A doctor recalls changing her mind on abortion
I am a retired doctor who is following the present abortion debate with fear. Terminating a pregnancy is a difficult medical decision and has no place in politics. It is a medical procedure that a woman makes with many emotions.
I am perplexed as to why the anti-vaxxers say no one can tell them what to do with their bodies regarding the COVID vaccine in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, yet many of those same people want to tell women they cannot terminate a pregnancy. Why can anyone tell women who have an unwanted pregnancy what she should do? The woman may desire termination of pregnancy because of rape or incest, or because she cannot take care of the child once born, emotionally, physically or financially, or because the fetus has abnormalities which will require a lifetime of advanced care. What about the mother’s life and emotional state? There is complete disregard for the living mother, whose own well- being may be at grave risk. Many of those who are supporting the right to life for the unborn fetus, do not support gun control. Why don’t all the innocent who have died from gun violence have the same right to life? They are already out of the womb, what happened to their rights?
When I was young and naive, before I went to medical school, I thought abortion should not be a method of birth control. I thought women/girls should be responsible if they engaged in sexual activity. How naive I was until I began to educate myself about rape, incest, poverty, and the list goes on. In medical school, working in a clinic in East Baltimore, we took care of 13-yearolds who were sexually active, before they menstruated, whether by choice or force. These girls never had an actual period before becoming pregnant since they became pregnant the first time they ovulated. These were babies having babies. They were living in poverty with their mother who was not even 30 year old since she was pregnant as a teen. There was no father figure usually. Sometimes they were using elicit drugs. Usually, their pelvis was not mature enough to have a successful vaginal delivery. So then you have a child having a baby, being born with a lack of social support, set up for a difficult delivery including fetal distress which has its own consequences. What type of future does this “mother” have? She won’t continue her education, most likely. The baby will often not have the nutritional, emotional or educational support needed for success. Where are the anti-abortionists now? Are they going to raise this baby? And what if the mother does not want to put the baby up for adoption since she loves her baby. Not to mention the welfare check she can get which increases with each child.
I quickly changed my mind about abortion once I saw the consequences of all of the issues an unwanted pregnancy involves. Abortion is a woman’s heartwrenching, private decision. Of course, there is the “right” of the father. Where are those sperm donors who had their minute of enjoyment? Are they supporting these mothers? Are they even in the picture? Or are they out getting another girl pregnant?
Now let us consider mothers who want to be pregnant but are pregnant with a fetus with severe abnormalities which condemn them to a life filled with numerous health problems. Why does the mother not have the right to decide whether she is able to care for her now unborn fetus? Or consider the effects on the rest of the family emotionally and financially. This is another heart-wrenching scenario, not decided on a whim. Where are the anti-abortionists now? They aren’t helping this mother. And putting this baby up for adoption? Consider how this mother would feel? And how many adoptive parents are there willing to sacrifice their lives to raise this child?
The real issue is not pro-life, anti-abortion, pro-abortion or any other name for the debate, it is about preserving a woman’s right to choose for herself. No one knows what is best for each woman, except herself.
Reversing Roe v. Wade is a huge setback in health care equality.