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ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE: FIGHTING ABORTION MYTHS. I recently created these to try to address the myths that Trump and Republicans use to convince folks they’re “Pro-Life.”
1: LATE-TERM ABORTIONS. Pence and many other Republicans love using this myth to distract from whatever point a Democrat is making. There is NO SUCH THING as late-term abortion. If an abortion must be done after a fetus would normally be viable for delivery, it’s a heavy and (2/)
heart-breaking decision, usually because the fetus has a fatal anomaly. Patients with a uterus know their own body and can be properly informed, and should be allowed to make their own decisions with their doctor without worry about being criminalized. Don't buy this lie. (3/)
2: THE BIBLE FORBIDS ABORTIONS. No, it doesn't. 30 years ago abortions were okay with the church based on the interpretation of the Bible; but then there was a swell from the evangelical right that promoted a switch from "Abortion is a necessary healthcare procedure at times (4/)
the fetus/potential person must be treated with respect" (still the medical philosophy now) to "all abortion is evil” after much verse-twisting and eisegesis. The fact is Jesus does not talk about abortion. The Trump plan today is not consistent with what Jesus taught. (5/)
3: BANNING ABORTION LOWERS ABORTION RATES. There have been many many studies about this, most notably through the Guttmacher Institute: banning abortion doesn't reduce the need, it only lowers the rates of SAFE abortions.
Abortion rates actually go down in years with Democrat (6/
Abortion rates actually go down in years with Democrat (6/
admins, most notably in President Obama's time, as the Affordable Care Act provided so many people with access to contraception and proper reproductive healthcare (which would go away if the ACA is repealed). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23168752/ (7/)
4: DON’T WANT A KID, DON’T HAVE SEX! Not really a tenable position.Those who want to have consensual sex should be able to do so, whether or not they want children. Planned Parenthood provides access to free/cheap contraception. However, some get more benefit from an IUD or (8/)
Depot shot, some have to try multiple types of contraception before they find one that works without harsh side effects. There should be no stigma; nothing but equal access, which is not yet the case. (9/)
5. POST-ABORTION DEPRESSION AND OTHER HEALTH EFFECTS. Anti-abortion lobbies created this myth to sell banning/controlling abortion. This is how they justify:
1. Forcing an ultrasound (not necessary if the patient does not want it) or the myth of fetal pain
2. Wait 3 days (10/)
1. Forcing an ultrasound (not necessary if the patient does not want it) or the myth of fetal pain
2. Wait 3 days (10/)
(They haven't thought about it enough?)
3. Force-feed them false info linking abortion and breast cancer, infertility, depression (correlation without causation).
Now, of course there are people who experience remorse after their abortion. But how many of them are subjected (11/)
3. Force-feed them false info linking abortion and breast cancer, infertility, depression (correlation without causation).
Now, of course there are people who experience remorse after their abortion. But how many of them are subjected (11/)
to such falsehoods? Shame from church, family, friends? If, instead, we treat abortion as the healthcare procedure that it is, and provide access to appropriate options for prevention and treatment, we could probably see a lessening of those supposed "aftereffects." (12/)
6. PLANNED PARENTHOOD HARVESTS BABY PARTS! Long disproven, simply not true. There was a heavily-doctored video a few years ago. https://oversight.house.gov/planned-parenthood-fact-v-fiction (13/)
7. Judge Amy Coney Barrett. No one cares that she's Catholic. We don't care that Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and close to 100 other Democrats in Congress (and many Republicans) are Catholic. The difference is her power to impose her values on people that don't share them (14/)
in a way that interferes with access and healthcare. She signed an anti-abortion/anti-Roe newspaper ad in 2006. That newspaper ad bought into some of the myths above, which is dangerous for someone who is meant to objectively interpret the law. Now that was 10 years ago and (15/)
since then she has stated that her personal views won't influence her judicial decisions on the court. But Trump vowed to bring in Supreme Court Justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade. It's no coincidence that "pro-life" groups are praising her nomination. That is what we (16/)
are against, and her inability to answer questions about settled law confirms our fears (also her nomination was likely a superspreading event in a pandemic which is not yet over, and to rush such a process could put more people in danger - not exactly "Pro-Life"). (17/)
Now some will point to a recent heartbreaking reveal by Chrissy Teigen. She lost her pregnancy, through no action of her own or anyone. It’s an awful thing, and my heart goes out to Ms. Teigen and Mr. Legend. But she had the choice to carry that pregnancy, it was up to her. (18/)
Some people elect (early) not to do so or don’t have the means to do so, with too many barriers. They should be allowed the choice of how to proceed (or not) with a pregnancy. Abortion is NOT murder. Abortion is healthcare. Roe v. Wade is SETTLED LAW for reproductive rights. (19/
From a former “Pro-Life” person who realized the hypocrisy of that political position (not the actual moral stance): https://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/10/how-i-lost-faith-in-the-pro-life-movement.html (20/20)
Shout out to Libby Anne of Patheos, Dr. Jen Gunter, and John Fugelsang because I definitely aspire to and have been influenced by their writings and comments.
