Choice

Yesterday, January 22, was Blog for Choice Day and I missed it because I was at my other job where they expect me to work ALL DAY and not just read blogs and stuff.

Why I am "Pro-Choice"

I am coming out of the closet (so to speak) here an addressing a controversial subject. So far I have avoided anything highly charged or political and written about mundane subjects. But I felt the need to write this post after last week reading an article at www.powerpak.com titled, "Emergency Contraception: A Guide to Over The Counter Availability" as well as well written blogs by J at Thinking About and Maya's Granny.

I am ProChoice because simply, I believe in the right of a woman to have a choice about her own body. I believe ProChoice is as much about legal abortions as it is about the choice to plan when and if to have children. I admit that this directly conflicts with many of my other conservative Christian views. I know that many people I know disagree with me. But I can not in good conscience support any decision to restrict women's decisions about their own body by men.

I am ProChoice but I believe that a life is created at conception. I believe that life has a soul and that abortion ends that life. I believe that abortion often has long lasting emotional consequences for women (much like pregnancy and parenthood). I believe young women should have education that comes before this choice needs to be made. I do not believe I would make this choice given any circumstances. But that is my choice. That is the choice of a young, middle-income woman from a loving family and in a happy marriage who has not been faced with that decision. I do not believe that other women with far different situations should have to make the choice I do. They should be allowed their own Choice.

I am ProChoice but I believe in the sanctity of life. So I do believe more needs to be done to prevent the unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions. I do believe abstinence is a good alternative for some people but preaching abstinence to today's generation of girls (and boys) as a form of birth control is ignorance at its most shocking. No one has ever been able to show that providing birth control to teenagers encourages promiscuity. What encourages this behavior is the media and our culture's promotion and preoccupation of sex everywhere we turn. We promote sex but we do a poor job of providing prevention. I do think girls are having sex too young. I do believe they would be better off if they waited and programs that promote Waiting are a good idea. But believing that teenagers will not have sex if they sign a "Pledge to Wait" is ludicrous and naive. Even the best intentions will go awry in the right (or wrong) circumstances.

I am ProChoice and a strong believer in birth control. Sexually active teenage girls should be taking the "pill" or other form of contraceptive as well as being responsible for providing their own prophylactics. (We still have to protect against those STDs.) I have been taking the "pill" off and on (I do have two children) for over 10 years and find it the best choice for me. But consideration should also be given to other hormone contraceptives such as the patch, the shot, or the ring. For some people the costs of these methods is prohibitive and they rely on barrier methods with a lower success rate. That is why there is a great need for PlanB.

I am ProChoice and I support the sale of PlanB over-the-counter. It is currently legal in Alabama to anyone over age 18 or by prescription to someone younger.

"All currently available hormonal methods of contraception have been shown to act by the following mechanisms: altering the endometrial lining, altering the cervical mucous, interfering with fertilization or transport of an egg, or preventing implantation. There is good evidence that Plan B prevents or delays ovulation as a primary mechanism of action; however, the product works when taken throughout the menstrual cycle, which means that additional mechanisms may be involved. The contraceptive activity of Plan B can be fully explained by mechanisms of action that do not involve post fertilization effects."

PlanB prevents pregnancy in the first 72 hours after intercourse primarily by preventing successful fertilization and implantation. Just like the "pill" it is not a form of abortion but of pregnancy prevention.

So all women of childbearing age not using a form of hormonal birth control should keep on hand PlanB for contraceptive failures. I will even go a step further and say that all mothers of teenage daughters should keep PlanB on hand. Because some of you need to get your heads out of the sand and face reality.

Yes education is important and any money this country spends on educating young women on how to prevent pregnancy is money well spent.

I am ProChoice because I want there to be choices for all women.

For references to the above information on PlanB please see the referenced article at www.powerpak.com. Tomorrow, back to mundane subjects.