged under 16 fell from 3.9 to 3.7 per 1,000, but the number of girls aged under 14 who had an abortion rose by 6 per cent last year to 157.
The findings provoked mixed reactions yesterday from people working in the family planning field. Some predicted that the rate would continue to rise as women increasingly regarded having a termination as a lifestyle choice.
Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Britain’s leading abortion provider, noted that the rate was highest for those aged 18 to 24, at 31.9 terminations per 1,000 women.
This is part of a growing trend for women in this age bracket opting to end unwanted pregnancies, she said. Most women are at least 29 before they have a child and the increase in abortion rates of women aged 20 to 24 reflects that.
“Women today want to plan their families and, when contraception fails, they are prepared to use abortion to get back in control of their lives,” Ms Furedi said. [Source]
More proof that abortion is backup contraception. They are now willing to admit that a growing abortion rate can be linked to contraceptive failure. The Fact Is reported earlier this week that even the studies done by the pro-abortion founded Alan Guttmacher Institute show this.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute is the research arm of Planned Parenthood and openly supports abortion and widespread access to contraceptives. The report placed great emphasis on the fact that 48 percent of pregnancies in the US are unplanned. Of those unplanned pregnancies, 47 percent end in abortion, 40 percent are carried to full term and 13 percent end in miscarriage. Advocates of abortion often argue that to decrease abortions, unintended pregnancies must be reduced through increased access to contraceptives. But the Guttmacher Institute's research indicates that 53 percent of women who have unintended pregnancies used a contraceptive method during the month they got pregnant.
This of course is something that pro-lifers have argued for some time that the contraceptive mentality leads to an increase in abortions. So it is in fact those who call for more access to contraceptives are calling for us to throw gasoline on the fire to put it out.
David at Catholics in the Public Square also posted in response to the study:
The "95-10" Initiative, which the group, Democrats for Life, is promoting, includes health insurance coverage for contraception and increased federal money for pregnancy prevention education which would likely include information on the use of contraception. Will this data give them second thoughts on promoting contraception? Let us pray that it does. ]
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The Church's teaching on contraception is really amazing.
So utterly absurd to our culture, but so perfectly true.
One happy day I'll wake up and start conversing with somebody who, although not understanding or agreeing with Church teaching on contraception, is capable of grasping that it's about conforming our marriages to the image of Divine Love, which is both unitive and creative, and not about making sure people have as many babies as possible. One happy day.
As far as 53% of women with unintended pregnancies using contraception during the month they became pregnant - it means they used it at least once. Possibly at most once.
Maybe Jack insisted on using a condom; Bob refused, and Liz got pregnant. But the studies count this as condom failure, and PP uses it to justify the need for abortions - contraception doesn't always work.
I have known close to thirty people who had unplanned pregnancies and only one had a contraceptive failure. The rest took chances, at certain times, in absolute ignorance of NFP, or never used contraception at all.
Not to argue with the contraceptive mentality leading to abortion - I know people who think using contraception is like signing a contract with fate and gives them an absolute right not to have a child and still look down on those who use abortion as birth control.
It's also true that there are many married couples who use contraception and would nontheless welcome and love any unplanned child.
Jack, Bob and Liz? Did I miss something here?