Birth control vs. contraception, need vs. demand in the abor

[Daanyeer]

Denise Noe
Birth control vs. contraception, need vs. demand in the abortion debate


Source; mensdaily
August 18, 2007 at 3:21 am · Filed under Health, OP/ED, Culture, Sex & Relationships, Feminism, Current Events, Politics, Vox Populi

In the continuing debate about the legality or illegality of abortion, many people deplore the failure of girls and women who become unhappily pregnant to have responsibly and conscientiously used “birth control.” I believe that, for the sake of clarity, this term should be dropped from the lexicon. After all, abortion itself can be seen as a way of controlling births, albeit an often grisly and always morally troubling one. What is usually meant by birth control is contraception and the latter term should be used when discussing the prevention of unwanted conceptions among people engaging in penile-vaginal intercourse. The latter term may seem unnecessarily graphic to some readers but I also believe it is necessary to distinguish between those sex acts that can lead to pregnancy and those that cannot.

The abortion debate is also often clouded when people discuss decreasing the “need” for abortions. The term “need” prejudges the case of those who believe abortion should be outlawed. We can hardly criminalize things that are “needed.” Many years ago, a leader of a prominent group that supported legal abortion helped set up a conference at which leaders of groups advocating criminalization were asked to come together with their opponents to discuss ways to stem unplanned pregnancies. The agreement was that abortion itself would not be mentioned at the gathering. However, in the letter requesting the appearance of various activists, the original writer talked about “decreasing the need for abortion.” Nellie Gray, President of March for Life, shot back, “There is not and never has been a ‘need’ for killing innocent pre-born babies.”

There is most certainly and indisputably a demand for abortion. There was one before it was legal and probably will be one if it is again criminalized. However, to talk about a demand says nothing about whether or not something is legal as there is a demand for all sorts of drugs, a demand for stolen goods, and a demand for the services of hired killers.

Clarity is important, especially when an issue is emotionally charged. Replacing the term “birth control” with “contraception” and discussing a “demand” rather than a “need” for abortion are important steps to clarity on this issue.