The women were alone

I am old enough to have been practicing medicine in 1965, before the Roe v. Wade decision. I can remember what the emergency room looked like. It was filled with women. They were bleeding, infected and alone. They were victims of illicit abortions by poorly trained practitioners, in unsafe environments. Almost none were accompanied by their partners.

We must face some facts: sex will happen; contraception is at best imperfect. And women bear the brunt of this burden.

How can we countenance returning to this time? I know that many have objections to abortion based on religious commitment or conscience. And I respect and honor that stance so long as it applies only to their own lives. But I part with them when they seek to impose this position on others.

No one likes abortion. But for many women, it is an unwelcome, agonizing but necessary choice to maintain control over their bodies and their futures. They face social stigma, medical risk and fear. And they deserve the right to make this choice in dignity and privacy.

Dr. Steven Wolfson

Guilford