ABORTION: PREVENTION

Telling a woman with an unplanned pregnancy that she should have used contraception is not very useful. If she did use contraception, then it has obviously failed. If she didn’t then she has probably already told herself she should have. (Contraception is the responsibility of two people, not just one.) Making her feel worse about the situation is pretty mean.

If a couple want to have sex and avoid getting pregnant, then they should use reliable contraception. Unfortunately not everyone knows a lot about it, so getting reliable information is important. Many women, particularly younger women, do not actively associate pregnancy with having sex. Sometimes it takes a pregnancy, or a pregnancy scare to help them realize. It is a pretty dramatic way to learn.

Some women are probably very fertile. Just as we understand some women have problems getting pregnant, there are some who get pregnant more easily than the average woman.

Having been involved in the care of many women who have had unplanned pregnancies, my own feeling is that prevention is definitely better than cure. I am sure many women who have had abortions would agree. However, we are fortunate that if, despite our best efforts, we do become pregnant, and continuing the pregnancy is not a possibility, we have access to safe, legal abortion and support.