Ugly Aftermath of Roe: Men Now Presume Post-Coital Right to a Dead Baby

NY Newsday ^ | 3-6-2003 | Sheryl McCarthy

[SarahW]

What agenda is that? You don't know me very well.

[Notwithstanding]

Abortion Is Four Times Deadlier Than Childbirth

This well-designed record-based study is from STAKES, the statistical analysis unit of Finland's National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health. In an effort to evaluate the accuracy of maternal death reports, STAKES researchers pulled the death certificate records for all the women of reproductive age (15-49) who died between 1987 and 1994--a total of 9,192 women. They then culled through the national health care data base to identify any pregnancy-related events for each of these women in the 12 months prior to their deaths.

Since Finland has socialized medical care, these records are very accurate and complete. In this fashion, the STAKES researchers identified 281 women who had died within a year of their last pregnancy. The unadjusted mortality rate per 100,000 cases was 27 for women who had given birth, 48 for women who had miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, and 101 for women who had abortions.

The researchers then calculated the age-adjusted odds ratio of death, using the death rate of women who had not been pregnant as the standard equal to one. Table 1 shows that the age-adjusted odds ratio of women dying in the year they give birth as being half that of women who are not pregnant, whereas women who have abortions are 76 percent more likely to die in the year following abortion compared to non-pregnant women. Compared to women who carry to term, women who abort are 3.5 times more likely to die within a year.

[Gophack]

You can't compare the economic costs of raising a child to the physical risks of pregnancy ... they are apples and oranges. But not being able to "afford" a child is no excuse to kill the child. Why not then, have parents kill off their children when they are out of work, lose their house, and are on welfare? They obviously can't afford their children.

The basis of the abortion law has nothing to do with economics. The Supreme Court didn't decide Roe v Wade because some women can't afford to take care of their children. They decided Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton because they bought the argument that an unborn child was not a human person worthy of protection under the Constitution, that the living breathing mother had a right to kill their living breathing offspring if the child had not yet emerged from the mother's womb.

Period.

[SarahW]

Yes, in many ways that study is misleading, or is being quoted here in a misleading way.

In the first place, it does not combine morbidity and mortality of pregnancies that proceed to term and those that don't. (excluding abortion).

It alters the relative risk of induced abortion by including deaths that can't be causally linked, only temporally linked (deaths by suicide or drug use)

It also only considers a limited set of injuries to pregnant and post-partem women.

I'm not trying to say I think abortion on demand is good.
If I had my way, the law would ackowlege the humanity of the developing child. My views on that subject might not pass your litmus test, but they are conservative.

[SarahW]

"not being able to "afford" a child is no excuse to kill the child. "

Of course it isn't.

[Tribune7]

Every abortion of which I'm personally familiar was the man's choice -- as in he wanted it and the woman didn't.

[Paulus Invictus]

There are many "accidental" fathers too who do not want their lovers to abort their child, but have no say in the matter if the woman wants to kill the child. His "choice" is meaningless, it seems.

[Notwithstanding]

1. Wait - If you add up the total death rate due to pregnancy ending in spontaneous miscarriage AND pregnancy ending in birth, you still have a lower rate than of pregnancy ending in abortion.

2. Why on earth would you ignore the common abortion aftermath of suicide and drug overdose?

[Gophack]

You're right. This isn't a one way street, and good fathers are often vilified.

If a father wants the baby and the mother doesn't, she can abort. That's wrong. The mother doesn't have to have custody, she can give the baby completely to the father. Like in an adoption, this is a completely selfless act, and worthy of any woman in an unplanned pregnancy who doesn't want the baby, but the father does.

But it seems pride gets in the way (I don't want this baby, but you can't have it either, so I'm having an abortion).

It's truly a sad commentary on our society, and human nature in general.

To all mothers who've given up their children to adoption, GOD BLESS YOU! You are selfless and humble, and pillars of strength.

To all mother and fathers who adopt, GOD BLESS YOU!

And to all children who are adopted: you are doubly loved, by your birth mother and your adoptive parents.

[Old Professer]

My. we're testy, aren't we!?

[Old Professer]

Obvious canard; totally unsupported by record.

[Lorianne]

Victimizing children one way does not make victimizing a child another way right. Two wrongs does no make a right.

[Porterville]

I ain't ever gettin' married in the US no way. I'll move to Australia and have a kid in Bali first.

[Khepera]

I agree. You are absolutely right.