SiogaAgusArrachtaigh #fundie dapro-life-feminists.deviantart.com

That's right bitches, I'm going there. I haven't posted a journal on a controversial topic in a while, so I figured it's about time to cause trouble again. ;D

Anyways, regardless of what side you're on, you've all heard this argument at least ONCE I'm sure: That abortion should be kept legal to keep the number of back-alley abortions down. After doing a little research, I've discovered that what a lot of the "facts" that people know about back-alley abortions are a load of bull. There's more common misconception than anything. Being the little trouble-maker I am, I'm going to break them all down for you and explain why they're a load of horseshit. :3

Misconception #1: Illegal abortions were done in unsanitary alley-ways by fake doctors.
Sorry but, that's not how it was at all. Actually, before it was legalized, about 90% of illegal abortions were performed by licensed physicians. The term "back-alley" didn't refer to abortions literally being performed right there in an alley-way with a clothes hanger, but to how women were instructed to enter the doctor's office after hours, through the back alley, to avoid arousing neighbors' suspicions.

Misconception #2: Tens of thousands of women died from illegal abortions every year
Sorry, but this was actually proven false. The late Dr. Bernard Nathanson(The guy who directed what was then the largest abortion clinic in the 1970's, as well as the guy who made up this bullshit body count), later admitted that this figure was false but considered it to be "useful" in their campaign to legalize abortions. Even Planned Parenthood admitted that these numbers were wrong. In 1972, there were only 39 deaths related to illegal abortion, not tens of thousands like Nathanson originally claimed.
In fact, deaths from illegal abortions were actually DECLINING prior to 1973, not because abortion was becoming legal, but because of the introduction to antibiotics. The number of reported abortion-related deaths didn't start increasing until AFTER abortion was legalized. Why? Because it was legal, and abortionists were able to do more procedures. More abortion procedures, higher chances of people dying from said procedure. Duh.

Misconception #3: If abortion becomes illegal, women will seek out illegal abortions.
Yeah, they actually did a study on this by doing a survey on women undergoing legal abortions. According to the surveys, only about 6 to 20 percent of the women would have gotten an illegal abortion if the legal option was no longer available.
Even more research done had found that most women having legal abortions are pressured/coerced to do so by someone else, directly and indirectly, and that most abortions are likely unwanted. Before 1973, women could refuse an unwanted abortion on the grounds that it was illegal, unsafe and immoral. Legalization has made it easier for those around her to insist that because abortion is legal it must be "safe," and because it is "socially approved," it must be moral. It makes it easier for them to refuse to support her desire to continue the pregnancy and insist that she abort anyway.
For example, when actress Hunter Tylo was fired from the TV show Melrose Place after she became pregnant, her pregnancy discrimination suit quoted a producer as saying, "Why doesn't she just go out and have an abortion? Then she can work."

Misconception #4: Legal abortions are safer than illegal abortions.
Nnnnnoooopppppeeee.~ Whilst the percentage of women dying from abortions are lower, the actual number of women dying from abortion has increased. The actual number of women suffering physical complications has increased. The actual number of women suffering psychological complications has increased. The suffering of women, men, and families has been increased.
Since people are likely to get confused by the difference between the percentage and actual numbers, the percentage of women dying from the abortion itself has gone down, but the number of women dying from abortion has increased because the deaths happen AFTER they had the abortion. Studies have shown that women who have had a history of abortions are 3.5 times more likely to die following an abortion and six times more likely to commit suicide then a woman who just chose to give birth. They are also more prone to substance abuse and other forms of risky behavior that may lead to death. Indeed, more than 30 studies published in the last few years alone have linked abortion to higher rates of mental health problems, including depression, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, and anxiety disorders — including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Society as a whole also seems to have overlooked the fact that not a single study has ever been published which shows that abortion, for any given reason, actually benefits the physical, emotional, economic, or social health of women. Indeed, the available evidence shows that abortion is instead associated with making the physical, emotional, economic, and social well-being of women WORSE.

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Confused?

So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!

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