Contraception is key to reducing the unplanned pregnancies that lead to abortion.
Why does Students For Life only present one side?
- Condoms are 98% effective at preventing pregnancy
- With consistent use, less than 1 out of 100 women on the Pill get pregnant each year
- 97% of sexually active Catholic women have used contraception
- Married Catholic women who attend church 1+ times a week are as likely (88%) to
use a form of contraception that is prohibited as those who attend services less frequently (88%).
Get the facts:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control-4211.htm
http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/topics/contraception/keypubs.asp
4 comments:
I think we can make a classic distinction between "descriptive" and "normative" morality here.
What you are saying is: "that's the way it is." What we're saying is: "that's not the way it ought to be."
Granted, both sides can be quite the ideologue. What we really need is an understanding of where we ought be, while acknowledging the difficulties in trying to get there.
But it is not an acceptable argument for a "pro-choice" position to simply state "that's the way it is." The questions we should be asking are: "Is it the best thing for the woman?" "Is it the best thing for society?" If you can answer those questions, then we can have a discussion.
Not only is this the way it is, this is THE GREATEST THING EVER for women and society as a whole. Who is against reducing unplanned pregnancy and reducing abortions? Most people have sex before they are ready to be a parent (95% of people have sex before marriage) and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. People just need to be responsible and use contraception. With contraception, women can enjoy consensual sexual relations, uncoupled to procreation, like men have been doing forever. If they have proper access to birth control and use it, women can finally make real choices about their lives and careers because they can plan when and when not to become a mother, how many children to have etc. What do you know about what's best for women and society that I'm missing here?
I simply point out that you have failed to address the central question: Why is consensual sex uncoupled to procreation a good thing? Why is there nothing wrong with most people having sex before they are ready to be a parent? You assert as such, but you cite current statistics to somehow prove the point. Just because the majority of people say something is okay, doesn't mean that its okay.
As sex as become increasingly divorced with serious commitment and procreation, there has been a plague of single motherhood sweeping the nation--fathers leaving their children and their partners for greener pastures. Do you want me to cite the statistics regarding the tendencies of children growing up in single-parent homes or with an absent father?
I'm all for people making informed choices about their own lives. It seems that 95% of people feel sex before marriage was best for them (well maybe not everyone in this group thought it was best, but I bet a very hefty majority did). I support people's decisions in this matter. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with having sex before marriage or uncoupling sex with procreation. Of course sex is risky. One might get an STI or get pregnant. There are even emotional risks involved. However, there are ways to protect yourself to make it more or less risky. To me the safest bet would be having sex with someone you truly care about and who cares about you while using protection and/or birth control every time. Some people may disagree, depending on their comfort level with taking risks and/or their personal beliefs about sexuality, and that is OK too. Also, if someone wants to remain completely risk free then they should abstain. I support abstinence as a personal decision as well. However, for some people having sex or sharing an experience with someone they care about is worth the (small) risk.
As for the tragedy of children growing up without stable and loving parenting, no statistics are necessary. I understand your concern and agree that this is a problem. However, I don't see why that means that responsible people can't make the choice to have responsible sex. If people are skipping out on their commitments to kids because they didn't want to have them in the first place, then they should have either abstained or used contraception. This is why CONTRACEPTION IS KEY. But also who is to say that these "bad" parents at the time weren't ready for and didn't want children? What if they were/did? In this case bad parenting isn't going to be corrected with abstinence. Just because some people take their serious responsibilities lightly, doesn't mean that people shouldn't be entrusted with making their own decisions. Some people are going to make bad decisions, but most people, given the most accurate and complete information and access to all of their reproductive options, will make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
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