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DEAR EDITOR:
Abortion is not a primary method of birth control in the United States. In fact, half of women who have abortions report using contraception in the month they became pregnant. This is because no contraceptive method is 100% effective. (National Library of Medicine NIH 2023).
Demographic characteristics of abortion patients:
Most abortion patients are in their 20s (61%), black or Latino (59%), low-income (72%), unmarried (86%), and already have given birth to one or more children (55%).
Abortion rate:
The abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. 63% of abortions in 2023, were medication abortions, up from 53% in 2020.
According to The Gutenberg Institute:
Unintended pregnancies: About 50% of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned.
Free birth control:
A study by Washington University found that providing free birth control to women substantially reduces unplanned pregnancies and cuts abortion rates by 62 to 78 percent. From 2017 to 2019, 69.2% of non-Hispanic white women currently used contraception, compared with 61.4% of non-Hispanic black women and 60.5% of Hispanic women. (Sep 2023)
Do women and men consider abortion as an alternative to contraception in the United States?
An exploratory study: Ann M. Moore et al. Glob Public Health. Glob Public Health 2011:6 Suppl 2011 May 24. "We explored the extent to which people use contraception and abortion interchangeably to achieve their fertility goals via focus groups. While there was a consensus that abortion cannot replace contraceptive use, poor couple communication, lack of planning, lack of acceptable contraceptive methods and the pleasures that people associate with having unprotected sex result in the "perception" that some individuals rely on abortion over contraception to prevent unintended births. Men and women both identified women as solely in charge of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy and resolving it should one occur. No one supported repeat abortions for themselves or others, and many respondents perceived multiple abortions to lead to infertility, which strengthens their position that substituting abortion for contraception is unacceptable.
A Dec. 7 letter stated: "By the way, 98% of the abortions in this country are strictly used as birth control." All writers should actually use facts to back their "opinions." Making up lies is not an opinion. How much interest does your newspaper have in promoting drivel? You know these statements from one of your favorite contributors is a lie.
My point; the free press has an obligation to print facts and correct blatant lies, not pander to them.
MARY ANN KALE
Warren