In 1973 the United States Supreme Court ruled that laws preventing abortion in the United States violated our constitutional right to privacy. Due to "Due Process" as outlined by the 14th Amendment, all State and Federal anti-abortion laws that outlawed abortion were overturned.
In this ruling, the Supreme Court established a woman's right to decide what happens to her own body - at least up to the point in which the fetus is able to live outside the mother's womb. And in the case where a woman's health is endangered, even a viable fetus may be aborted.
My personal feelings about abortion is that it should be rendered unnecessary. If I were given a magic wand to wave, I'd give every woman the biological ability to physically reverse a pregnancy and reabsorb a viable fetus - at any point, at will.
But since I can't do that, I want to do the next best thing. I advocate safe contraceptives that would make it darned hard for a woman to become pregnant until she decides to do so. I advocate teaching men and women about contraceptives and contraceptive methods before they grow to child-bearing age, so they can be prepared to make those decisions.
I also advocate that abortion must be kept safe, legal and affordable for all women.
That this basic human right - the woman's right to choose - is under attack is really no surprise. Protests, graphic images, pharmacists refusing to fill emergency and standard contraceptives, even religious whackos physically attacking and killing abortion providers and their staff - all of these actions have become matter-of-fact, prosaic.
But there is another front on this war against woman's rights. Anti-abortionists are actively working to prevent medical students from receiving education in abortion methods. This isn't good - this isn't just a denial of women's rights - but it is also dangerous to women's health. The medical techniques involved are not just about abortion, but also include therapeutic procedures such as a D&C or Vacuum Aspiration.
Blocking training in these methods is as stupid as blocking training in cosmetic surgery - because only self-centered people would ever get cosmetic surgery, right?
Pesky Apostrophe is one of my favorite blogs. It's on my "must read" daily list of blogs. "Pesky Mac" talks about a lot of things on her blog, including woman's reproductive rights. She has a lot to say about religious people who work against abortion. I think it is well worth your time to read her blog.
Pesky Mac has asked her friends, family and acquaintances, in a personal email, to take a look at non-profit organizations that promote training in all aspects of women's medicine - including abortion. I agree. I think this deserves the attention of my readers.
So no matter what your view is toward abortion, take a moment to look at my favorite organization - Medical Students for Choice. Read about the shortage of abortion providers, and what the lack of training means to everyone.
I'm asking you to also consider donating. And who knows, you might become a small part of an important discovery - maybe even the invention of a perfect contraceptive.
In this ruling, the Supreme Court established a woman's right to decide what happens to her own body - at least up to the point in which the fetus is able to live outside the mother's womb. And in the case where a woman's health is endangered, even a viable fetus may be aborted.
My personal feelings about abortion is that it should be rendered unnecessary. If I were given a magic wand to wave, I'd give every woman the biological ability to physically reverse a pregnancy and reabsorb a viable fetus - at any point, at will.
But since I can't do that, I want to do the next best thing. I advocate safe contraceptives that would make it darned hard for a woman to become pregnant until she decides to do so. I advocate teaching men and women about contraceptives and contraceptive methods before they grow to child-bearing age, so they can be prepared to make those decisions.
I also advocate that abortion must be kept safe, legal and affordable for all women.
That this basic human right - the woman's right to choose - is under attack is really no surprise. Protests, graphic images, pharmacists refusing to fill emergency and standard contraceptives, even religious whackos physically attacking and killing abortion providers and their staff - all of these actions have become matter-of-fact, prosaic.
But there is another front on this war against woman's rights. Anti-abortionists are actively working to prevent medical students from receiving education in abortion methods. This isn't good - this isn't just a denial of women's rights - but it is also dangerous to women's health. The medical techniques involved are not just about abortion, but also include therapeutic procedures such as a D&C or Vacuum Aspiration.Blocking training in these methods is as stupid as blocking training in cosmetic surgery - because only self-centered people would ever get cosmetic surgery, right?
Pesky Apostrophe is one of my favorite blogs. It's on my "must read" daily list of blogs. "Pesky Mac" talks about a lot of things on her blog, including woman's reproductive rights. She has a lot to say about religious people who work against abortion. I think it is well worth your time to read her blog.
Pesky Mac has asked her friends, family and acquaintances, in a personal email, to take a look at non-profit organizations that promote training in all aspects of women's medicine - including abortion. I agree. I think this deserves the attention of my readers.
So no matter what your view is toward abortion, take a moment to look at my favorite organization - Medical Students for Choice. Read about the shortage of abortion providers, and what the lack of training means to everyone.
I'm asking you to also consider donating. And who knows, you might become a small part of an important discovery - maybe even the invention of a perfect contraceptive.
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