The A-word – There’s Nothing Wrong About Being “Pro-Abortion”

Posted by Enrique on 07.16.2008

Difficult choices.



The abortion issue is one of America's most enduring "controversial" subjects. It pops up every election cycle in some form. When it does, the pro-abortion side always couches it in terms like "family planning" or "safe, legal, and rare." The word choice seems to indicate that "abortion" is just plain wrong. Even in this era of relative tolerance, NARAL Pro-Choice America officially changed its name from National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League in 2003, in order to eliminate the a-word. They recognized that most Americans are viscerally repulsed by the word, and would prefer not to see it at all, much less consider its meaning.

But is abortion really just plain wrong? Aren't there any occasions when terminating a pregnancy is the most responsible (if extremely difficult) choice? For our story this week, let's have a look at America's current range of opinion on reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood's recent attempts to court an upscale clientele, and consider the unseemly question – "What exactly are the commercial possibilities of abortion on demand?"

The story so far…

As far as this election cycle goes, it probably won't surprise you that the aforementioned NARAL Pro-Choice America is pretty keen on Barack Obama. Fair enough, but NARAL is a fairly narrow group of activists, and relatively few Americans base their vote on a candidate's stance on reproductive freedom. Here's a roundup of recent polls on the subject, all of which were conducted during June of this year, courtesy of PollingReport.com:

- A Pew poll of 2,004 adults posed the question, "Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases?" 19% were in favor of abortion on demand, and 38% chose "legal in most cases." Only 13% were in favor of a blanket prohibition.

- Time Magazine asked a much wordier question – "Which of these positions best represents your views about abortion? A woman should be able to get an abortion if she wants one, no matter what the reason, up until the time the fetus is viable, that is, can live on its own. Abortion should only be legal in certain circumstances, such as when a woman's health is endangered or when the pregnancy results from rape or incest. Abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, even if the mother's life is in danger." In this case, 41% of respondents opted for restrictions on elective abortions ("certain circumstances), and only 10% said it should be completely illegal. The sample was 805 likely voters, and 71% said they would "still consider" voting for a presidential candidate who held views on abortion opposed to their own.

- An ABC News/Washington Post poll of 1,125 adults asked the easy version, "Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases?" The results were roughly the same as the Pew poll – 18% picked "legal in all cases" 35% said "most," and 16% would criminalize abortion.

All three polls indicate that about one-sixth of Americans are stridently pro-life. While that's a significant chunk, a clear majority favor legal abortion in "most" circumstances. People might be squeamish about the idea of terminating a pregnancy, but they aren't generally opposed to the mere availability of abortion. In this environment, it's not really a surprise that abortion provider Planned Parenthood is in expansion mode. Last month, Stephanie Simon of the Wall Street Journal reported on PP's new strategy:

Flush with cash, Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide are aggressively expanding their reach, seeking to woo more affluent patients with a network of suburban clinics and huge new health centers that project a decidedly upscale image.

The nonprofit, which traces its roots to 1916, has long focused on providing birth control, sexual-health care, and abortions to teens and low-income women. While those groups still make up the majority of Planned Parenthood's patients, executives say they are "rebranding" their clinics to appeal to women of means — a move that opens new avenues for boosting revenue and, they hope, political clout.

Two elegant new health centers have been built, and at least five more are on the way; the facility in Denver will be 52,000 square feet. They feature touches such as muted lighting, hardwood floors and airy waiting rooms in colors selected by marketing experts — as well as walls designed to withstand a car's impact should an antiabortion protest turn violent.

Planned Parenthood has also opened more than two dozen quick-service "express centers," many in suburban shopping malls.

Well, good for them. But despite this, and despite the fact that a majority of Americans support legal abortion in "most" circumstances, the prevailing sentiment is that terminating a pregnancy is something that should be "rare," something that shouldn't be accomplished without intrusive restrictions, something to be stigmatized. One natural (and intended) result of this stigma is that many women never even consider the option of having an abortion when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. And the women who do choose to have abortions are frequently the targets of unnecessary scorn and shame – they're irresponsible, disreputable, immoral, just plain icky, etc. – at a time when they're vulnerable.

This is insidious. There is nothing intrinsically wrong about having an abortion. Since momentum on this issue is heading in the pro-choice direction, those us who favor reproductive freedom shouldn't be ashamed of supporting elective abortion. We don't have to be vociferously proud of it, but we can at least take the step of using the word "abortion." (Everyone knows that "pro-choice" and "reproductive freedom" are just ways of avoiding the a-word.) After all, the pro-life community isn't shy about expressing its opposition to easily accessible abortion services – opposition that occasionally includes setting things on fire.

Given the fringe pro-life movement's affinity for un-Christian violence, it's understandable that people might be afraid to come right out and say they favor abortion on demand. We might feel uncomfortable saying, for example, sometimes abortion is the correct choice. But we all know if a teenage girl of limited means has a baby, the overwhelming likelihood is both the girl and the child won't be able to overcome poverty. There isn't anything wrong with pointing out that, in many cases, elective abortion is a sensible defense against permanent economic hardship.

It's time for the pro-abortion side to take back ownership of the a-word from pro-lifers. Case in point – this week, the Bush administration is trying to change the definition of "abortion" to include morning-after contraceptives:

The proposal, which circulated in the [Health and Human Services] department on Monday, says the new requirement is needed to ensure that federal money does not "support morally coercive or discriminatory practices or policies in violation of federal law." The administration said Congress had passed a number of laws to ensure that doctors, hospitals and health plans would not be forced to perform abortions.

In the proposal, obtained by The New York Times, the administration says it could cut off federal aid to individuals or entities that discriminate against people who object to abortion on the basis of "religious beliefs or moral convictions."

The proposal defines abortion as follows: "any of the various procedures — including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."

After "mission accomplished" and "compassionate conservatism," I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that Dubya has a nuanced definition of "abortion" as well. Unless we want to permanently cede the a-word to Values Voters, we must reclaim it. Let's only use "pro-choice" for a laugh.