Your post is eloquent, and deserves being responded to with thought by those who disagree with you. But, as I agree with you, I am not the one to do it. I can tell you, from experience, that you would get nothing better than the standard response about "well, what if you're wrong ~ isn't it better to err on the side of caution?" Which point was made, repeatedly, by those who oppose abortion. They think that, if only abortion were banned, then no one would get an abortion. You and I are old enough to remember that abortions were to be had, if one wanted one badly enough, either from "sympathetic" physicians, if compensated highly enough, or from non-professionals, some of whom sort of knew what they were doing.
I remember that the "sympathetic" physicians all said, if you get complications, this never happened, so don't come back to me. And complications were more common because the procedure was D&C with real curettage, not the vacuum aspiration, which is the safe method ~ although pills may be safer, we don't have them in this country. And complications are, indeed, a standard risk of the procedure, even in the most competent hands.
I worked at an abortion clinic in New Orleans, after Roe v. Wade, as a receptionist in college, evenings and weekends, it was my job to answer the phone when women called in with questions and problems, and questions about complications were a daily occurrance, just stuff like heavy bleeding (I was trained to question on the number of menstrual pads soaked in an hour, if too many, they were told to go to the hospital) or fever (likewise, if the fever were over a certain level, go to the hospital). It's a medical procedure, some people will need further care.
The earlier in the pregnancy, the less chance of complications. By the time the fetus is more than 12 weeks or so, it's impossible to do by vacuum curettage, and then the metal curets are needed, with the risk of scraping too deep. It always amazed me, the women who would wait and wait and then try to get an abortion. What were they thinking?????
But effective birth control is best. And abstinence isn't a bad idea, either. No one ever got pregnant that way.;^)
I tell my sons, "keep your pants pulled up and your pecker in your pants, and no one is going to get into trouble." I hope they listen to me. |
