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| ], to rally for abortion rights on the anniversary of ].]] | ], to rally for abortion rights on the anniversary of ].]] | ||
| ] is a term used to describe the |
] is a term used to describe the politial view which maintains that a woman should be guaranteed complete control over her body, especially in dealing with ]. Other things this entails include ], ] and ]s. {{fact}} <!-- for the last bit about fertility treatments --> Individuals and organisations that support this stance, both in terms of legality and availability, make up the '''Pro-choice movement'''. | ||
| Pro-choice activists |
Pro-choice activists hold a varity of beliefs regarding abortion but most agree it should be a legal option for ''any'' ] woman. The ones that dont' believe that abortion should be available to all usually view abortion as a last resort, and focus on the situations where they feel abortion is a necessary option. Among these situations are those where the woman was raped, her health or life is at risk, ] was used but failed, or she feels unable to raise a child. Some pro-choice moderates, who would otherwise be willing to accept certain restrictions on abortion, feel that political pragmatism compels them to oppose any such restrictions, as they could be used to form a slippery slope against all abortions. {{citation needed}} | ||
| Pro-choice activists frequently oppose legislative measures that would require abortion providers to make certain statements (some of which are factually disputed) to patients, because they argue that these measures are intended to make obtaining abortions more difficult. These measures fall under the rubric of abortion-specific "]" or "right to know" laws.{{citation needed}} | Pro-choice activists frequently oppose legislative measures that would require abortion providers to make certain statements (some of which are factually disputed) to patients, because they argue that these measures are intended to make obtaining abortions more difficult. These measures fall under the rubric of abortion-specific "]" or "right to know" laws.{{citation needed}} | ||
Revision as of 05:49, 29 May 2006
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 | It has been suggested that Anti-abortion movement be merged into this article. (Discuss) |
Pro-choice is a term used to describe the politial view which maintains that a woman should be guaranteed complete control over her body, especially in dealing with abortion. Other things this entails include contraception, sexual education and fertility treatments. Individuals and organisations that support this stance, both in terms of legality and availability, make up the Pro-choice movement.
Pro-choice activists hold a varity of beliefs regarding abortion but most agree it should be a legal option for any pregnant woman. The ones that dont' believe that abortion should be available to all usually view abortion as a last resort, and focus on the situations where they feel abortion is a necessary option. Among these situations are those where the woman was raped, her health or life is at risk, contraception was used but failed, or she feels unable to raise a child. Some pro-choice moderates, who would otherwise be willing to accept certain restrictions on abortion, feel that political pragmatism compels them to oppose any such restrictions, as they could be used to form a slippery slope against all abortions.
Pro-choice activists frequently oppose legislative measures that would require abortion providers to make certain statements (some of which are factually disputed) to patients, because they argue that these measures are intended to make obtaining abortions more difficult. These measures fall under the rubric of abortion-specific "informed consent" or "right to know" laws.
Pro-life and pro-choice individuals often use political framing to convey their perspective on the issues, and in some cases, to discredit opposing views. Pro-life people tend to use terms such as "mother", "unborn child", "unborn baby", or "pre-born infant". Pro-choice people tend to use terms such as "zygote", "embryo" or "fetus". Each side accuses the other of using a preferred set of loaded terms.
Term controversy
The Oxford English Dictionary lists the usage of "pro-choice" at least as early as 1975, around the time when the question of the legality of abortion became increasingly discussed after Roe v. Wade (the term "choice" is used to describe options towards abortion in the case as well).
Both "pro-choice" and "pro-life" are examples of political framing: they are terms which purposely try to define their philosophies in the best possible light, while by definition attempting to describe their opposition in the worst possible light (being "anti-choice" or "pro-death").
Opponents of the pro-choice view sometimes refer to people who are pro-choice with terms such as "anti-life" or "pro-abortion". Many pro-choice individuals object to this nomenclature, claiming that it is pejorative and that they are advocating for women's lives. They emphasize their beliefs that women's lives are better when they are not forced to go through an unwanted pregnancy, and that both parents' and children's lives are better off when the woman is not denied abortion. The latter claim is supported by a study conducted by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in 2000.
Their belief is framed in the broader categories of individual liberty and "reproductive freedom" or "reproductive rights".
In addition, some pro-choice individuals who object to abortion on a moral basis, or who believe that abortion is still an undesirable experience for the woman undergoing it even if the consequences of not having an abortion are worse, also reject the label "pro-abortion". "Pro-choice" equates with a political mindset that often includes being pro-contraceptive options. Some pro-choice individuals state that they desire the number of abortions to decrease, but not because of legislation banning procedures. They argue that abortion ought to decrease by providing comprehensive sex education and birth control education programs, increased access to birth control or contraception options, and increased education about proper use of birth control becoming accessible to all.
One view on how to resolve the dispute is simply to accept the terms each group uses for itself.
Political views
People who identify as pro-choice fall along a spectrum of political opinion, ranging from the view that all abortions should be legal, to the view that abortions should only be legal until a certain date in the progression of the pregnancy (such as the third trimester, which is the approximate gestational age at which a fetus can survive outside of a woman's body).
In its landmark 1973 case, Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court held that the abortion right was absolute during the first and second trimesters of a pregnancy, but that the state's interest in protecting "potential life" prevailed in the third trimester unless the woman's health was at risk. In subsequent rulings, the Court rejected the trimester framework altogether in favor of a cutoff at the point of fetal viability (Cf. Planned Parenthood v. Casey).
Opponents of abortion often refer to themselves as pro-life. Pro-lifers also hold diverse opinions, ranging from the view that all abortions should be illegal, to the view that abortion should only be legal in limited circumstances, such as pregnancy by rape, incest, or when there are fetal deformities or medical complications to pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America are the leading pro-choice advocacy and lobbying groups in the United States. Most major feminist organizations also support pro-choice positions.
In the United States, the Democratic Party's platform endorses a pro-choice position, stating that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare". Not all Democrats agree with the platform however, and there is growing support in Congress and among rank and file members for Democrats for Life of America. Although the 2004 Republican platform is explicitly pro-life, advocating a Constitutional amendment banning abortion, there are several nationally prominent Republicans who identify themselves as pro-choice, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, New York Gov. George Pataki and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
References
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Clinical Effectiveness Support Unit. (2000). The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion. Retrieved 2006-05-28.
See also
- Abortion
- Anti-abortion
- Pro-life
- Procreative liberty
- Reproductive rights
- South Dakota reproductive rights controversy
External links
- China 'acts on forced abortions' from BBC News
- Medical Students for Choice
- National Abortion Federation
- Planned Parenthood
- Pro-Choice America
- SaveRoe