I would like to preface this by saying that I'm going to try not to
make this an "angry rant" because it is a subject that is very
important to me and it is a hot button issue all over the country right
now.
Recently two politicians (a congressman and a senate candidate)
have come under extreme fire/scrutiny for commenting on their believes
on pregnancies that result from rapes. The most recent comment was that
if a rape results in a pregnancy, it was God's Will.
This politician immediately came under fire. People (including
someone I know) called him the "worst person in the world." Why? Because
he believes life begins at conception and values human life? Gee, what a
terrible person, especially compared to the murders and drug lords and
genocidal leaders and the Taliban, for crying out loud. He is being
practically nailed to the wall for what he said. Guess what? He didn't
say that the rape itself was God's Will. I can't believe anybody would
actually think that he believes that. He was saying that if after all
that goes on in such a terrible situation as rape, if a baby is
conceived, it is just as much a miracle than if a man and woman were
actively trying to have a baby. Like Paul Ryan said, a life is a life
regardless of the circumstances of how it came to be.
When I lost my baby back in July, it was awful. People rallied
around me saying how sorry they were, including many who don't believe
what I do. If people think that at 6 weeks I only lost a group of cells,
not a baby, why would they be sorry for me? Not a life, not a big deal,
right? Why is it that if a woman miscarries it is a truly sad thing,
but if she aborts, its exercising her woman's right? So a note to all: I
too believe that begins at conception, so I guess that makes me a
terrible person as well...
The other politician started a scandal when he said that it is
unlikely that a rape would result in pregnancy. I don't know if that's
true --I'm not a doctor-- but this was also not a new statement to me. I
had heard many times in my life that the conditions of a forcible rape
(the adrenaline, the stress, the fear) are not ideal conditions for
conception. Again I don't know if that's true because my medical
training is non-existent, but it sort of makes sense to me. Along with
all that, the timing would have to spot on, you know what I mean?
Let me expand on that. As any woman who has gone through Trying To
Conceive can attest, myself included, the conditions for pregnancy are
very specific and particular. The parameters that must be met are
limited. The average woman of prime child-bearing years has one cycle
every month. In that month, there are only 1-2 days when she actually
ovulates. Depending on age and health, most women only have about a 20%
chance of getting pregnant each month. The older you get, the lower your
chances are. Women trying to get pregnant count and calculate until
they can't stand it anymore. It takes the average couple 6 months to
conceive.
Here's some more biology for you: Tens of Millions of sperm enter the female body. Most of those will die or get "lost" along
the way (insert cheesy man vs. directions joke here). Then the sperm
have to choose between two fallopian tubes and hope they get the right
one. Then once the sperm reaches the egg (FYI: there are only about 100 left at this point, out of the initial tens of millions), they have to find a weak spot
in the egg to burrow into. The odds aren't great. This video is a bit
dramatic in the narration, but it explains it well.
So, pushing the emotional/hormonal stuff going on in your body
during a rape aside, the rape itself would have to occur within a day or
two of ovulation and the sperm would have had to find its way to the
egg and penetrate the egg itself in order to result in pregnancy. I'm
not saying it wouldn't happen, but I am saying the chances are small so I
really don't think that should be the definitive argument for the
legality of abortion. No website will offer hard statistics because they
are so hard to prove, but I really don't think the majority of
abortions are because of rape or incest. I just don't.
I know this isn't a popular opinion, but it's mine and I own it. I
am tired of people, especially other women, making women feel like they
are casting aside their womanly duties by not supporting abortion. I
will never support abortion, to be honest with you. I never feel like it
is OK to kill a child, in or out of the womb. In fact, I told my
husband if it ever came to that, choosing between me or the baby, to
always choose the baby. Rape is a terrible and tragic thing that should
never happen, but it isn't the baby's fault.
People got upset when certain states passed a law that required an
ultrasound before an abortion. Were they perhaps upset because they
would see a living being? They don't want to know that a heart is
beating and the organs are forming and the baby has a brain and a
central nervous system and cardiovascular system and fingers and toes
and CAN HEAR YOU.
OK, I think that is all for now. I'm sure I can say more. I could
talk about this all day. I'm not trying to change minds (though if I
helped, that would be great), but I am trying to make sure that my
opinion and those like mine are just as respected as people who
disagree. People need to stop putting others down for what they believe
just because it is different. It is a threat to the freedom of speech
and that is a dangerous territory to be getting ourselves into.
